Do sore muscles mean you had a good workout?
By: Gabriel García
You finish a workout and the next day the soreness kicks in. For many people, that almost feels like proof that yesterday’s session was a good one: if it hurts, it must have worked.
But is that really true? Let’s look at what muscle soreness actually is, why it happens, and what it really tells us about our training.
What is muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness, technically known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), is the discomfort we feel in the 24 to 72 hours after exercise. It typically appears after unfamiliar movements, a higher training volume than usual, or exercises that emphasise the eccentric (lengthening) phase of a muscle contraction.
This soreness is caused by microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, followed by an inflammatory response as part of the repair and adaptation process.
More soreness doesn’t mean more progress
It’s a common belief that the more sore you are, the better your workout was. In reality, soreness is not a reliable marker of training quality.
You can have an excellent, highly effective session and wake up with little to no soreness the next day. Likewise, you can feel extremely sore after a workout that wasn’t especially productive, simply because it was unfamiliar to your body.
What actually drives progress is consistency, progressive overload, and proper recovery, not how sore you feel.
So, how do we know if we’re training well?
Instead of relying on soreness, there are more reliable indicators that your training is on the right track:
- You are progressively lifting more weight or doing more repetitions over time.
- Your technique improves with each session.
- Your energy and performance remain consistent, or improve, across your workouts.
- You recover well between sessions.
- You are getting closer to your specific goals, whether that’s strength, muscle gain, or performance.
- You feel good, motivated, and able to keep training consistently.
Should you train if you’re still sore?
Being sore doesn’t necessarily mean you should skip your next session, but it’s important to listen to your body. Light to moderate soreness usually isn’t a problem, especially if you’re training a different muscle group.
However, if the soreness is severe or limits your range of motion, it’s best to allow more time to recover, adjust the intensity of your session, or focus on active recovery.
Train to progress, not to feel sore
Chasing soreness as a goal can actually work against you, leading to excessive fatigue, a higher risk of injury, and inconsistent training. The real goal should always be progress: getting stronger, moving better, and building sustainable habits over time.
If you are not sure how to structure your training, ask our gym instructors.
At MegaSport Centre, you can book your free consultation to review your routine and help you organise your training according to your goals.
Because before asking yourself how sore you are, it is worth being clear about why you are training.
Do sore muscles mean you had a good workout?
By: Gabriel García
You finish a workout and the next day the soreness kicks in. For many people, that almost feels like proof that yesterday’s session was a good one: if it hurts, it must have worked.
But is that really true? Let’s look at what muscle soreness actually is, why it happens, and what it really tells us about our training.
What is muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness, technically known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), is the discomfort we feel in the 24 to 72 hours after exercise. It typically appears after unfamiliar movements, a higher training volume than usual, or exercises that emphasise the eccentric (lengthening) phase of a muscle contraction.
This soreness is caused by microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, followed by an inflammatory response as part of the repair and adaptation process.
More soreness doesn’t mean more progress
It’s a common belief that the more sore you are, the better your workout was. In reality, soreness is not a reliable marker of training quality.
You can have an excellent, highly effective session and wake up with little to no soreness the next day. Likewise, you can feel extremely sore after a workout that wasn’t especially productive, simply because it was unfamiliar to your body.
What actually drives progress is consistency, progressive overload, and proper recovery, not how sore you feel.
So, how do we know if we’re training well?
Instead of relying on soreness, there are more reliable indicators that your training is on the right track:
- You are progressively lifting more weight or doing more repetitions over time.
- Your technique improves with each session.
- Your energy and performance remain consistent, or improve, across your workouts.
- You recover well between sessions.
- You are getting closer to your specific goals, whether that’s strength, muscle gain, or performance.
- You feel good, motivated, and able to keep training consistently.
Should you train if you’re still sore?
Being sore doesn’t necessarily mean you should skip your next session, but it’s important to listen to your body. Light to moderate soreness usually isn’t a problem, especially if you’re training a different muscle group.
However, if the soreness is severe or limits your range of motion, it’s best to allow more time to recover, adjust the intensity of your session, or focus on active recovery.
Train to progress, not to feel sore
Chasing soreness as a goal can actually work against you, leading to excessive fatigue, a higher risk of injury, and inconsistent training. The real goal should always be progress: getting stronger, moving better, and building sustainable habits over time.
If you are not sure how to structure your training, ask our gym instructors.
At MegaSport Centre, you can book your free consultation to review your routine and help you organise your training according to your goals.
Because before asking yourself how sore you are, it is worth being clear about why you are training.
