I'm not getting sore!

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bethannien
bethannien Posts: 556 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I searched for a duplicate thread before I posted this but I still may have missed it so my apologies if this subject is tired.

So I've been incorporating a lifting program this week. Typically, my muscles ache in a great way when I do this. But I'm not sore. I haven't even looked at a weight since before I was pregnant with my now 11 month old son. But I decided to try lifting the weight level I had been doing before. It was challenging but not impossible. I expected to at least be sore after last night when I did lunges and I thought my thighs were going to give out after 15 reps. But today? I'm totally fine.

What gives? Do I need to lift heavier?

Replies

  • futureicon
    futureicon Posts: 348 Member
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    In my experience, when just starting back up on a lifting program, that initial soreness would hit me around 2 days after getting back into the gym. Once it became a regular part of my routine I would be sore the following day, and when I'm in my best lifting shape, I don't get very sore very often. Not a very scientific explanation I know, but that's my 2 cents after years of working with weights. :smiley:
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    It may hit you later?

    But also soreness is not an indicator of anything but your muscles being used in a new/unfamiliar way. Maybe because you have done it before, your body is used to it?
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
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    Being able to increase weight/reps is a sign of progress. Soreness is just a sign of soreness.

    Always strive for a heavier weight, more reps, or more intense lifting session, depending on program.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I just started back this week to doing legs and I haven't been sore, either. It's been about 8 months since I quit at the start of racing season last winter and just never got back into it. I not only haven't been sore but my legs haven't felt dead during my two morning runs on the days after lifting (the main reason I stop during race season). I was a little surprised, too, but considering I run every other day without fail it probably just means that I didn't overdo it with the weights even though I started back at nearly the point I left off last year.
  • fitgamercatlady
    fitgamercatlady Posts: 63 Member
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    The second day is the worst for me. The day after an intense leg day I'll feel fine and think, "oh dang, I'm a freakin' boss" and then in the middle of the night I'll try to go to the bathroom and it's the biggest struggle of my life.
  • kevinf2380
    kevinf2380 Posts: 256 Member
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    If you're in your 20's youth has a lot to do with it.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    kevinf2380 wrote: »
    If you're in your 20's youth has a lot to do with it.
    Hmmm, I'm 50. Not necessarily true in my case. :smile:
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Lizarking wrote: »
    Being able to increase weight/reps is a sign of progress. Soreness is just a sign of soreness.

    Always strive for a heavier weight, more reps, or more intense lifting session, depending on program.

    This answer is on point.
  • hulk666
    hulk666 Posts: 11 Member
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    I agree with futureicon. For me, I see the day after a lift as the recovery day. And day 2 is the growth day. If I squat heavy today and I hurt tomorrow I will think that my technique may have caused it. But on the day after tomorrow I expect to wake up to walking "granny steps" until I get my legs stretched out.
  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
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    fitgamercatlady wrote: »
    The second day is the worst for me. The day after an intense leg day I'll feel fine and think, "oh dang, I'm a freakin' boss" and then in the middle of the night I'll try to go to the bathroom and it's the biggest struggle of my life.

    omg! the hover and drop after leg day!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You don't have to be sore to make progress.
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
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    BreezeDoveal wrote: »
    Your muscles are getting used to what you're doing and aren't getting injured and thus need to grow. You need to confuse the muscle by changing things about the exercise. At least some different angles, different orders. You might want to even look up a whole new routine.

    I'm not sure if that's it since I literally haven't done an intentional lunge in 6 months and I haven't done a weighted lunge in god knows how long before that.
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    It could be that 11 months of mothering are a bigger workout routine than you imagined.

    This may be part of it. Everyone who sees my son immediately says "he'll play football" because...well...he's a big boy. He's weighed 25+ pounds for a few months now and I get up and down from the floor with him constantly. Plus my 35+ pound 4 year old who is obsessed with being held now that she sees her baby brother being held. So maybe I'm just underestimating how heavy I should be lifting.

  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    I still get sore. I however don't follow the same routine for extended periods of time. My body adapts and I get bored. Right now I'm doing high volume. Where I was previously doing lower volume.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Most of the time I don't get sore, but I will if I do new moves [side steps or kickbacks during cardio]. I guess it depends on how long you've been doing it and how your muscles have adapted.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,982 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    You don't have to be sore to make progress.

    Dito. I am doing Starting Strength and am continually lifting heavier weights w/o getting sore.

    However, I recently started doing pushups again for an August 2500 Pushup Challenge and developed some minor tricep soreness (that has already gone away) which I assume happened because I haven't done any pushups for quite awhile.

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