Why Soreness Isn't a Good Measure of a Workout

Why Soreness Isn't a Good Measure of a Workout

By Vern Tolman Fitness

One of the most common things I hear after someone exercises is:

"That workout was amazing—I can barely walk today!"

Or, on the flip side:

"I wasn't sore, maybe I didn’t get after it enough."

It's an understandable way to think, but the truth is that muscle soreness is one of the poorest ways to judge whether a workout was effective.

What Actually Causes Muscle Soreness?

The soreness you feel a day or two after training is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

DOMS can increase when you:

• Perform a new exercise.

• Increase your training volume significantly.

• Emphasize slow lowering (eccentric) portions of a lift.

• Return to the gym after taking time off.

Notice that none of those things necessarily mean you're building more muscle or getting stronger. They simply mean your body was exposed to something it wasn't accustomed to.

Your Body Adapts

Think back to the first time you performed squats or assisted pullups.

You may have been sore for several days.

Fast forward a few months. You're squatting considerably more weight, your technique has improved, and you're getting stronger every week—but you're barely sore anymore.

Did your workouts become less effective?

Quite the opposite.

Your body adapted to the movement while continuing to improve.

In many cases, becoming less sore over time is actually a sign that your body is adapting well to your training program.

The Problem with Chasing Soreness

Many people and unfortunately, some trainers—believe every workout should leave you completely exhausted and sore.

This often leads to:

• Constantly changing exercises.

• Random "muscle confusion."

• Excessively high training volume.

• Performing difficult exercises simply because they're difficult.

While these workouts may create soreness, they don't necessarily create better long-term results.

If your workout changes every session, it becomes difficult to measure progress.

And if you can't measure progress, it's much harder to ensure you're actually improving.

What Should You Measure Instead?

Rather than asking:

"Am I sore today?"

Ask yourself:

• Am I lifting more weight than I was a month ago?

• Am I performing more repetitions with good technique?

• Is my movement quality improving?

• Am I becoming stronger?

• Are my clothes fitting differently?

• Am I feeling healthier and more energetic?

• Is my body composition changing over time?

These are meaningful indicators that your training is working.

The Importance of Progressive Overload

One of the most important principles in fitness is progressive overload.

Progressive overload simply means gradually asking your body to do a little more over time.

That might mean:

• Adding five pounds to the bar.

• Completing one additional repetition.

• Improving your technique.

• Increasing your range of motion.

• Completing the same workout with less effort.

These small improvements accumulate over weeks and months, producing significant long-term results.

A Good Program Doesn't Need to Destroy You

A successful workout isn't measured by how exhausted you feel when you leave the gym.

It's measured by whether it moves you one step closer to your goals.

Sometimes you'll finish a workout feeling challenged.

Sometimes you'll feel relatively fresh.

Both can be productive if they're part of a well-designed program.

The goal isn't to survive today's workout.

The goal is to continue making progress month after month without unnecessary setbacks, excessive fatigue, or injury.

Final Thoughts

Muscle soreness isn't something to fear, nor is it something to chase.

It can simply be a normal response to training—especially when introducing new exercises or returning after time away.

But if soreness becomes the standard by which you judge every workout, you may find yourself sacrificing consistency and long-term progress for short-term discomfort.

Real progress comes from following a structured plan, tracking your performance, and making steady improvements over time.

That's why at Vern Tolman Fitness, I believe in one simple philosophy:

Train with a Plan.

A thoughtful, progressive program will always outperform random workouts that simply leave you exhausted.