Muscle soreness - something I’m sure EVERYBODY can relate to. Even if you’ve never stepped into a gym, I’m sure that sometime in your life, you’ve done some sort of exercise/heavy work (mow the lawn, paint the house, wash the car, etc) - and experienced muscle soreness. Wanna know why you get sore? Then read on.
24 hours to 48 hours after a hard workout, most people begin to experience soreness in the body parts trained. This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS.
DOMS is caused by tiny microscopic tears that occur in the muscle as a result of high intensity exercise (such as weight training, intense cycling, etc). After the workout, the muscle begins to rebuild itself (provided it is allowed enough time and nutrients to recover). This is the rebuilding process which creates new muscle that is bigger and stronger than before. In other words, your muscles are growing. Your muscles grow when you are at rest - not when you’re at the gym.
DOMS pain is different from the burning sensation and pump you feel during a workout and also different from the pain you get from an injury. DOMS is often used as an indication of a productive workout as it means you’ve trained intensely enough to break down muscle tissue.. and now, as a result, you will be rewarded with new muscle growth.
Beginners who have never exercised before would experience quite severe DOMS at first. However, the human body is an amazing thing and even the beginner’s body will slowly adapt to the workload and eventually - these episodes of soreness will be less severe. Remember the first time you blasted your biceps in the gym, only to realise that you could barely hold a pencil to write on a piece of paper the next day? Well, do you still experience such soreness today? Understand what I mean?
We need to constantly ’shock’ our body with new routines and progressive overload in order to constantly and steadily stimulate muscle growth. Expect the soreness to return everytime you try something new at the gym though. ;)
Now a question I’ve been asked too often:
What if I’m still sore from my previous workout? Should I still train?
I say if the soreness is very minor, then yes - go ahead and train right through it! As blood gets in the area and your body temperature increases, the remaining soreness will dissipate. Those of you who are so kiasu and addicted to the Les Mills classes that it’s practically impossible to discourage you from skipping a class would be able to relate to this - the soreness going away as you start exercising again.However, if there is a substantial amount of soreness remaining from the last workout, this is a sign that you have not recovered enough and your body is still “healing”. Listen to your body and take it easy.. perhaps just go for cardio and skip the weights for the day. You can probably reduce soreness by stretching the body part AFTER the workout and by getting circulation into the area with cardio. However, if you constantly ignore the signs and if you keep training and ‘breaking down’ muscle tissue before it has a chance to recover, the effect will be the opposite of what you want - you will get weaker and smaller.
Although you cant achieve the same level of soreness all the time, personally, I consider soreness to be an indication of a successful workout. I also consider the complete dissipation of the soreness as a sign of full recovery. There are some who may not agree with me but then again, this is how I train by experience. ;)
I’m quite content with the soreness I’m experiencing in my back right now as a result of the mean barbell rows I attempted last night… Could definitely do with a good backrub…
May you have a painful weekend ahead everybody.
DM
P.S - Sore muscles could also be a sign that you have been over-training or not following a proper, guided workout routine. Need help getting started with a done-for-you workout program that will not only melt away your fat, but trigger new muscle growth in the fastest time possible?
Look no further with Fat Loss expert Craig Ballantyne’s world-famous Turbulence Training workout program. Download it right now over here:
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WAHAHHAHAAH, agreed! And the soreness is my lame excuse for a thai massage. Unfortunately, all the ones I went to really suck, and I dsun mean literally! Tsk tsk tsk… so anyone can recommend a good place for a real powerful and relaxing massage? Grow weaker? yeap, it is also a time where I am most susceptible to illness like cold and sore throat if I do not take care and feed myself and rest enuff to recover.
Yeah as steveneleven pointed out, its a period where one is easy to fall sick. I realized that the hard way, so nowadays I make sure i take vitamin supplements and drink more than the usual amount of water (especially the day right after workout).
