Welcome to the Get Fit Guys quick and dirty tips to slim down and shape up.

You know, nobody likes to be sore, and I've received several questions from readers about how to

eliminate the nagging aches and pains that come from a workout.

While soreness is completely natural and cannot be completely

eliminated, it can be controlled, and proper recovery protocols will not only ensure minimal levels

of post-workout discomfort, but also allow your body to recover more quickly and gain better fitness

from the workout, and allow you not to want to punch someone in the face anytime they

touch your chest, thigh, leg, arm, or any other sore spot once you've finished your exercise

routine. As you learned in the episode How to Build Muscle, muscles grow and become stronger

when they are subjected to workout forces that cause tiny tears in the muscle fibers.

In addition to repairing these fibers, during the recovery period after a workout, the body builds new blood vessels to the stressed area.

The energy-generating components of the cells develop a higher work capacity, and bone

density increases.

But none of these positive adaptations will occur unless your body has proper

rest and recovery. Think about it this way. Exercising without recovering properly is a bit like

trying to cook a casserole without turning on the oven. You'll end up going through all the casserole

cooking motions but get no final results, or at least a very disappointing

final product, and nobody wants to be cold casserole.

Excessive soreness is generally an indication that you either increased volume or

intensity far too quickly in your exercise routine, or you did not recover properly.

Us exercise geeks use a term called D OMS, which is short

for delayed onset muscle soreness. And this term basically means soreness does not peak immediately

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