Do you gauge your workout success by soreness?

[saudades]

I used to think you had to be sore after a workout for it to be effective, but I've been finding that isn't necessarily so. Having been on the DC Training route, I've been sore from time to time but not every time. Still, the weights keep on progressing, and my physique keeps improving, even after a workout that didn't make me really sore.

 

[NAIR]

I always aim for soreness and I usually always get it. Its a rewarding feeling. But yes, i do measure my workouts by soreness. I feel that if I have successfuly trained, or schocked the muscle, I should be sore. Probably the only muscle I have a hard time making sore is shoulders. I don't know what to do with those fuckers.

 

[tilla52]

Saud I'm with you. As long as my weights are progressing I'm happy with my workout. It does feel good to be sore time to time. Legs get sore no matter what I do. Bi's are my hardest.

 

[dorian123]

never gauge anything by system of feel...

gauge my workouts with static contraction testing-once a month
if I'm getting stronger I'm doing better if I'm getting weaker something is wrong

strength and size are directly related, Mike Mentzer once said, "a person gets bigger as they get stronger, if this is not the case then how does a person get bigger muscles? By getting weaker?"

 

[Crazymank]

yeah... i tweak workouts based on soreness.

 

[The Dude]

I used to think you had to be sore after a workout for it to be effective, but I've been finding that isn't necessarily so. Having been on the DC Training route, I've been sore from time to time but not every time. Still, the weights keep on progressing, and my physique keeps improving, even after a workout that didn't make me really sore.

I'm with you. I do DC training and rarely get sore. My strength has soared and I've gained more in my few months of DC than I have in the last 5 years. In fact my gains doing DC contradict everything I have read about the bodies ability to build muscle and I'm no beginner! 18 years and counting.

 

[Chris-Winfield]

I am for weakness ...

If I feel pumped , and spent after a workout muscle wise... Then that muscles done if I cant pump out pretty decent weight.

Soreness after I had my diet up HIGH in calories , got used to working out.. slept right i really didnt feel sore really but still made gains..

 

[jtunderdog]

I think soreness can mean deep tissue damage in a good way but also can be a sign over over work. I mean if you work a part from say an angle you shouldn't and you get sore due to poor form. I really have to trash my body to get sore and to be honest its bordering overtraining even off gear. I think soreness say in a body part I haven't been isolating like inner pecs equals a good workout but I think it just depends on the form and frequency you have trained.

 

[Get_Swole]

I dont ever go by sorness. If i did sidelaterals until my shoulders were going to be sore the next day i would overtrain every week. My shoulders are just a muscle for me that doesnt get sore very often. I dont really judge workouts by that at all. Progress and i can pretty much tell when im getting to the point of diminishing returns.