There’s a common misconception that muscle soreness, specifically Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), is a direct indicator of muscle growth. Many people believe that feeling sore the next day means they’ve had a productive workout and are on their way to building bigger muscles. However, this isn’t necessarily true.

Understanding Muscle Soreness

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) typically occurs after engaging in new or intense physical activity. It’s often associated with muscle damage, but it doesn’t directly correlate with muscle hypertrophy (growth). You might have a great workout and feel sore the next day, but you could also have a subpar session and still experience soreness.

If muscle soreness were a reliable measure of muscle building, long-distance athletes and CrossFit enthusiasts, who often experience significant soreness, would be the most muscular individuals around. However, this isn’t the case. These athletes might experience the most muscle damage, yet they don’t always have the largest muscles.

Moreover, factors like poor sleep or alcohol consumption can increase this soreness without contributing to muscle growth. For instance, if you’ve had a night of heavy drinking and minimal sleep, you’re likely to feel sore the next day, but this soreness isn’t anabolic—it’s not helping you build muscle.

Measuring Progress

So, how should you measure a good workout if not by soreness? The key indicators are progression and performance improvements. Did you lift more weight or perform more reps than last time? Did your form improve? These metrics are far more reliable indicators of growth and workout effectiveness than soreness.

If you’re aiming to build muscle, focus on tracking your performance numbers. Consistently increasing the load or the number of reps, while maintaining good form, is a sign of effective training. You might not feel sore after every workout, and that’s perfectly fine. Progression in your lifts and exercises is what truly matters.

For a deeper dive into this topic, watch our Instagram video on DOMS and muscle growth.

Conclusion

Soreness is not a definitive sign of muscle growth. While DOMS can indicate that you’ve worked your muscles in a new or intense way, it’s not a reliable measure of hypertrophy. Focus on progression and performance improvements to gauge your workout success. If you’re interested in seeing what others have to say about our approach, check out our Google My Business reviews.

If you have questions about your training regimen or need personalised advice, contact us today. For more insights into effective training and recovery, read our articles on the How important are steps for losing fat? and Why do my joints crack and click?.