Muscle Soreness: What Is It and Is It Good or Bad for Progress in the Gym?
Muscle soreness is a common occurrence after an intense workout. Many people love it as it gives them the feeling that they have had a productive session which will help them make serious gains in the gym. And this is true; however, there is a fine line between having sore muscles that will guarantee progress and having too much muscle soreness, which can hinder your progress. In this blog post, I will explore muscle soreness and discuss whether it is good or bad for improvement in the gym. I will also provide tips on reducing muscle soreness so that you can continue making progress in your fitness journey!
How does muscle soreness occur?
Muscle soreness is a result of microtrauma to the muscle tissue. When you lift weights, your muscle fibers tear and then repair themselves during the recovery process. This is what leads to muscle growth! However, this process also causes muscle soreness. The intensity of your workout and how well you recover will determine how sore your muscles will be.
Is muscle soreness a good or a bad thing?
There is a fine line between being muscle sore and too muscle sore. Minor muscle soreness is a good thing as it means that your muscles have worked well and that some minor muscle tissue damage has been done. Delayed onset muscle soreness, which lasts between 24 and 48 hours, would be a good sign. In my opinion, it would provide the necessary adaptations required for your muscles to recover and grow and be ready for when you train the same muscle group again. However, if you are too muscle sore, it can hinder your progress in the gym if delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) lasts longer than 48 hours and exceeds even 72 hours. Significantly if you are not fully recovered when having to train the same muscle again, you will not be able to perform at the desired level, which can lead to missed workouts, loss of motivation, and loss of performance abilities.
Ultimately the goal is to be fully recovered before you train that same muscle group again so that you can perform at the same level or slightly progress your workout.
What if my soreness exceeds 72 hours?
In that case, I suggest that you reduce the volume (sets x reps) by 20% next time you train that muscle group and focus on quality over quantity. If your soreness exceeds 72 hours after that workout, you should reduce the volume and intensity of your training by another 10%. If you are still facing difficulties do not hesitate to book a free consultation with us.
What if I am not sore at all the following day?
If you do not feel the trained muscles the following day, even if you move around, stretch them a bit, or touch them, then, in that case, you probably did not train hard enough. I recommend increasing your volume (sets & reps) or intensity (weight on the bar) by at least 10%.
What factors impact post-workout delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)?
type of muscle stimulus
the intensity of the workout
exercise selection
the time between your last training for the same muscle group
The type of muscle stimulus will impact the delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). It is well documented that eccentric contractions result in more muscle soreness than concentric or isometric.
The intensity of your workout will also play a role in how sore you get. The harder you push yourself and the more muscle tissue damage you do, the more soreness you experience.
Exercise selection will have a great impact on DOMS. If you introduce a new exercise you will get sorer than if you do an exercise that you are used to. This is because your muscles need to learn how to stabilize the new movement pattern and they will be working harder than usual.
If it is your first time working out, or if it has been a while since you worked out, you will likely be sorer than usual. This is because your muscles are not used to the stimulus, and they need to adapt.
Tips to relieve muscle soreness
Foam rolling
Foam rolling is a great way to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness as it helps break up any knots or trigger points in the muscle tissue and improves blood circulation.
Massage
A massage can help to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle soreness.
Ice bath
Using an ice bath can help reduce muscle soreness. I recommend ice bath treatment in moderation as it is shown that it can negatively impact your muscle gains! This therapy helps constrict the blood vessels and reduce inflammation, therefore positively impacting your recovery, but ultimately you need to decide whether your goal is performance or physique oriented.
Compression clothing
Wearing compression clothing can help to reduce muscle soreness by providing support and stability to the muscles and
Stretching
Stretching helps to improve range of motion and flexibility, both of which can help reduce muscle soreness. I recommend dynamic stretching before a workout and passive stretching after your activities.
Light cardiovascular activity
Anything that improves blood flow will help to reduce muscle soreness. A light jog or bike ride is a great way to do this.
Supplementation
Magnesium
200-400mg of magnesium before bed will help to reduce muscle soreness.
Curcumin
Curcumin is the active compound in turmeric, and it is a great anti-inflammatory. You can find it in supplement form or add turmeric to your food.
Is it always beneficial to try to reduce muscle soreness?
