Exercise: should you be sore? Feel the burn?

[goldfinch]

I have been exercising for about a year after living a sedentary life for the prior 56 years. I started with biking, added in core exercises last summer and this fall I started working with weights. People who lift weight or push hard biking sometimes talk about the "burn" they feel in their muscles. The only "burn" I have ever felt is in my calves when doing some calf raises or other specific exercises for the calf. I never feel the burn in any other muscle. My calves are the only part of my body that look muscular. :) I lift weights and if it is too heavy or I did so many reps that I can't do any more, nothing hurts, I just can't do anymore. Nothing burns. And the next day I don't feel any soreness at all, except for a couple of times. Once when a little muscle along my side was sore and once I actually felt my abdominal muscles the day after doing a long series of planks and some version of sit ups. Hasn't happened again. My quads are never sore even though I do squats, stair steps, and bike. When I first worked with a trainer this past fall before leaving for Texas she kept asking me if I "could feel it" in my muscles as I did x, y or z. I really don't. Except for the calves.

I am not sure that the burn or the soreness is meaningful, if something good or something to be avoided: http://www.livestrong.com/article/466203-what-causes-the-burn-in-muscles-during-exercise/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

Should you feel your muscles when exercising? Feel sore afterwards? Thoughts? Resources?

[indysteel]

I don't know what's normal anymore myself. As I'm doing resistance work, my muscles fatigue. Near the end of my last set of something, they often burn a bit. Afterwards, I'm sometimes a little sore. The pain typcially sets in about 36-48 hours later.

However, a couple of times lately, I've been unable to move a couple of days after a workout. The first time this happened, I'd done a combination of mountain climbers and reverse lunges using a TRX strap. That was on Friday. By Sunday, I could barely walk. My hip flexors and quads were excruciatingly sore. It took several more days to return to normal. Last week, it was one of my quads after a series of calf raises. Now we do calf raises a fair amount, so I was surprised to be that sore.

I have to admit that this level of post-workout pain freaks me out. What is going on with my body? It's not like I've been inactive for years and am just starting to exercise again. Thankfully, aerobic work rarely leaves me overly sore.

[OakLeaf]

Not based on anything except my personal experience and feeling, if I'm getting stronger I'm going to be sore, but not super sore. If the DOMS lasts more than two days and/or limits my activities, it's a sign to me that I've done too much. A little sore and tired and feeling like I couldn't go as fast on a recovery day as I do on a hard day even if I wanted to, to me that's a good thing. That's how I feel when I'm progressing the fastest.

[Veronica]

It's a rare day that I am not sore somewhere after my workouts with my trainer.

Cardio only burns if I'm doing sprints. If I run or bike far enough, it leaves my muscles fatigued, but not sore.

Veronica

[Catrin]

I've not been sore after a hard workout in a long, long time. If I hit something new too hard I will get sore, and I do sometimes feel tightness in large muscle groups that have been worked hard - so while I do feel it afterwards it is rarely strong enough to be called "soreness". Fatigue is more common than anything and I've learned how to recognize that. Our muscles do adapt, thankfully :)

Goldfinch, I concur with Murien, it sounds like you are doing fine.

Veronica, given the sheer awesomeness of your workouts I am far from surprised that you get sore more often than I do ;)

[goldfinch]

Thanks everyone. Veronica's workouts intimidate me! :) I am still doing what we used to call "girlie" push-ups. In November when I started with them I could do only one and had to do push-ups on the wall. Now I am up to 18, provided I have a 15 second break between the first ten and the second eight. I give my all to get the last couple. :( I just tried a standard push-up. I managed one. I could only get half way up on the second.

[Veronica]

The important thing is that YOU improve, or maintain, or achieve whatever goal it is that you want. :D Some of you guys weigh less than my lean body mass, so I think it makes sense that you don't have the same strength.

Veronica

[Wahine]

Hi Goldfinch.

Congratulations on getting yourself moving!!

As for the burn. How much people will feel after a workout (or during for that matter) is highly variable. What V. said about the important part being that you are improving, is totally true.

I coach, do personal training and I work as a Physical Therapist. It is unusual to have a client that doesn't feel much when you are pushing them to the edge of their ability, but it's not unheard of. I have had a few clients that I *know* without a doubt that I had them working their abs like crazy to the point of fatigue and they never felt anything. No matter how many times I kept asking them. :rolleyes:

So you could just be one of those people. Just focus on what you can do and how you're improving for your feedback.

I hope that helps.

[marni]

my rides and workouts usually leave me fatigued, feeling like my muscles and lungs have been worked, but after a short break I feel energized and can do more. The occasions when I have prolonged soreness or DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) it is either because my trainer has suddenly popped the level up, or because something is amiss with my nutrition or hydration. I tend to lose potassium unless I eat my daily banana.

Still the biggest criterion should be feeling able to do another workout and to alternate rest work , baby steps are good.

marni