Muscle Soreness: What does it even mean?
Better to be sore than sorry...
Sore? Good, it’s working...
Sore Muscles = Happy Pain
Oh, you’re sore from working out, but did you die?
Let’s take a break from the internet memes about pain and gain, and talk about what’s actually going on when your muscles are sore.
That tender-to-the-touch feeling a day or two after a workout? It doesn’t mean you crushed it harder than anyone else. Soreness happens because exercise places stress on muscle fibers, which then break down slightly and rebuild during recovery—that’s literally how we build strength. This process, paired with a little inflammation, creates that uncomfortable “lowering yourself onto the toilet after leg day” sensation. It’s called DOMS: delayed onset muscle soreness. It’s normal, it’s temporary, and it usually shows up 24–48 hours after a tough session.
What it isn’t: a badge of honor. Being sore every single workout doesn’t mean your workout is “working.” It usually means you’re overdoing it.
Let’s delete the whole “sore or sorry” mindset, please.
If you’re consistently dealing with soreness or straight-up pain, your body’s telling you something—and it’s not “keep going.” It’s more likely saying: please chill. Proper programming, managing intensity, and allowing for recovery means you’ll get better without burning out.
Smart training means varying intensity, honoring rest breaks (yes, sometimes that means 2–5 minutes between heavy sets), and not hitting the same muscle groups every day. Overtraining (like hammering your glutes daily in hopes of faster growth) will only delay results, not speed them up.
Soreness is most common:
When you start a new program
When you're coming back after a break
When rest periods are too short
When you increase weight, reps, sets, or impact
When you’re trying new movements
Or, when you’re just genetically prone to it (hi, me)
But soreness can also be a red flag if:
It hits during a workout (pain ≠ soreness)
It knocks you out of training for multiple days
You’re swollen, can’t move, or see dark urine (that’s rhabdomylosis—not a flex)
Here’s the hard truth: one of the most challenging parts of committing to a solid training plan is getting comfortable with not constantly chasing intensity. We’re conditioned to crave the immediate feedback—sweat puddles, shaky legs, muscle soreness—as proof we did something “worthwhile.” But chronic soreness is not the goal. Consistency is.
You’ll have those moments when it’s right to go hard (marathon day, a performance goal, an all-out test), but most of the time, your goal should be progression without punishment.
Train smart. Recover well. And aim for just a whisper of soreness—not a body that feels like it got hit by a truck.