I would say that doing a light cardio activity or perhaps a light massage and taking supplements will always be beneficial for your recovery. However, some studies do not support ice baths and freezing showers for muscle hypertrophy.
Common questions and answers
When I train my legs, one side gets sorer than the other. Why is that?
What a great question, but we would need to perform a minor assessment on the gym floor to answer fully.
There could be a few reasons why that happens.
inequality in strength between the two legs,
more tightness in one of the legs, either the hip flexor or ankle, which can be due to previous injuries,
and poor positioning when performing the exercise.
Should I take a painkiller when I have a sore muscle?
I do not recommend taking painkillers unless it is necessary. Instead, go for a 20-30 min walk, take a hot-cold shower, and give your muscles the time to recover.
When I exercise, I do not feel exercise-induced muscle damage as much as joint pain. What do you suggest?
Joint pain, unlike muscle pain, is never a good indicator. In my opinion, you should consider taking a small break, and once back on the gym floor: reevaluate your form, focus on getting good contractions with lighter weights and be careful of how much volume you have in your workouts (stay on the lower end)
reevaluate your form,
focus on getting good contractions with lighter weights
be careful of how much volume you have in your workouts (stay on the lower end)
I am a football player but love lifting weights. How will that affect my physical activity on the pitch?
Lifting weights can hinder your progress on the pitch if you are not careful. I suggest that you limit lifting weights during your season and only perform some core drills and explosive bodyweight/plyometric movements recommended by your trainer. There is space for lifting weights in your off-season, but instead of training for physique optimization, all you need to focus on is performance. If you need some help structuring a sports-specific plan, you can reach out to us here.
I am a personal trainer, but still, I am unable to find the sweet spot in terms of the volume and intensity of my training so that I can grow muscle!
There are many factors that can affect your progress in the gym and how much muscle you are able to pack on naturally:
genetics
age
gender
sleep
nutrition
supplementation
workout program
stress
To summarize, in order for you to pack on muscle, you need to have a good stimulus that will create just enough damage for you to be able to recover from and then intensify your next workout. During your recovery phase, you need to ensure that you are giving your body enough nutrients and sleep that it needs to recover properly. You also need to ensure that you are managing stress well, as it can have detrimental effects on your ability to grow muscle. You also need to be consistent, and most importantly, you need to understand what your body is capable of realistically. We know now that there are certain limits to how much muscle you can put on if your training and nutrition are optimized, and it is somewhere in the ballpark of 100-300grams per month, which is not significant, but it can add up if you exercise for a period of 5-10 years. If you are tired of guessing, please reach out to us, and our personal trainers will help you with a carefully curated training program and nutrition plan that will ensure full optimization! We have both personal training and online training services available!
I am sore all the time and reach muscle fatigue very fast in my workouts? What should I do?
Suppose you have not had a break from training in more than three months. In this case, you have most probably been overtraining/under recovering for a while now. In that case, I suggest that you take a week from the gym and focus on light cardiovascular activities that will help you get some blood flow and boost the recovery of your muscles.
If you have been performing many compound movements like squats and deadlifts and training to failure too often, your CNS (central nervous system) might be overworked, requiring a small break from the gym.
Lastly, I would also look at your rest periods between sets and your overall training volume. Rest periods for hypertrophy should be at least 90-120 seconds between sets, and most people would benefit from even going up to 180 seconds when training big muscle groups like the chest, back, or legs. In terms of volume, I will provide my example of maintaining my physique and even making minor progress with as low as 8-12 working sets per muscle group per week.
Conclusion
Muscle soreness is a natural response to physical activity. It is generally considered a good thing as it indicates that the muscle is growing. However, too much muscle soreness can be counterproductive and may suggest that you are overtraining. There are several ways to reduce muscle soreness, including stretching, light cardiovascular activity, magnesium supplementation, and curcumin supplementation. If you find that you are constantly sore or that your muscle soreness interferes with your ability to train effectively, it may be time to take a break from the gym. In conclusion, muscle soreness is a normal response to physical activity and can be a good sign that your muscles are growing.
I hope you found this blog post helpful! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more tips on making progress in the gym! Thanks for reading!
Stay Strong #BeFortius
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