DO YOU HAVE TO HURT AFTER A WORKOUT. . . .

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Mimisam45
Mimisam45 Posts: 132 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My daughter (and coach) gets frustrated that she doesn't have sore muscles after a difficult workout. I am always sore after we workout because she really pushes me and she really works hard.

Does it matter if you end up with aching muscles or not???
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  • Lemonade2013
    Lemonade2013 Posts: 17
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    I get mine the next day..
  • nabadome
    nabadome Posts: 1 Member
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    The hurt or "Burn" feeling in your muscles after a workout is due to lactic acids being released by the action of working your muscles to the point or beyond the point of their current ability. Usually, as a rule, the burn will occur the next day. However I have noticed that as I get into my cutting stage and work my muscles with more weight more often, the burn happens during and immediately after the workout. You do not need to be sore per se, but the old adage goes "No pain, no gain!".
  • salgalbp
    salgalbp Posts: 218 Member
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    I don't think you HAVE to. HOWEVER, in my experience before I bumped up my caloric intake and fluid and protein I was so sore on day 2 I couldn't lift.

    Now, I could lift EVERY DAY because I am supporting my work out with proper nutrition. I bump my calories to approx. 1900 on heavy lifting days and the day before. I am stronger, have more endurance and stamina in the gym (an elsewhere ;)

    Support your workouts is my best advice. Again, my opinion on this. Good luck!
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    The hurt or "Burn" feeling in your muscles after a workout is due to lactic acids being released by the action of working your muscles to the point or beyond the point of their current ability. Usually, as a rule, the burn will occur the next day. However I have noticed that as I get into my cutting stage and work my muscles with more weight more often, the burn happens during and immediately after the workout. You do not need to be sore per se, but the old adage goes "No pain, no gain!".

    DOMS has nothing to do with lactic acid. Lactic acid is the burn you feeling when you're working out. Your body gets rid of lactic acid pretty quickly - within an hour or so after your workout.

    Agree that you can have a great workout and not have DOMS the next day.
  • Mimisam45
    Mimisam45 Posts: 132 Member
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    Can I assume then that my daughter is getting the correct nutrition and, therefore, does not feel soreness a day after a strenous workout. And that I might not be eating properly and get sore???

    Not sure that this makes sense to me???
  • MadisonLeo
    MadisonLeo Posts: 89
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    IDK, if she isn't sore, I think she needs to increase the intensity of the workout (more weight, more reps, harder workout in general). If she isn't sore, then she isn't ripping her muscles to make them stronger.

    If she is only doing things like cardio, then she is really just toning so she doesn't have to be sore. But I think soreness is a great indicator if you really worked anything.

    She also may not be using the proper form, so the muscles that need she is trying to hit aren't being engaged.

    Try switching up her routine. Kickboxing is a good start.
  • jeffinstereo
    jeffinstereo Posts: 7
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    How old is your daughter and is she an athlete? I was a multi sport athlete in highschool and I never hurt after workouts. When I was around 20 years old I could spend 2 hours in the gym and not be sore.

    Now I'm 28 and I feel like a truck hit me after I leave the gym. Maybe that will change in a few months when my body gets used to it again.
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    Can I assume then that my daughter is getting the correct nutrition and, therefore, does not feel soreness a day after a strenous workout. And that I might not be eating properly and get sore???

    Not sure that this makes sense to me???

    It's possible that you are right, but in all fairness, there are some factors that should also be taken into account.
    * Is she in much better shape than you? If yes, then that will be part of it
    * Has she been excercising longer than you (in calendar terms). If yes, then her body is more accustomed to the activity
    * She is younger. Your daughters' body will recover faster than your own.
  • rotill
    rotill Posts: 244 Member
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    Is her strength and stamina improving? If so, no reason to worry. As her body gets used to work-outs, she will be less and less sore. After two years of increasingly intense work-outs, I now only get sore when I do something new, or if I have been away from it for several weeks, and even then the soreness passes quicker than it used to. Not to mention biking, no matter how tired I get, I don't get sore the next couple of days any more.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Can I assume then that my daughter is getting the correct nutrition and, therefore, does not feel soreness a day after a strenous workout. And that I might not be eating properly and get sore???

    Not sure that this makes sense to me???

    Again, soreness IS NOT an indicator of a good workout! Your body is smart; it will eventually adapt to the stresses you put it through. When it does, your DOMS will be less or none at all. There's many factors that play into it - stretching, post-exercise nutrition, age, adaptation, etc.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
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    IDK, if she isn't sore, I think she needs to increase the intensity of the workout (more weight, more reps, harder workout in general). If she isn't sore, then she isn't ripping her muscles to make them stronger.

    If she is only doing things like cardio, then she is really just toning so she doesn't have to be sore. But I think soreness is a great indicator if you really worked anything.

    She also may not be using the proper form, so the muscles that need she is trying to hit aren't being engaged.

