Does soreness = achievement?

meggs9605

I enjoy being able to feel accomplished after a good workout, but how much soreness is normal? How long should I be sore? Do I need to wait until the soreness lets up before I work out hard again? (sometimes I hurt for days.) If I don't work out hard enough to get really sore does that mean I am not working hard enough? I like feeling the effects of getting in shape but I am tired of hurting! Please, someone give me some feedback.

My workouts (I am pretty weak in terms of muscle tone):
45-60 min of cardio 6 days a week
30-45 min of strength training/ muscle conditioning 3-4 days a week (mostly resistance training; not a lot of actual weights)

Hendrix7

Soreness means nothing.

If you hit a pr in the gym and you don't get sore the next day........it's still a pr.

If you miss a lift you should have made but get pretty sore the next day, you still missed the lift you dont get any points for DOMS.

You seem to be always below your calorie goals and way below your protein macro, that might be the first thing to look at. My recovery is always better when I'm eating more.

Sarauk2sf

As Hendrix says, soreness, or lack thereof does not equate to a good/effective workout. I usually only get mild DOMS, and even then, not all the time. You should find that after a few weeks of doing a type of exercise, you do not get very sore, but it is a little random. However, people mainly get sore if they are doing something new, do more volume or doing more weights than they are used to.

You should not wait for the soreness to go. However, you should make sure that the soreness does not impinge on your form. Often the soreness subsides when you start exercising. Also, do some active recovery like walking or mobility work on rest/non lifting days.

TyTy76

No

csi4us

As Hendrix says, soreness, or lack thereof does not equate to a good/effective workout. I usually only get mild DOMS, and even then, not all the time. You should find that after a few weeks of doing a type of exercise, you do not get very sore, but it is a little random. However, people mainly get sore if they are doing something new, do more volume or doing more weights than they are used to.

You should not wait for the soreness to go. However, you should make sure that the soreness does not impinge on your form. Often the soreness subsides when you start exercising. Also, do some active recovery like walking or mobility work on rest/non lifting days.

This! Well said.

Sarauk2sf

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