{"id":11709,"date":"2026-09-18T15:06:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T13:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/megasportcentre.com\/?p=11709"},"modified":"2026-09-18T15:06:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T13:06:51","slug":"do-sore-muscles-mean-you-had-a-good-workout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/megasportcentre.com\/en\/blog-en\/do-sore-muscles-mean-you-had-a-good-workout\/","title":{"rendered":"DO SORE MUSCLES MEAN YOU HAD A GOOD WORKOUT?"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” centered_text=”true” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” column_padding_type=”default” gradient_type=”default” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][image_with_animation image_url=”11710″ image_size=”medium_large” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” column_padding_type=”default” gradient_type=”default” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”60″][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

Do sore muscles mean you had a good workout?<\/h1>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1789732281246{margin-top: 30px !important;}” text_direction=”default”]By: Gabriel Garc\u00eda<\/em><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

What is muscle soreness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.
\nThis soreness is caused by microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, followed by an inflammatory response as part of the repair and adaptation process.<\/p>\n

More soreness doesn’t mean more progress<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.
\nYou 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.
\nWhat actually drives progress is consistency, progressive overload, and proper recovery, not how sore you feel.<\/p>\n

So, how do we know if we’re training well?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Instead of relying on soreness, there are more reliable indicators that your training is on the right track:<\/p>\n