Do you ever stop getting DOMS after squats?

[markyfarkle]

I was wondering if you guys that have been doing squats for years are still debilitated afterwards for a couple of days. For me, a novice squater of only two months, the three days afterwards are hell. I can barely walk, and I sure as hell cant do cardio. This is really affecting my weight loss goals. I want to be able to do cardio 4 days a week, but I usually can only manage two or three since I'm usually so sore in my legs. Please tell me it goes away.

[MRT4R]

if you JUST started squatting, yeah it will take a while to get used to it. I can say mine went away about after 3-4 weeks, and I increased weight every week by about 5 pounds. I did that for about 2.5 months on Rippetoes SS. If you're a beginner, look into Rippetoe's starting strength routine.

[wisslewj]

Marky,

getting the right foods and stretching afterwards will help alot as well. But, the first few weeks are usually rough as the body adapts lol. Soon you will get to like that pain and miss it when its gone!

Jeff

[Jason12345]

It just takes time to get used to. I don't really get sore after squat workouts, my legs just feel a little tight and feel weak the day after.

[MRT4R]

Marky,

getting the right foods and stretching afterwards will help alot as well. But, the first few weeks are usually rough as the body adapts lol. Soon you will get to like that pain and miss it when its gone!

Jeff

Yeah, Good point. Make sure you are eating enough, and drinking lots of milk if your diet allows it.

[Dr. Horse]

I only get sore from squats if it is a REALLY good workout, or if I just changed my routine; i.e. switched from back to front squats, or dramatically changed my volume/weight. Other than that I rarely get that sore. Usually just a little in my glutes and adductors.

[Carmen0857]

I have been parallel squatting for 3+ years, and ATG squatting for well over a year now and I still have DOMS in my hams everytime...

[ty899]

I have been parallel squatting for 3+ years, and ATG squatting for well over a year now and I still have DOMS in my hams everytime...

Wow, really, i wish i could say the same, though they say DOMS arent necesarily bad, i still like to have it...

You must be hella intense

[John Prophet]

yeah, I usually get sore more in my hams, not quads

DEBILITATING soreness?? nah, but ive been training 4ever almost, lol

to get really sore id have to do a "new" exercise or go crazy with something like walking db lunges

[Carmen0857]

Wow, really, i wish i could say the same, though they say DOMS arent necesarily bad, i still like to have it...

You must be hella intense

I work in a lot of different rep ranges, also do a lot of variations such as box squats, front squats, jump squats, speed squats. I think that may have something to do with it, since I am continually switching up the stimulus...

[ozzybob]

I just had the worst case of DOMS ever on the weekend.
I stopped doing back squats for a while due to a back injury and was doing fronts instead.
After a full workout with back squats and SLDL's my hams and glutes just lit up!!
I had low grade fever and pains I couldn't have imagined! I am still woozy the whole week. I was getting head spins and all.

I think for me DOMS is always there just stops being really severe!

[]|[ GorE]

Ever since I stared squats according to Mark Rippetoe's 5x5 linear progression program,I hardly ever feel sore ; just kinda weak.

[John Prophet]

when i did powerlifting I never got sore unless I did crazy stuff.

Like I did the sheiko workouts and I didnt get too sore after the first week even though it was high volume.

[-->aDAM*<--]

stairs are always the enemy for atleast 2 days after squats

[PROTOSSterone]

feels tight and stuff but nothing like waking up that morning after your first time doing squats.

[Pounderr]

stairs are always the enemy for atleast 2 days after squats

that and kids..lol

[bongd]

Yup. But it's not as bad. Squats used to debilitate me for almost a week. Now I just walk like a retard for the next couple of days. But it's not too bad.

Too many stairs, running errands or walking long distances really sucks. And after leg day, it's a pain going up and down stairs, only to realize you've forgotten something. You really come to appreciate things after squatting in the hole... like the ability to walk WITHOUT it looking like there's a stick in your ass and you've got a charlie horse on both quads.

[DABONER79]

I do believe sitting down on the toilet is the worst. You know it's bad if you have to hang on to the bowl with both hands on the way down. Thank god for handicapped rails! My quads don"t get it to bad any more but I always do straight legs on leg day and my butt cheeks and hammies get it bad. I've been doing Max OT for the last 4-5 months and I'm gimped at least 3 days a week still.

[crupiea]

I don't get them as bad as before but they are still there. I get bummed if I don't feel them the nexy day. I am training for a half marathon so I just run the next day whether it hurts or not. I just suck it up and get it done. Once you get running, the Doms go away. That is until about an hour after the run, then I can hardly walk.
Ahhhh, what an awesome feeling.

