If I'm *not* getting sore...

[snintel]

Quick question here which may be a dumb one.

After my first week of working out, I was incredibly sore. So much so that I could barely move my arms enough to take off my shirt/wash my face/etc.

But the 2nd, 3rd, 4th weeks so far, I don't even get sore. I'm doing my sets to failure.

My question is, if I don't feel soreness, have my muscles "torn" at all? Or am I just recovering faster, or what?

 

[Sweetcheeks]

Soreness is not the goal

IF you are getting stronger, lifting more weight or doing the same weight for more reps, then you are making progress.

Soreness is incidental.

 

[Page]

Easy. Just add more weight.

The general rule is: If you can do more 4-8 reps per set with that weight, it isn't heavy enough.

 

[RaWBLooD]

Originally posted by snintel
Quick question here which may be a dumb one.

After my first week of working out, I was incredibly sore. So much so that I could barely move my arms enough to take off my shirt/wash my face/etc.

But the 2nd, 3rd, 4th weeks so far, I don't even get sore. I'm doing my sets to failure.

My question is, if I don't feel soreness, have my muscles "torn" at all? Or am I just recovering faster, or what?

soreness has many factors

but the number one reason you get sore after a time of not working out, is because your muscles arent used to that pump of blood that expands the sarcoplasm. If you get sore its usually because a better than usual pump, but there are many other factors like changed nutrition (often for the worse) sleep patterns, etc.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Soreness is not a reliable indicator of progress, but you can't really expect to deadlift 500 for 10 and NOT feel like a truck's hit your back the next day.

As long as you constantly progress in good form then don't sweat the soreness (or lack thereof).

 

[rudygee2]

Originally posted by snintel
Quick question here which may be a dumb one.

After my first week of working out, I was incredibly sore. So much so that I could barely move my arms enough to take off my shirt/wash my face/etc.

But the 2nd, 3rd, 4th weeks so far, I don't even get sore. I'm doing my sets to failure.

My question is, if I don't feel soreness, have my muscles "torn" at all? Or am I just recovering faster, or what?

as other people have said, sorness cant be used to judge. what you described happens to alot of people... they start out and get super sore the first week or two, but then dont get sore much after that. Im pretty sure its normal.

 

[muttley]

hmmm, soreness is DOMS isnt it. DOMS doesnt really indicate if your work out has been good or not. I judge my work outs by how much hypertrhophy is achieved or failure. I try to get as much blood in that muscle as possible

peace

muttley