No pain, no gain. If you want to see your muscles grow, you must learn to live with sore muscles. In fact, if you are not feeling any soreness, then that means you should level up your workout to make gains. A lot of bodybuilders learn to enjoy this pain, and attribute it to added strength.

That said, it’s possible to take proactive steps to alleviate the pain. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Sleep

Well, everyone needs sleep for their body to function optimally. Bodybuilders need a little more sleep than normal, since their body needs a lot more repairing. Also, it is advisable to have some protein before sleeping to speed up the recovery process.

Get a massage

A lot of athletes swear by a massage, since they have to sometimes perform every day and don’t have too much time to let their muscles recover. If you have the resources to hire a masseur on a weekly basis, your muscles will love you for it. Do remember that massages can hurt when your muscles are sore, but it’s good pain. If you cannot afford a masseur, then consider investing in something like a foam roller, which you can use on your own.

Drink water

One of the best ways to help your muscles recover is to drink lots of water, that will help flush out toxins. You must guard against dehydration since that can worsen your muscle soreness.

Hot water shower

A hot water shower will help relax the muscles and improve circulation of blood. It also helps alleviate the pain. Some people even take contrast showers – i.e. two minutes of hot water shower followed by a minute of cold water shower, to speed up muscle recovery.

Active recovery

Another way to get rid of the pain is to do some low-intensity exercise, like jogging. Even doing light weight training makes you feel better, as it improves blood circulation to the muscles.