How sore do you get?

I've been back lifting for about 3 months after a many year break. I'm 42 and weight 260ish. I run 3 days a week and lift 3 days a week breaking up the body into a chest / legs / back cycle. After my chest and back days I'm usually a little tight or sore the next day. No big deal, I know I've worked out. But on my leg days HOLY POOP! I am sore for 4 days, sore to the point I almost can't walk stairs. I'm not really "killing" myself on my lifts. I usually squat, leg curl, leg extension very basic stuff, 8 -12 reps 2 sets. I defiantly am not "maxing" out or really pushing myself that hard. But all this soreness is really hurting my running. Some days after my leg days I have to just walk my runs I'm so sore.

My questions are:

1) Is this ever going to stop? Why the hell are my legs and butt so sore?
2) Is this common for guys my age? When I was younger I'd get sore the next day but not 4 days??? Why just my butt and quads? Why don't I get this sore on my pecs, back, and Bi's?
3) Are there any supplements that might help reduce the soreness? I hate to sound like a Pussy but I'm really getting tired of being so sore.

Try increasing your frequency and squat more than once a week. You body should adapt and start to get less sore each time.

Do you do a little cardio/bike to warm up your legs?
Do you stretch enough? Not just like one stretch for each leg..

Oh and eat i suppose..

Thanks for the help guys. I am an avid stretcher (if there is such a thing). I always warm up with 5 min of mild cardio and some light stretching before I start and spend at least 10 minutes stretching after my lifts and runs.

The trainer at my gym recommended that I rotate my exercises and actually put me on the plan I am on. He cut the frequency of my workouts and put me on a plan where I rotate my exercises. So currently I squat one week, then leg press the next week (no squats). When I started back lifting I did the same workout I did in the 1980's ie same 10 exercises, 2 sets, all muscle groups, 3 times a week. My trainer said not to work the same muscle more than once a week. My strength has DEFINITELY been increasing. I am benching, squatting, and dead lifting more now than I ever have - but damn my butt hurts.

I just read you had a 3 month break? So, it's perfectly normal for your ass to hurt right now..once you get back into your rotation it'll go over. Squat is a bitch if you haven't done it for a while.

The older we get, the longer it takes to heal up. I'm sore after a heavy deadlift or squat session, but not for 4 days, 2 at the most. I'd recommend squatting 2X a week, one time is mid-weight (50% or so) and the other heavier. After a while, you probably won't be as sore for as long. Probably you should deadlift on back day.
Glutamine can help this out. Also, At Large Nutrition sells ETS that should help recovery time.

No, actually I've been back at it, 6 days a week for over 3 months. I had about a 15 year break :-) I was sore early on all over my body. After the first couple of weeks most of the pain subsided, but only my gluts and quads are staying crazy sore, the rest of my body gets a little sore after I exercise but recovers in 1 - 2 days. The soreness in my chest, arms, back, and abs is tolerable, just a little uncomfortable. But My legs and butt hurt so bad I can barely walk sometimes, even stranger I hurt the most on 3d day after lifting (not the day after). I gotta be doing something wrong.

Originally Posted by TominTulsa

No, actually I've been back at it, 6 days a week for over 3 months. I had about a 15 year break :-) I was sore early on all over my body. After the first couple of weeks most of the pain subsided, but only my gluts and quads are staying crazy sore, the rest of my body gets a little sore after I exercise but recovers in 1 - 2 days. The soreness in my chest, arms, back, and abs is tolerable, just a little uncomfortable. But My legs and butt hurt so bad I can barely walk sometimes, even stranger I hurt the most on 3d day after lifting (not the day after). I gotta be doing something wrong.

It will get better as time goes on man. I felt the same as you on my butt and legs. They wouldn't recover for like two weeks!! I had never done squats also, so that was a big shock to my legs too. Now it only takes 2 days a the most and I can squat again.

I recommend the ETS as well from Atlarge. I have been using it for only 2 weeks so far and I can feel a difference already. As for training be sure to up your restoration workouts. Do a feeder workout the next day with just about no weight or maybe some mini bands for the body partds you just trained. A couple light sets of 20 will help get rid of all that lactic acid still hanging around. Ice will speed this up as well. Ice just doesnt have to be used when your injured. its an easy and cheap way to stay injury free as well.

Squat more often! Also protein and water seem to help alot! Also a lot of people think potasium is helpful,maybe some banana's! My first two weeks on SS I thought my legs were gonna die,I couldn't even sit on the crapper! Two months in and I kept going and now my even after my heaviest day I don't hurt much at all!

Im 23 years old and I get the same feeling, Every other workout I do I am only sore for about 2 maybe 3 days after. But my legs always seem to be sore for sometimes up to a week. Looking forward to getting over this though the further in I get with lifting.

Okay, I didn't see anyone mention this but also the legs are a lot bigger muscle group than chest or some others which means you can do more work in regards to lower body. This equates to tearing up more muscle fibers and being more sore. Even though you like to run, maybe you should switch gears to a cardio exercise that isn't as intense on the legs. I know I have issues with running after I get done squatting or dead lifting. I started jumping rope as a cardio workout after doing any lower body lifts and that helped tremendously with soreness for me. Also, if the pain gets to bad, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium(alleve) are your best friends. I personally prefer alleve because it works better for me. Oh, by the way, I am not some young whipper snapper trying to give advice; I'm only 4 years your junior.