Muscle Soreness, what does it mean for me?
Muscle soreness is something most of all of us have experienced throughout our lives. Whether you started working out for the first time in years, went for an intense hike, or increased your sets or weights, muscle soreness can make you uncomfortable.
However, muscle soreness does not necessarily indicate a good workout!
Muscle soreness is not a requirement for hypertrophy, a good workout, or building muscle. When trying to build muscle and strength, the goal is not to become super sore to the point where you cannot complete any of your other workouts for the week. The goal is to stimulate the growth process through the micro-damage of the muscles
When you first begin to work out it is common to be sore, and with time soreness will reduce. This indicates that your body is adapting and recovering correctly. This is a great sign as it shows you are progressing! Hallelujah!
If you are getting super sore because of your workouts, you may end up making future you not want to train. The way I gauge if I overdid it is very scientific...if my legs are sore and I can’t even squat on the toilet without my muscles flaring up, I should maybe skip my leg day till the pain is more manageable. Maybe try to walk, foam roll, and stretch to try and lose the muscle a bit.
Let’s say you train while you are moderately sore. This is not inherently problematic for muscle growth, but it could mean you do not push yourself to your full capacity and/or increase the risk of injury. If you are super sore and cannot complete the full range of motion due to pain, DO NOT TRAIN. Otherwise, if you are mildly sore, perform a longer warm-up and you should be fine to work out.
The main goal is to use your discretion when it comes to working sore, you know your body best and it is okay to rest if you need it. The gym will be there when you get back. The main goal should be to try and avoid injuries. Missing a day or two from the gym will not set you back but an injury will set you back weeks (trust me I know I haven’t been able to workout fully for about 4 months ☹️).
Anyway, I hope this helped!!
If you have any questions or want some help getting the body you want... reach out! 😇
