Is next-day fatigue and muscle soreness a good metric of how hard you've worked?

joowelz

Same as title - is next-day fatigue and muscle soreness a good gage of how hard you've worked during your workout?

matt9712

That's considered DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. Doesn't mean you had a good workout but in general it's usually a good thing to be sore as you have put some type of strain on your muscles that you were working.

cwolfman13

joowelz wrote: »

Same as title - is next-day fatigue and muscle soreness a good gage of how hard you've worked during your workout?

Not really....DOMs just means you're using muscles you haven't used in awhile or you're using them in different ways. As you train, DOMs becomes pretty much a non-existent thing unless you're implementing some new training protocol or intensity level. I've been training for the better part of 9 - 10 years pretty consistently, and I only really get DOMs when I'm changing something in my training or I've had to take a bit of time off for injury or something and I'm just getting back to it. In that case I usually only experience DOMs for a week or two at the most.

HoneyBadger302

Agree with @cwolfman13 - if I'm working out regularly, or doing activities regularly, I generally won't get much soreness unless there's a major change in what/how I'm working various muscle groups, or doing a completely different activity than I'm used to.

I fell off the workout wagon over the late summer/fall/early winter, so getting back on it the first couple workouts I had pretty good DOMS 48 hours later - but the workout wasn't any more intense than it would have been if I had been working out regularly - just means I've been a lazy bum and not doing much. In fact, the workout was technically less intense as I need to build back up.

Few workouts in and the DOMS is already quieting down and hardly noticeable as anything beyond a normal workout. New activities will still give me some, or maybe some muscle that doesn't particularly get worked in my daily physical activities, but seriously reduces very quickly for me.

sijomial

No.
It's often more an indication you are doing something new, either exercise type or intensity.

Your exercise performance going up over an extended period of time is a far better metric.

matt9712

Yep I agree with Wolfman he said it alot better then me

cwolfman13

Another example. My village (township) recently paved a nice walking path in the Western area of the village near where I live. I went to check it out yesterday and it was a lot of uphill walking as the path is along a big hill. My calves are pretty sore today because I don't do a lot of uphill walking, but it was just a walk and not anywhere nearly as strenuous as my usual exercises.

heybales

I'll specifically apply the great comments made since I still many times see people think the soreness is desirable.

Don't be switching things up merely to chase the soreness thinking it's any indicator of a good workout.

"Muscle confusion" being required for progress is a myth thrown around somewhat based on your observation.

Now - if you are doing a say an aerobics class and the movements become easy because you got them down after repeated use, then you probably aren't making progress in much if anything, as the speed of the workout to the music can only go so fast.
So switching to another class may confuse your coordination for awhile, may make you feel sore for a short bit - but it doesn't mean it's always improving something except your ability to learn new movements perhaps.

Progress was mentioned above - faster, longer, heavier, ect. Whatever helps you with the goals you have.
Lack of soreness doesn't mean progress stopped.

Xellercin

Nope. And believing that is more likely to lead to you disliking exercise.

I love when exercise gets easier and more comfortable, that's how I can tell that I'm in better condition.

snowflake954

All it means is that you're using muscles you haven't been using. When your muscles are used to working out and you stop after pushing them, there is a feeling I can't quite describe--tired but satisfied, and you feel a bit limp, but strong at the same time. When you get there you'll know, and THAT means you've had a great workout.

ciaoder

I go to failure with my last movement every time I work out. I usually feel fine the next day.