Question:
I'm a fit, 215 lbs. male and I lift heavy weights about five times a week on average. I only get a little sore about once every few weeks and feel I've hit a plateau. What can I do to make my workouts effective again?
T.
Answer:
Dear T.,
There are so many things you can do that will induce a kind of muscle soreness that doesn’t come from an effective workout, that soreness alone cannot be an indicator of results producing exercise. Sore muscles the day after doesn’t guarantee your workout was productive or that you’re going to achieve desired results. Similarly, not being sore the day after doesn't mean your workout was ineffective, or unproductive. As far as effectiveness, muscle soreness means nothing. If you’re sore, why you are is more important. If it’s from doing “the wave” one too many times at a sporting event, it won’t mean much. If you are not sore, the workout you did, and not the level of pain you feel the next day will determine its effectiveness.
First, I’ll talk about the physiological reasons for aching muscles.
Muscle soreness is also called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), or muscle fever. DOMS does not refer to 'the burn' that is sometimes felt during strenuous exercise; it is when the muscles begin to feel sore and stiff after exercise, typically between 24 and 48 hours later.
It is not clear exactly what causes delayed muscle soreness (DOMS). One theory is that muscle soreness occurs because of microscopic tears in muscle fibres, and another is that it is due to tears in the tissue that connects the muscle rather than the muscle itself. Further possibilities include inflammation, changes in osmotic pressure, and a change in the way the muscle cells regulate calcium.
Muscles are distressed when they are made to perform actions they are not used to, such as working out harder than usual, taking up a new sport, or beginning a new workout program. You would think that the greater the intensity of exercise that is performed, the greater the muscle soreness experienced afterwards, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, regardless of how hard you push, there is no sign of it, post workout. Other times, you may not have found a workout or activity that strenuous and yet you’ll experience muscle tenderness.
Muscle cells repair and regenerate themselves in the days that follow intense exercise, and they get stronger in preparation for performing the activity again. After this recovery process, the muscles function more efficiently and are more resistant to damage. This process is known as adaptation. If someone has adapted to a specific movement, activity, exercise or type of training, the chances of experiencing DOMS is reduced. There is a higher probability of experiencing DOMS if adaptation has not occurred. You've been working out for long enough now that your muscles have likely adapted to most, if not all the exercises you're doing. You might find that doing something different, even like a boot camp class, that will make you ache the next day, but won't necessarily help you get farther ahead in building the kind of muscle you want.
If you're happy with how you look and your fitness level, in general, then keep doing what you're doing and don't be concerned about post workout muscle soreness. If you'd like to see improvements, however, consider consulting a good book, dvd or fitness trainer to help you make some desirable changes.
Thank you for your question, T.
Anna
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