Why am I not sore after working out?

onikonor

You know that sore feeling you get the day after a great workout? Well I don't seem to have it!

I bust my *kitten* at the gym doing weights and conditioning and muscles ache after working out. Next day I take up and nothing. What is going on???????

This is what I did yesterday (burned 600 cals in about 70 minutes):

Warmup
3 rep:
20 X situps
15 X kettlebell swings 12 lb
15 X pushups (on knees butt down)
10 X air squats
10 X medicine ball squat cleans 8 lb ball

Stretching

3 X max plank position hold
3 X 15 good mornings with plastic bar

Conditioning
2 rep (18 minutes)
20 X deadlift with dumbbells 15 lb each (30 lb)
80 single unders jumping rope
15 X dumbbell curls 15 lb each (30 lb)
80 single unders jumping rope
10 X Squat press with dumbbells 15 lb each (30 lb)
80 single unders jumping rope

Stretching

iLoveMyPitbull1225

stretch a bit before your warm up
Lift less weight.

Try using a heating pad on the soreness prone areas at night, this I feel really helps easy (at least my) muscles.

Are you doing this everyday? Every other day?

onikonor

stretch a bit before your warm up
Lift less weight.

Try using a heating pad on the soreness prone areas at night, this I feel really helps easy (at least my) muscles.

Are you doing this everyday? Every other day?

I think I didn't make my question clear. I don't feel sore the following day, does this mean I wont' be getting results?

I usually do this 3 days on, then day off, then 2 days on, then day off kind of thing. Different muscle groups each time.

iWaffle

Eventually your muscles get used to the punishment and they won't feel sore the next day. My guess is you're doing this on a regular basis. If you took a week off or changed your routine to include heavier weights or more repetitions you might start feeling sore again but don't base the success of your exercise on the level of soreness in your muscles. I normally feel little to no soreness even if I'm dead lifting 225 lbs in 5x8 sets. Take a week or so off however and these really hurt the next day.

Let's be realistic. If you're doing this often air squats and 15 lb dead lifts aren't any sort of a challenge. Look at the size of your legs. They're made for moving substantial amounts of weight.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

oh I am sorry. I definitely read that you were sore...Not being sore is a good thing! Are you losing pounds or even inches? I would think if you are getting results that should be what matters. If you arent sore Id take that as a gift from GOD because I always get so sore.

dixiewhiskey

Yeah I am also curious about this as well. I don't get sore any more either but during the workout, I feel the burn during the workout but not afterwards like I did the first three days when I started working out

dixiewhiskey

oh I am sorry. I definitely read that you were sore...Not being sore is a good thing! Are you losing pounds or even inches? I would think if you are getting results that should be what matters. If you arent sore Id take that as a gift from GOD because I always get so sore.

That's true

BackTatJIM

make a new routine, I make one every 8 weeks

iWaffle

After performing an unaccustomed eccentric exercise and exhibiting severe soreness, the muscle rapidly adapts to reduce further damage from the same exercise. This is called the "repeated-bout effect".

As a result of this effect, not only is the soreness reduced, but other indicators of muscle damage, such as swelling, reduced strength and reduced range of motion, are also more quickly recovered from.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

jshort152

P.S. Don't stretch before you workout unless you had a warmup first, thats like pulling a rubber band thats been in a freezer. Don't chase the soreness, sometimes you just don't have it and that happens when lifting sometimes. If you miss the soreness then id put more weight into your exercises and take shorter break periods. Hope this helps!

Jesse Short
ISSA Certified Personal Trainer

onikonor

Yeah I am also curious about this as well. I don't get sore any more either but during the workout, I feel the burn during the workout but not afterwards like I did the first three days when I started working out

Yep this is it exactly. I think the weights are challenging as I had couldn't do them all in a row so I had to break them down into 5s.

onikonor

P.S. Don't stretch before you workout unless you had a warmup first, thats like pulling a rubber band thats been in a freezer. Don't chase the soreness, sometimes you just don't have it and that happens when lifting sometimes. If you miss the soreness then id put more weight into your exercises and take shorter break periods. Hope this helps!

Jesse Short
ISSA Certified Personal Trainer

Yep, I always warm up first then stretch.

Maybe I will do a bit more lifting. Thanks.

onikonor

make a new routine, I make one every 8 weeks

The gym I go to always has a new routine every day so it's never the same. I love not having to plan everything!

onikonor

Eventually your muscles get used to the punishment and they won't feel sore the next day. My guess is you're doing this on a regular basis. If you took a week off or changed your routine to include heavier weights or more repetitions you might start feeling sore again but don't base the success of your exercise on the level of soreness in your muscles. I normally feel little to no soreness even if I'm dead lifting 225 lbs in 5x8 sets. Take a week or so off however and these really hurt the next day.

Let's be realistic. If you're doing this often air squats and 15 lb dead lifts aren't any sort of a challenge. Look at the size of your legs. They're made for moving substantial amounts of weight.

