Soreness

[wimberlyt]

This may be a dumb question, but here goes. Should I be sore after a workout? I was once told that if you're not sore the next day, then you didn't do it right or heavy enough.

[BlackSwan88]

Yes...but...if you are just starting, don't over do it. Not so much that your body can't handle it, just so you don't get unmotivated. During my phases of weight loss, I first started walking...two hrs a day. After about 3 months I introduced light weight training. At 6 months I started to hit the weights more aggressively. And at 9 months I introduced jogging and HIIT. I now work out twice a day and yup, I'm sore every day. Best of luck..you won't regret it.

[ironwill2008]

Should I be sore after a workout?

Maybe. It's an individual thing though, and doesn't directly gauge the effectiveness of a particular exercise or workout.

I was once told that if you're not sore the next day, then you didn't do it right or heavy enough.

Not true. This kind of misguided advice can get a noob in a lot of trouble. Best to just disregard it along with any other nuggets of wisdom coming from that same source.


Progression of weight and/or reps lifted with good form over time is the engine that drives muscle growth. If you should happen to get some soreness in the process, that's okay. If you don't, that's okay too.

[wimberlyt]

Thanks guys.

[Sen8or]

In saying that though, you know you've had a good legs day workout when you dread getting on and off the toilet for the next few days....

As per the advice in your other thread OP, slow and steady wins the race

[Asterix43]

In saying that though, you know you've had a good legs day workout when you dread getting on and off the toilet for the next few days....

As per the advice in your other thread OP, slow and steady wins the race

Indeed - Doesn't help when you have a sports car that you have to clamber in & out of either.

[tryintorebuild]

Gathering from your other thread...

Youwill be sore. You are just getting started. A little soreness is ok. You don't need to keep going to that extreme. Sometimes my job requires pretty physical activity. I can't spend everyday of my life sore from the workout the day before.
I don't take my muscles to the point of exhaustion. I also very seldom have a workout partner to spot me. So I'm not going to push the bench press to the point I can't get the bar back on the rack. But that's me. I don't think less of anybody who does.

Just make sure the soreness you feel is in the muscle and not the tendon. You've heard it before. Slow and steady.