There’s a common belief that if you’re not sore after a workout, you didn’t train hard enough. You’ll hear it all the time:
“No pain, no gain.”
But here’s the truth: muscle soreness is not a reliable indicator of progress, and in many cases, it can actually get in the way of consistent, effective training.
Anyone Can Make You Sore—That’s Not the Goal
Let’s be honest: anyone can make you sore.
You don’t need a good coach for that. You just need someone to throw a thousand burpees at you or load you up with a ridiculous amount of volume and novel movements.
But that’s not training—that’s just stimulus for the sake of it.
A smart, well-designed program is about progress, not punishment. And if your trainer’s goal is to leave you crawling out of the gym or unable to sit in a meeting the next day; you might want to reconsider who you're working with.
The goal should never be to make the client sore.
Yes, soreness can happen, especially:
In Week 1 of a new training block
When exposed to new exercises or higher volume
During deload-to-load transitions or push weeks
But soreness is a byproduct, not a training objective.
If I make a high-level athlete so sore they can’t train, move well, or compete, I’ve failed them. I’ve taken away their ability to perform; and that’s a disservice, not a badge of honor.
What Is DOMS—and What Causes It?
DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It typically begins 12 to 48 hours after training, especially when:
You’ve done a high volume of work
You’re introducing new or unfamiliar exercises
You’ve emphasized eccentric movements (slowing down the lowering portion)
DOMS is the result of microtrauma to muscle fibers and connective tissues. This triggers inflammation, increased sensitivity, and a bit of stiffness during the recovery process.
It’s not caused by lactate buildup.
And it’s not always a sign of an effective workout.
Soreness ≠ Progress
Being sore doesn’t mean you had a better session. And not being sore doesn’t mean the session wasn’t effective.
In fact, experienced trainees often feel less sore over time—even as they get stronger, faster, and more conditioned. Their bodies adapt more efficiently, and recovery becomes more seamless.
What builds muscle and drives performance isn’t soreness—it’s:
Mechanical tension (how hard the muscle works)
Metabolic stress (accumulation of fatigue within the muscle)
Progressive overload (gradually increasing stimulus over time)
You don’t have to feel wrecked to be progressing.
You have to be consistent, intentional, and able to do it again next session.
So How Do You Know You’re Progressing?
Stop measuring your training by soreness. Start tracking metrics that actually reflect adaptation:
Are your loads increasing?
Are you doing more volume or better quality reps?
Are you recovering better between sessions?
Is your movement improving?
Do you feel more capable, resilient, and consistent?
These are signs that you’re training well—not how wrecked your legs feel after squats.
When Soreness Might Be a Red Flag
Soreness that sticks around for multiple days or disrupts your ability to train again isn’t a sign of effectiveness—it’s a warning sign.
Watch for:
Soreness that interferes with performance
Postural compensation due to stiffness
Constant soreness from session to session
A lack of clear progress due to under-recovery
Chronic or extreme soreness usually means something’s off; either in your programming, recovery, or load management.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to chase soreness. You need to chase consistency, progression, and execution.
Yes, soreness might show up here and there, especially when you introduce something new or push intensity. But if the main goal of your program—or your coach—is to leave you limping out of every session, it’s probably time to look elsewhere.
Train. Play. Repeat.
Want programming that actually respects recovery, performance, and progress? Book a session at Avos Strength and let’s build something that lasts.