Nice article by the way, but it’d be great if you added some information on how to reduce muscle soreness. I’ve read in one of the Men’s health mags (Jan or Feb i think) that taking beef helps in reducing the soreness as it contains some chemical (forgot the name) that helps reduce the pain. More information on what supplements to take to reduce soreness would be nice.
Guys: I don’t really see the soreness as a problem.. I guess thats why I didnt think of any tips for reducing the soreness. Let me see what I can come up with these few days. Stay tuned. ;)
The duration of muscle soreness can be reduced with the consumption of creatine. Creatine works in a way where it saturates the muscles to the point where lactic acid build up eluted at a faster rate. The scientific explanation? Go find it out yourself. I’m too lazy to deal with you geeks. I’m just turning in-depth technicalities to simple jock language. Alternatively, a simple and cheap method in aiding the removal of lactic acid is by consuming milk.
However the soreness of your muscles go in correlation with the intensity and volume of your workout. The more soreness you feel, the more fruitful your hardwork will pay off. Lactic acid buildup is an indication of intense breakdown and stress your muscles are facing. It is an anaerobic response. Hence learn to love the pain and not hate it. I love it, i know dailymuscle loves it, and you better make sure you love it too.
darun: the ‘chemical’ you’re referring to that is found in beef, is in fact CREATINE. However.. it’s impossible to get the full benefits from creatine by consuming beef because you would need to eat kilos and kilos of beef everyday. Supplementing your diet with a creatine supplement, as tim has mentioned is the most practical, economical, and sane way to do it. Thanks tim!
And yes.. learn to love and enjoy the pain you get from a good workout. Pain from injury is a different thing - now that hurts! Pain from a good workout.. is something on a totally different level.
I love it when my entire back gets sore.. i love the pain so much that there are times I swear it’s almost orgasmic. Ha ha.
Hi there,
I just joined the gym for 2 months, I noticed my knees tend to hurt after body combat (or it could be due to the machine workouts…) Does anyone else have this problem?
You guys are frighteningly uninformed.
hey there ann: no i dont get that problem. ur knees shudnt hurt aft body combat or kickboxing.. perhaps u land too heavily on ur feet n tend to lean fwd putting more weight/ stress on ur knees.. think light!
do approach ur instructor, s/he shud b obliged to answer all ur queries no matter how trivial u think they seem to be. n they shud know how to address them.
perhaps do more knee/ joint warmups prior to classes.. i do feel sometimes that e warmup n cooldowns during class is insufficient though
marc: Enlighten us then..
fitchick: Thanks sunshine. :)
DM: no problemo. since i tk those classes anyway. :P
Hey, my chest hurts whenever i try to stretch backwards. I think it’s the inner chest. Has anyone experience a prolonged chest pain before ? Been almost 2 weeks and the pain is still there … not that it’s unbearable but more of an constant irritation.
Any comments ?
Yes learn how to embrace DOMS.
I`ve found a way to relieve the DOMS that I use to suffer after a intense work out. After your workout , have a protein shake with glucose and creatine.
I think glucose really helps alot as it has dextrose inside and its the sugar that acts as instant energy and it helps with recovery.
Go to bodybuilding.com for more information, the articles there are just amazing.
I just started gyming 4 days ago and I can’t stand my DOMS lol
Good that I read this, now I won’t be so addicted on the gym, but more on my bed =]
Vitor: Yes, the soreness will soon go, and don’t get too comfy with the bed. :P
hey well i have a question i have started to work out about a month about a month ago and now when i work out how come i dont feel sore now its pissing me off because i dont think that my muscles are groing. (its been happening about 3 sessions ago of weight training)
bob…thats mean your muscles r used to the weight n intensity so increase the weight n up your intensity level that will surely keep the muscle growing n u ll feel the sore….muscle needs to continuosly be worked hard so that it will grow hope that helps?
bob…thats mean your muscles are used to the weight and intensity so increase the weight and up your intensity level that will surely keep the muscle growing and u ll feel the sore ….muscle needs to be continuosly worked hard so that it will grow, hope that helps?
muscle soreness doesnt translate into growth, at least its not the only indication that your workout has payed off.
food + rest + adequate training = muscle development.
and it comes in that order too… FOOD > REST > TRAINING.
