Are muscle spasms normal when begining working out?

Question

For Christmas I recieved a workout bench, and I've only used it a few times. In the last 5 days, my bicep/tricep muscle area has been twitching very frequently. I'm begining to get a little worried. Are these spasms normal?

Answer 1

yes!!!! Muscle spasms commonly occur when a muscle is over-used or injured. Working out when dehydrated or with low levels of potassium can also predispose a person to muscle spasms.

Some spasms occur because the nerve that connects to a muscle is irritated. The classic example is a herniated disk irritating spinal nerves as they exit the back, causing pain and spasm.

Spasms in the calf commonly occur while kicking during swimming and can also occur at night while in bed. Upper leg spasms are more common with running or jumping activities. Spasm in the cervical spine (neck) can be a sign of stress.

When a muscle goes into spasm it feels very tight and is sometimes described as a knot. The pain can be severe and debilitating.

At the first sign of a muscle spasm, stop your activity and try stretching and massaging the affected muscle. Heat will relax the muscle at first, although ice may be helpful after the initial spasm and pain has improved. If the muscle continues to be sore, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications may help with pain. In more severe cases, your health care provider may prescribe anti-spasm medications.

After initial treatment, the cause of the spasm should be determined to prevent it from recurring. If an irritated nerve is involved, physical therapy or even surgery may be necessary.

The most common cause of muscle cramps associated with sports activity is dehydration. Often, rehydration with water or sports drinks will resolve the cramping.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

probably from an insufficient amount of electrolytes and you are new to resistance training. try to eat at least one banana a day

Answer 3

yes... POTASSIUM is the key (Vitamin K)

pick up a supplement locally or at http://www.puritan.com/

http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/potassium.htm