Exercise: should you be sore? Feel the burn?

[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. 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.

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