My calf muscles were a bit sore from the cardio on Sat but I ignored it and went for more cardio yesterday. Today, I woke up with a sharp pain at the calf and I am practically limping to/at work. Maybe I will try other exercises that does not tax my calf muscles. But yes, I agree, if the muscles are sore, let it rest- working on it will normally make it worst unless it is with gentler exercises like yoga or Body Balance.
i like u
errr…
hhahaha yeha i have experienced that many times. but hey atleast ur know u know ur workin ur muscles lol. or unless u werent doin an excercise properly, an dwell that sux lol.
i have learned in the past. that when ur working out and all that stuff, heres a very good tip that everyone knows of course but here the reason. especially when ur ur doin stomache and leg kind of exercises. after ur doin the workout, stretch ur body, u learned it in school…in P.E ur stretching ur boody and all taht stuff. well just like in the article, dailymuscle says that the tears in muscle tissure in all…well when u strtch afterwards of that, it evens it out, it hleps alot when ur trying to flatten ur belly.this is just a reminder and heads-ups!!!!!!!
bye-bye!!!
Hi Guys,
Some great advice here, it has been useful to me as a beginner,
but I have to say chaps, some of you have the most appualing english language skills.
Take note of the author, he knows how to write properly!
Hey guys,
I just started gym again 3 days ago (After being hit by a car 8 months ago) every little part hurts in my body but i still keep going!!!! Good advice on here, so if i need anymore advice i do know where to come :P
THANKS!
i agree with trey
but dm does have a point as well
just wana add that if u dont feel sore
doesnt mean that u did not train right
i know some ppl who overtrain
and hurt themselves in the end
quality is better than quantity :)
If you want to get those muscles bigger,Lots of food, rest, and try to stay away from stress
UR A NIGGER!
I didnt know they have racist on health forums!!!!!!
Hi - enjoyed your home page!
does ur penis get bigger wen bodybuilding
darren: No it doesn’t
mr dailymuscle sir, i started training just 3 days ago. most of my DOMS has gone but my chest still feels sore hehe. how long does DOMS, on average, last? i was planning on resting 2 days then work out again, but since the soreness is still there i think i might have to take 3 days off first. btw the soreness feels not as bad as the day after but i don’t think i’ll be able to bench press properly haha.
could reduce soreness if its super bad by using ibuprofin.
i get intense soreness the next day after i do an intense work out but you should not break the muscle down as much as this guy is saying who has wrote the artical as like youve heard people say on there comments they feel sick and get a sore throat these are all signs of over training when you train your big muscles groups you should be doing no more than 12 sets max!!! and 8 sets max on small muscles groups when you are lifting heavy wieghts most of you guys on here are so blind to see that more than 12 sets on one big muscle group is the way forward and good rest and food i used to think the same as all you guys untill i read up on over training on bodybuilding.com/overtraing check it out if u dont belive me
At my school, During our football off-season, we work out for nearly months a year. Usually 4-5 days a week. In 35 minutes, we do 10×65% 8×70% and 6(x3 sets)at 75 or 80% of our total maxes for 4 stations, (bench, incline bench, squat back/front and powerclean). Also we have more work outs after school, say all that again but this time in about an hour. Now, everyday i can promise that we get sore. On days after we max out, we usually up our the weight so we get intensely sore the next day. Getting out of bed and doing the everyday things(walking, running, sitting down, dressing and even standing still ) are so much harder. As i read in the article, if we dont give our bodies a break for 5 days, lifting 2-3 hours a day…Is this bad? I was definately sore, but after my first year of working out, i gained 100 pounds on nearly everything(except squat went from 225 to 405)…so… is not taking a break really bad for us and hurt us in the long run?