[Sailingcane]

I'm 5'11, 180 lbs, lean (veins on abs)...have been squatting for three and a half years. I haven't done one leg day where it hasn't left me seriously sore...most of the time at the glute/ham tie in..although recently I've been getting brutal with the quads.

I like a lot of volume for legs. I figure what the hell if we can run marathons on em they can handle it. I go ass to the ground with early sets and work my way up to 315 to parallel for a few reps. I don't care how long you've lifted, there are ways to still get super sore on leg day.

1. For squats, Set yourself a target number of reps for a weight selection that you KNOW is a very ambitious goal, and then rest pause your way until you get your reps for the set. For me, 18 reps of 225 has been doin the trick, following high rep working sets of 135 and 185. I might have to rest pause twice to get it done.

2. Strip set dumbell lunges. Go down the gym with the 40s, come back with the 20s, and go down again just bodyweight. Killer.

3. Superset!!! Leg extensions before hacksquats are my favorites. I think I actually felt my sartorius working the last time i did this the pain was so particular and intense.

Leg day is always fun cause there are so many different ways to gas yourself. These three are my favorites at the moment.

[DJAuto]

If I do an exercise once a week, I will be sore for the first few weeks. It's a matter of adaption. Eventually, soreness is not a factor, but weight improvements still happen.

[yabbayabba]

Might have some discomfort going up stairs or off the toliet but nothing extreme. Every other week I do legs twice in a week so there is no sense in trying to destroy them with volume.

[jgreystoke]

I was wondering if you guys that have been doing squats for years are still debilitated afterwards for a couple of days. For me, a novice squater of only two months, the three days afterwards are hell. I can barely walk, and I sure as hell cant do cardio. This is really affecting my weight loss goals. I want to be able to do cardio 4 days a week, but I usually can only manage two or three since I'm usually so sore in my legs. Please tell me it goes away.

Hi markyfarkle.

Believe it or not, reducing the frequency actually makes this worse. If you only hit your legs once per week, which is current doctrine, you will always be sore for half the week after squats.

The big weight, and the big range of motion( do them ass to the grass) are the culprits. But this is why they are so effective!

The Smolov program would have you squatting 4 times per week, and well conditioned lifters can survive this, tho' mortals reduce this to 3 or even 2 times per week.

The solution is simple. Hit your legs very hard, twice per week. Alternating the squat with an overlapping exercise is actually very efficient. You need to do something that actually complements the squats.

Thus

Mon
Squat

Fri
Deadlift or stiff leg dead or good morning.

I didn't mention the trap-bar dead in the same cycle as squats, because they are so alike. When I sort knee issues and can pause anywhere near parallel without pain, will include trap bar work, put pair it with the good morning for full leg development. I'll alternate a cycle like that with my current cycle.

At the moment, I alternate atg squats with stiff leg deads. The latter are really beginning to kill me with exhaustion so pretty soon, will substitute good mornings. Then I'll test the deads periodically.

Hope this gives you some useful ideas to get around the worst of doms.

You'll still have some soreness, of course, 'less you are just putting in a show. Don't forget the best way to confuse your muscles........is ADD MORE WEIGHT, even if it is only a kilo.

Best of luck

[I dont work at Ballys]

i get sore every time i train anything.

[vegasdsm]

i get sore every time i train anything.

agreed..

i do some stationary bike the day after leg day to help get the blood flowing.. this helps w/DOMS...

[DuracellBunny]

It depends on volume in an individual workout for me. If I squat once I week I get DOMS, twice a week I get it to a much lesser extent and three times a week = no DOMS for me, just very slight stiffness for the first half hour when I get up.

[Turd_Burglar]

I had low grade fever and pains I couldn't have imagined! I am still woozy the whole week. I was getting head spins and all.

I actually had that happen to me as well on Wed, after working Chest/Tris on Mon and Back/Bis on Tues (I think the Tuesday workout was probably a bit too intense for my body). I wasn't sure if I was getting sick or not, but it sounds like something similar to what you had

Sucks b/c I had to miss my workout yesterday, even after sleeping a ton Wed night.

[jamiesona]

The first time I squatted I was sore and could barely walk for about a week. It was terrible. But after I recovered from that, I haven't really been sore from squatting since.

[Mark1T]

I try to progress every week, so I get sore every week.

[MarkVI]

I usually get totally imobilized when I decide to really go for it on squats - - which is once every 3 weeks. The other times I personally squat are really intense but I spend 15 minutes jumping, cycling and massaging my legs - - it usually helps a lot.

I have noticed though the single largest factor for me is nutrition. I always have a very high carb or at least high calorie meal after squats and that helps the most.