soreness after working out?

lean_nmean · #1 08-21-2003, 11:35 AM

Just a quick question. I was wandering if you workout one day and are not sore the next if it means you did not push yourself hard enough. I did legs on monday and could hardly walk the next couple of days but I did shoulders yesturday and do not feel a thing today. Does it mean my muscles did not get worked hard enough?

a-folov · #2 08-21-2003, 11:38 AM

No. Soreness is not, in any way, an indication of whether you worked hard enough or not.

ice9 · #3 08-21-2003, 12:03 PM

what is?

a-folov · #4 08-21-2003, 12:09 PM

Your gains.

windsrprk · #5 08-21-2003, 03:14 PM

I hardly ever suffer from muscle soreness but one look through my workout log will tell you my strength has grown in leaps and bounds! As long as you are going to failure in your workouts, don't worry about whether or not you have muscle soreness. As you change your workouts and try new exercises you may experience some soreness but like afolov said, it is in no way any indication of how effective your workout was.

teletummy · #6 08-21-2003, 10:58 PM

It probably does not, but it sure as hell gives me a kick. But if you don't get DOMS, don't fret too much either.

Venom · #7 08-22-2003, 02:39 AM

This is a great post on Doms, here.

#8 08-22-2003, 05:31 AM

My legs get DOMS from hell. To get it badly in my chest and shoulders I have to really push myself (though I definitely "feel it" a bit afetr every workout). Don't know why but things seem to be heading the right way so I don't worry too much.

devGoAt · #9 08-22-2003, 06:49 AM

Whenever I workout I have what I call "exit tests" (my IT background shows here [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] ), I do these when I think I've hit failure.

Biceps/Triceps - touch the back of my neck on one of my vertebrae. If my arm won't physically allow me to do that then it's a pass.

Forearms - bending my wrist back or clenching my fist.

Chest - reach around and try to grab the back of my opposite shoulder, if I can't do it then it's a pass.

Delts - Either lifting my water bottle to my mouth (if I really stuggle then it's a pass), or putting a light plate/dumbbell away. Because it's roughly at shoulder height, if I really struggle then a pass.

Abs - when I start to feel my lower back begin to kick in then I know I'm done.

Lats and Traps - I just give them a quick flex, this one is purely instinctive.

Lower Back/Erectors - Pretty easy this one, if I have major trouble arching my back slightly (just standing) then they're done.

Legs - don't need to do much here, I know when they're done [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

It's based purely on pump intensity of course, but once you get used to it you can also feel just how tired the muscle groups are as well when you do these.