A muscle cramp, or as it is often called, a muscle spasm, is a very unpleasant feeling that happens suddenly and without reason
Muscle spasms can be caused by too much pressure on your muscles or too much activity going on, especially when you are sleeping. Muscle spasms can also be a result of something as simple as getting a cut or chipped lip. If you have ever stopped in your tracks at the wrong time or been awakened by a sharp pain in your back, you probably know that sudden muscle spasms can lead to severe pain.
The most common cause of the muscle spasm is muscle spasm due to overtraining. Many people find that their muscles tend to be sore and tight for days after a long workout, so they either do not exercise as much or they try to avoid the feeling of soreness that occurs after a workout. Unfortunately, muscle spasm is a common occurrence for everyone who does muscle building or weight lifting.
The feeling of cramp can be experienced when you first begin to workout, when you have completed a muscle building or weight lifting routine and then stop to take a break. If your workout is not too strenuous, the muscles should return to normal in a couple of minutes. If your workout is very intense, however, your muscles will feel a tightening feeling for a few days and may even have some pain, depending on what muscle group was exercised.
Muscle pain associated with muscle spasms can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs. If muscle spasm is caused by muscle fatigue, muscle pain may indicate that you have injured a specific muscle. If the pain becomes severe, your doctor may recommend a procedure such as microdiscectomy or arthroplasty to help the muscle heal. You can also use prescription pain relievers such as ibuprofen or aspirin to relieve pain.
If the muscle spasm is caused by overtraining, you can reduce your risk of muscle cramps by not doing too much. During your workout, you should always focus on lifting the heaviest weight you can lift for as long as possible. If you need to rest between sets, rest only two to five minutes between sets.
Muscle cramps can also be caused by muscle imbalances, which can be caused by a variety of factors. This can include lifting too much weight, not warming up enough or using the wrong muscles when exercising, lifting the wrong type of weight, not enough reps, over-isolation, or not doing enough exercise.