    Try switching up her routine. Kickboxing is a good start.
    I agree with this; however, I will add that higher amounts of protein helps take the edge of DOMS. The protein helps the muscles rebuild so it doesn't hurt as much. With strength training, when I stop feeling sore the next day, around the third of fourth session, I know it's time to changed up the exercises I am doing, or the order in which I do them. I need to change something.
  • snooj
    snooj Posts: 69 Member
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    If she's used to working out, no, she doesn't have to work. The less you exercise, the more your body will be sore. Eventually you get used to the routine. Switching it up to something new may make her sore, but it's not a requirement for progress.
  • alwayskungfu
    alwayskungfu Posts: 92
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    Warm up, do yo thang, cool down, stretch always long relaxing stretch, pint of milk is supposed to help with delayed onset muscle soreness and a hot shower or bath.
    You don't always have to go hell for leather you can have a gentle workout if you need more recovery and are still feeling discomfort, remember you must work at your pace and above all listen to your body, enjoy what you do or motivation will be hard, Plenty of water and getting all your nutrients is vital, good luck.
    James
  • holsieg
    holsieg Posts: 21
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    No, I don't think so. Aches can be due to not stretching properly (if you're talking next day soreness), maybe she does and you don't (P.E. always taught us to stretch fully, but not my parents). Could be due to older bodies being less efficient (if you're talking immediate soreness). Lactate is converted to non-painful compounds in the liver. I'm not saying you are old or an alcoholic by any means, just that organs tend to get a little bit knackered with age. Think about how a teen seems to get far less of a hangover than their parent, even after raising their blood to the same alcohol concentration.

    Also, are you eating carbohydrates after a workout? Common misconception that protein is the best post-workout snack (I did a qualification in nutrition and have sources for those that don't believe me). Only small amounts of protein will be needed after a workout, but a LOT of carbohydrates are needed to replace the glycogen in your muscles, for a speedy recovery. In fact, a couple of slices of cheese or a glass of milk is enough protein.
  • 352Chiseled
    352Chiseled Posts: 6
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    DOMS doesn't have to happen to tell you that you've had a good workout, that's just the way we decided to determine or judge a workout. If your daughter wants to feel sore after a workout have her try hitting your muscles from a different angles. You know change her grip widen or narrowing her stance even off setting her stance. It could also be a sign that her body has adapated to the intensity. Of the workouts. The other day it hurt me to sit down I would have gladly given your daughter my DOMS for those 2 days
  • deninevi
    deninevi Posts: 934 Member
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    Can I assume then that my daughter is getting the correct nutrition and, therefore, does not feel soreness a day after a strenous workout. And that I might not be eating properly and get sore???

    Not sure that this makes sense to me???

    Again, soreness IS NOT an indicator of a good workout! Your body is smart; it will eventually adapt to the stresses you put it through. When it does, your DOMS will be less or none at all. There's many factors that play into it - stretching, post-exercise nutrition, age, adaptation, etc.

    this
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    IDK, if she isn't sore, I think she needs to increase the intensity of the workout (more weight, more reps, harder workout in general). If she isn't sore, then she isn't ripping her muscles to make them stronger.

    If she is only doing things like cardio, then she is really just toning so she doesn't have to be sore. But I think soreness is a great indicator if you really worked anything.

    She also may not be using the proper form, so the muscles that need she is trying to hit aren't being engaged.

    Try switching up her routine. Kickboxing is a good start.

    Not necessarily. I lift with proper form, lift slow and controlled, up my weights every set and work out hard to the point of failure on the last rep and my muscles are burning and fatigued when I am done and I don't always have soreness the next day. The only time I will have significant soreness is if I haven't hit the gym in a long time
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    No, you do NOT have to feel sore after a workout to have done work and pushed yourself.

    For example, when I started working out my legs (happens more with my legs than anything else), my legs were so sore I couldn't walk. I was pressing 300 lbs.

    Since the first two weeks I don't get sore anymore, but I'm pressing 370 lbs now. I'm doing more work, every week at my maximum and increasing, but I am not getting sore anymore.

    Once your muscles are conditioned the soreness tends to go away, that's all. I don't know enough about the reasons we get sore but from what I understand it has to do with lactic buildup and the jury is out.

    That said I like being sore, it helps me understand what muscles I hit in my previous workouts. I get it 48 hours later if at all.
  • Mimisam45
    Mimisam45 Posts: 132 Member
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    Thanks, there have been some good responses.

    We (my daughter and I) have been working out very hard since January after both being out of it for a couple of years. She had a child and I just got older!! I am 57 and she is 34, she weights about 50 lbs less than I do and I am at 192 lbs.

    We change up our routine almost daily and have taken classes each week that we have never done before, including; kick boxing, step, boot camp, swimming, we do elliptical (three different ones) and both trained and ran a 5K last month. Our workouts are generally 1 1/2 ro 1 3/4 hours in the early morning before work. I normally work out 4 times a week while she works out 5 days a week!! The past week she has added this "deck of cards" work out thing and it kicks our butt. Yesterday we did the deck twice through; once for upper body and once for lower body. This is an intense workout, done with no rest between exercises and I am feeling it everywhere today, but not to the point I don't want to move and still did a 90 minute brisk walk. She is not feeling any soreness but some tight muscles in the triceps and legs.

    I get sore muscles after nearly every new class, some to the point that I am barely able to walk for up to 3 days!! As was the case with boot camp!! I do get sore upper body muscles but the legs/butt seem to take the most beating.

    Her concern is that she is not getting a good enough workout if she isn't sore. I know that her diet is pretty "clean" but mine is cleaner as I don't eat much (if any) processed. I realize my soreness issues are my age, weight to start, etc.

    Bottom line-is she getting a good workout in if not sore?
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I get mine the next day..

    Ditto. I'm feeling yesterday's squats riiiight now! (ow)

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