i believe that in order to reap the benefits of contrast showers, you'll have to increase the temperature difference going from hot to cold and vice versa.

this is probably the reason why NFL players opt for hot/ice baths rather than just switching from hot to cold water showers. the temperature difference for the latter is about a 10-20°C whereas the former could be 30-40°C.

Nice. I actually was aware of the benefits of salt water as my partner introduced me to bath salts (cheap and effective!) in Canada and explained how it assists people suffering from lactic acid/DOMS. Sadly, I don't have a bath and to travel from KL to go to the ocean is abit too far for me It's great that you can enjoy the salt water

Btw, great job with improving your lifts! Keep it up!

This post has been edited by shadowz: Nov 6 2012, 12:28 PM

Thanks! Well, another solution that I do use but it isn't as effective as the seawater / saltwater trick. From what my coach said, the lactic acid are like the positive electrons / free radicals that built up in the body. So to counteract it, one needs to get negative electrons into the body to neutralize it so it's through :
-grounding / earthing - barefoot at least 30 min daily or if you have a grounding mat that connects to the socket-earth. I can't tahan the mosquitoes for I made a stainless plate connected to a wire and 3-pin plug that I plug into the socket. The plug only has the earth pin as I remove the other pins. The socket switch is not turned on. Fuzzy tingly feeling up my feet.
-supplements - can pricey and needs rotation every 3 months. Else your body builds up immunity and it's no longer effective. Either rotated or take a variety of brands.
-antioxidants from food - this is a bit dicey because the nutritional value of food is so different from region to region. I tend to lean towards local veggie because more nutrients from the soil and cheaper. Plus more fiber and less pesticide (typically). Meat is the same rule - preferably local.
-body-rolling - a form of self-massage or also known as trigger-point therapy. http://www.youtube.com/user/YAMUNABODYROLL...eature=g-user-u . Only problem is that you need to do it after your workout so that your muscles are more relax and needs to be done daily. Using the ball is less painful than the foam roller or the Grid Roller by TP Therapy. Yamuna uses Yoga & Pilates philosophy. TP Therapy recommends some moves that I was told were dangerous for the back unless one has a lot of backmuscles along the spine to act as a cushion when doing the backroll.


I didn't go to the beach last weekend and now, the pains are coming back after lifting harder than I usually do. So come Sunday morning, I'm off.

Hmm...one other possibility is that if there is a clean river that you can dip your toes in, that could be another source but I get the feeling it's not easy in KL. So theoretically, a bucket with saltwater inside it should work if you place your feet in there for 30 min. I don't immerse myself at the beach - only until knee high and that dose is enough to last a week.

Let me cure itself Just bear with the soreness, the moment you get used to them it feels like nothing anymore..
By the way, the soreness stay about how many days before it goes off?

For me, with protein powder is about 2days, without is 3days+.

By the way, you can take caffeine pills/coffee to cut down about 15~30% of the soreness as well. It really depends on how your body works, so just play around with the chemistry, not the drugs.

You realize caffeine is a drug, yes? Just sayin'.

A very powerful yet effective drug I must say.

now I do LOL
So is coffee considered as drug too?

Hell yea. Can't survive the day without it

Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine is considered a stimulant drug.
So yes, coffee may* be considered a drug. *Technically.