Well, although you can experience muscle soreness or DOMS after a workout, if you’re getting sore after every workout, you’re probably not allowing your body to recover properly or you’re switching exercises too frequently.
When you start a new program, you can get sore, but you should be fully recovered (or pretty darn close to fully recovered) by the time you go to train that body part again. As you continue with that program, you shouldn’t get as sore.
Remember, soreness DOES NOT equal a good workout.
So, you don’t have to be sore to have an effective workout. You do have to have smart and intentional training though!
If you’re sore after every workout, I’d take a look at your training and recovery to see if there is anything you can improve from a recovery standpoint and see what you can modify from a workout standpoint.
Do keep in mind, that it’s okay to be sore and can be normal, so the goal is not necessarily to never be sore. But you don’t always need to be sore.
With training, soreness can happen & is normal. It’s fine as long as it’s resolved in about 1-2 days, but if it lasts longer or you’re sore after EVERY workout, you may want to adjust volume/load or recovery.
Some people do talk about how you need to switch up your workouts to “confuse your muscles.” Do keep in mind, muscle confusion is not a thing, but progressive overload is.
Progressive overload is continuously striving to make an exercise harder in some way. This can be done through progressing the exercise itself, increasing resistance/weight, or increasing time under tension in some way (e.g. increased reps, increased sets, decreased tempo, etc.).
So including a variety of different movements/patterns in a plan is good to ensure muscle balance, but you don’t need to constantly be switching things up. Doing the same plan for at least 4-6 weeks (sometimes even up to 3 months depending on your experience) while progressing weight/reps can lead to more gains vs. throwing online workouts together for muscle confusion! ❤️
Keep in mind, there is always nuance, so I’m not saying you can’t switch things up or should never be sore! Occasionally, being sore is normal especially when trying a new program or exercise. Adding in variations of exercises to load the muscle in a slightly different way can be useful to minimize overuse injuries & appropriately stimulate the muscles in a different way!
Let me know below, do you strive to be sore after every workout? And how long do you typically do the same program before switching it up?
If you want guidance on your workouts, feel free to check out my programs here or if you want an individualized program, you can find more info on how to work with me 1:1 here!
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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