This is true. I've been doing regular exercise for only about 2 months, not that long.

It's actually 30 lb since it's 2 15 lb dumbbells.

iWaffle

I've been doing regular exercise for only about 2 months, not that long.

That's long enough to get your muscles accustomed to the training especially if you're doing these on a regular basis. Sounds about right to me. Try doing weighted lunges next time (if you're not currently doing them) and see if you feel that 24 hrs. later. Adding more weight often does the trick, or you could try doing something killer like drop-sets occasionally to shake things up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_set

Like the other guy stated, don't chase the soreness. That's not an exact measure of how well you're working out. I think for most people who do this long enough the measurement for success is increased muscle size or increased muscle strength. There's an upper limit to that too of course but at just 2 months you don't need to worry about that factor.

onikonor

I've been doing regular exercise for only about 2 months, not that long.

That's long enough to get your muscles accustomed to the training especially if you're doing these on a regular basis. Sounds about right to me. Try doing weighted lunges next time (if you're not currently doing them) and see if you feel that 24 hrs. later. Adding more weight often does the trick, or you could try doing something killer like drop-sets occasionally to shake things up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_set

Like the other guy stated, don't chase the soreness. That's not an exact measure of how well you're working out. I think for most people who do this long enough the measurement for success is increased muscle size or increased muscle strength. There's an upper limit to that too of course but at just 2 months you don't need to worry about that factor.

That's interesting, I have never heard of drop sets before.

I do see improvement in cardio and endurance.

lienna1

Your getting to used to the workout, switch it up a bit, im always changing my routine, great job.

gxm17

I've been doing regular exercise for only about 2 months, not that long.

That's long enough to get your muscles accustomed to the training especially if you're doing these on a regular basis. Sounds about right to me. Try doing weighted lunges next time (if you're not currently doing them) and see if you feel that 24 hrs. later. Adding more weight often does the trick, or you could try doing something killer like drop-sets occasionally to shake things up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_set

Like the other guy stated, don't chase the soreness. That's not an exact measure of how well you're working out. I think for most people who do this long enough the measurement for success is increased muscle size or increased muscle strength. There's an upper limit to that too of course but at just 2 months you don't need to worry about that factor.

That's interesting, I have never heard of drop sets before.

Next pay day, I'm planning to buy Amy Bento's Drop Set workout. Can't wait to try it out!

iWaffle

That's interesting, I have never heard of drop sets before.

I don't do them every time but when I do I always save them for the very end. It really blows out the last ounce of strength you have. You should see me struggling to curl a 15 lb. dumbbell at the end when I'm starting out at 55 or 50 lbs. It's actually sort of amusing. I just know someone will walk in and think "Awww, poor guy can barely curl a little 15 lb. dumbbell."

onikonor

That's interesting, I have never heard of drop sets before.

I don't do them every time but when I do I always save them for the very end. It really blows out the last ounce of strength you have. You should see me struggling to curl a 15 lb. dumbbell at the end when I'm starting out at 55 or 50 lbs. It's actually sort of amusing. I just know someone will walk in and think "Awww, poor guy can barely curl a little 15 lb. dumbbell."

LOL wow this is halarious

IronSmasher

Soreness is not an indication of effectiveness.

wellbert

if you want to feel sore after a workout, just hit yourself with a hammer.
otherwise, you're fine.

itsmarcel

P.S. Don't stretch before you workout unless you had a warmup first, thats like pulling a rubber band thats been in a freezer. Don't chase the soreness, sometimes you just don't have it and that happens when lifting sometimes. If you miss the soreness then id put more weight into your exercises and take shorter break periods. Hope this helps!

Jesse Short
ISSA Certified Personal Trainer

Agreed. I personally warm up by performing the exercise at lighter weight but not enough to tire myself out for my first set. Just enough to warm up the muscles.

I don't get sore the day after working out. Usually DOMS hits me two days later and I don't always get it. It doesn't necessarily mean that I had a poor workout either.

Pedal_Pusher

Because you're just THAT good.............

onikonor

if you want to feel sore after a workout, just hit yourself with a hammer.
otherwise, you're fine.

LOL then I won't feel sore I will feel pain

onikonor

Because you're just THAT good.............

I'm actually pretty bad which is why I'm asking lol

LilMissSunshine_

Go heavier.

RuthSenz

Yes if you are accustomed to the same exercise, you won't get sore, or nearly as sore as when you started out. I know what you mean though, that soreness kinda makes you proud of yourself. But switch things up and you will feel it again.

tuffytuffy1

Good question, OP, I have been wondering this myself. I have been seeing a trainer 2 times a week for 14 months, and there are definitely some days after my sessions where I really don't feel sore, and I had the same question as you. Good to see it is normal! And judging by my clothing, it's working despite no muscle soreness at times.

Jacwhite22

I don't understand the issue....DOMS means nothing really

onikonor

I don't understand the issue....DOMS means nothing really

First of all nice picture.

From the responses on here sounds like I was wrong to judge effectiveness with DOMS.