Btw, yeah the soreness does feel good….kinda…</3 stairs when sore…
8 months*
RossoVic: Soreness can vary for individuals… if a certain bodypart really hurts, then just don’t train that part for that day - doesn’t mean that you need to skip your entire workout. You could still go and get a cardio workout, or work on other bodyparts - this can actually help speed up recovery (sometimes also referred to as active recovery). Get good rest (sleep), eat well, and over time, you’ll find that your body adapts to it much faster and better.
richy so slick sowerby: Yes, overtraining can often happen when we don’t realise our limits. At the same time, it also doesn’t mean that pain=overtraining. :-). Thanks for sharing! I’m glad to hear that you researched and found out that you were overtraining, thus being able to adjust your program.
David: The amount of training you do can vary based on your goals - athletes sometimes train every single day under the guidance of a coach. Also, depending on your age, fitness level, how much rest you get - that too can determine how much rest you need. But I must say that 2-3 hours on a daily basis of strength training is too much - the only people who can train that hard and get away without overtraining are those who are on anabolic steroids. For the most of us, 3 to 5x strength training plus a few additional bouts of cardio is more than enough to help us reach our goals - be it to build muscle, or to lose fat. Hope my answer helps…
Hey ! i read about your Dom part for muscular pains after body building, with me the issue is that i get muscles pain next day which i have trained and the i dont know i also get pain in that muscles which i have trained 2 days back and this situation continues. i am using creatine and protien supplements. please need help here as i sleep for about 8 hours daily.
Chris 05.28.08 at 7:29 am
“Hi Guys,
Some great advice here, it has been useful to me as a beginner,
but I have to say chaps, some of you have the most appualing english language skills.
Take note of the author, he knows how to write properly!”
There is nothing more hilarious to me than a person who comments about someone else’s spelling/grammer and spells a word wrong.
It’s APPALLING, not APPUALING
Qasim: Every person is unique - people experience soreness at different times, etc - and that’s what’s happening to you.
Dave, haha… well thanks for the input.
Thankyou for you reply !
Hi Guys,
I did a step aerobic class on Monday evening in my local gym. I have been swimming about 3 times a week for 5 months. Over the last month I have decided to encorporate using the gym - previous to this I wasn’t very confident in that area.
The class I completed was enjoyable and not too difficult. We did some upper body work - which I have never done before.
It is now Thursday and I’m in agony! I barely slept the last too nights due to my arms cramping up so much. I am in constant pain when driving and cant lift my arms over my shoulders or bend my arm. I couldnt even wash my hair in the shower this morning!
I nderstand that this is a sign of my muscles growing - but when can I expect the pain to ease off??
I havent been to the gym since then - and prob wont - till the pain goes away.
I am also wondering about the creatine tips - is it ok for girls to drink this - my main reason for going to the gym is to loose weight and tone up. Would creatine not have an adverse effect?
Well i see what your saying about the severe pain of being sore…but i try to stretch my muscles through out the day but i cant…like seriously my muscles wont let me do it….And i have a BAD feeling if i stretch my muscles all the way, im going to tear them…….i tried all the pain medicines and they wont help….but then again i dont want to wait for weeks to return back to the gym…i want to keep goin on, on, on, until i completly lean…but thanks for the info, well said.
I has a microscopic tear about maybe more than a year - even longer.
I have just started at the gym 7 days ago and the tingling sensation is back behind my knee onto my calf.
I am so scared off the tendon breaking off and going into an operation.
What I want to know if any one can answer, can I still go to gym with this sensations or will I be making it more bad. I am not obese or fat, just unhealthy and bad eating habits. I am pear shape, and thats what I am working on - where the fat clings too.
I wonder if any1 can help me? ? i used to be very active and fit playing a range of sports daily i injured myself but i recovered fully, during my rehabilitation i didn’t do very much and got addicted to the computer and my girlfriend hahaha :) well you know how it is! i went back to the gym 2days ago and i think i over done it because i can’t move my arms and its like i have left something in my pants when i walk :) how do i get rid of this pain because even though i laugh about it around my family its bloody sore! cheers .menace.
