Why DOMS is not the key to assessing an effective workout

Lately I have had a few people say to me “I didn’t get sore after my workout the other day. Does that mean I’m not working hard enough?” My answer is point blank: No.

People who rely only on muscle soreness as an indicator of an effective training session are going to spend a good chunk of their training life feeling like they “haven’t worked hard enough”. While muscle soreness or DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) as it is better known can of course indicate that you have pushed your muscles hard and possibly created the micro tears that produce growth, it is not the best way to assess the intensity of your workout and in fact there is not any actual proven facts to link muscle growth with DOMS.

Muscle soreness occurs when you create enough total damage to aggravate the connective tissues. This can sometimes be linked with inducing muscle growth however it can also have absolutely nothing to do with muscle stimulation.

Just because you’re not sore doesn’t mean your muscles aren’t inflamed and growing and vice versa sore muscles don’t mean you had a good workout.

The less accustomed you are to any type of exercise, the worse the soreness will be after the fact. So for example if you have just started training you are obviously going to feel some level of soreness because your muscles are not accustomed. But once your muscles adjust and are used to the stresses you are placing them under they are less likely to be sore. Some muscles are also simply just more likely to get sore than others.

People get addicted to the idea of muscle soreness because it’s quick feedback i.e. “Oh my legs really hurt today I must have had a good workout last night.” For some people this is the theory they have always been given: You exercise, you get sore muscles. Exercise harder, and get even more sore. It’s reasonable enough if you don’t have any information to tell you otherwise.

From there, people just assume that hard workouts = sore muscles = effective. But that’s not the case. In fact in some cases people who are constantly sore from training should look at why their muscles are not recovering. Rest and recovery is just as important in muscle growth as training- sometimes even more so!

So what do I recommend as the best way to assess if you are working hard enough? PROGRESS.  If you are starting to question yourself on whether you are working hard enough in the gym then assess your progress. Am I lifting heavier than I did last week? Can I run further or for a longer period of time? Am I seeing physical changes in my shape? If you can answer yes to any of these things then you don't need to worry :) If you are answering no then it may be time to re-assess your training program.

HOWEVER one additional note I will make on muscle soreness in terms of effectiveness is determining you are working the right muscles with the right exercise. For example if you are training back, doing seated rows and feeling pain only in your arms then you are not effectively working the targeted muscle group. I will do a further post on muscle activation and training soon ;) but for now assess your workouts based on PROGRESS more so than PAIN.

Have a great day :)