Charlene - though exercising should be part of your routine to recovery, you should ideally check with a physiotherapist if your joints cause discomfort..
Menace - it will go over time. There’s no magic formula to cause them to heal faster.
Hey! I was wondering if it’s healthy for me to work out, seeing as I’m a freshman. I’m about 5″11 and was wondering what the average amount of weights I should be lifting are. I would also appreciate help determining how many sets I should do and how many times in a set. Thanks:)
Zachary - of course it is healthy for you to work out. A great way to start in my opinion is to give Turbulence Training a shot - it gives you a guide on how to get started and covers workouts/sets/reps, etc.
Head over here:
http://www.dailymuscle.com/turbulencetraining
“I love it when my entire back gets sore.. i love the pain so much that there are times I swear it’s almost orgasmic. Ha ha” - Dailymuscle,
LOL, great line
Hi there,
I’ve recently started training and oh so glad I came across this article. The soreness is hell but I’m dealing with it. One thing I will ask though is this. I’m currently doing 4 exercises on one muscle group (which I call primary) and 2-3 on another group (which I call secondary) per visit to the gym. Now, I’m doing 4 x 12, per exercise. This isn’t over training is it?
Thanx for the great tips man =) , at the time this was written my arm and legs were killing , hopefully they will get better quick , I have no idea how you peeps can love soreness lol
Paaiiinnnn!!! yaaaahh ExtremeEEEEEE!!!! hahaha can’t wait to workout again! don’t you all think it feels like a bruise?
Daniel - doesn’t sound like you are - but do vary your routine every now and then to keep things fresh for your body.
MoG - it’s one of those things you learn to love - trust me! lol.
I was just curious… I recently started to train for boxing about 3 days ago. I am a Super Heavyweight and am in a lot of pain! We do LOTS of cardio, hitting the heavy bags, speed bags, jump rope… Why is it, that I am such a powerful person, and I can barley do push-ups? I’m trying to drop to a lower weight division, do you have any reccomendations on pills that may help lose weight, and make me stronger? No steroids! Im working my butt off trying to keep up with everyone else!! We train about 8-12 hours a week, PLEASE give me some advice!! Thanks!
Bam_bam… to lose that weight, you’ll want to consume a little less food than you usually do. No need to go down the path of pills/steroids….
WOW! I went to the gym with my mate for the first time yesterday and discovered machines that i’d never seen in my life. After pushing myself to the limit, i woke up this morning with severe shoulder painz and was struggling to a 10 push upz which is normally very very easy….
Im really determined to bulk up after seein some hench guys reppin weights that i was strugglin 2 do, with just 1 arm…
i wud like advice on exacly how i should start? and what supplementz and foodz actually work inorder to gain sufficent a rapid growth. btw My m8 took some creatine before his work out aswell a few pillz Wtf ?? then after i think he had a protein shake …. is this the right method?
I went to the gym for the first time for 9months and done a chest workout, it has now been 3 days and my chest still pains and i can barely stretch my chest, as soon as i try 2 stretch my arms my chest hurts a lot. is this because i have not been gym in a long time or is it damage to my chest?
Tom: I dont think it’s anything serious… just some really sore muscles cos you haven’t exercised in awhile!
I think its great this has been commented on for years! Awesome. Well I went jetskiing this weekend amazing I am so sore stairs hurt, the back being sore is orgasmic? Feeling that now. I just need some intrinsic pushing to get more active, when I am out there I love it but I do love my nest too. I need a sexier body to match my sexy face.
Hi DM,
I was wondering whether if we don’t have any DOMS after the day we workout, does this means that the workout is not effective ? Probably no muscle growing in this case ?
Kinda confused here.. HeHe..
Hey I know this has nothing to do with muscle soreness but I’m just wondering if working out and exercising slows your growth process. I’ve been working out since 11 or 12 and im 13 now haha I’m just wondering since you guys seem like experts or something :P
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