What are your views on soreness. Does soreness equal a good workout? If not, then how do you judge how good your workout is? Just want to get people's opinions.

I think a little soreness does. Either that or if I get a really good pump then thats when I know I've had a good session. But I do know that too much soreness or pain just means you worked the muscle too much and is detremential to its development.

Man, I'd love to see the response to this too! I just started working out about 2 weeks ago and my quads are just killin me and I don't have small legs (I've played hockey and soccer for years). How long should we be sore after a kick ass workout??

Soreness = good work out.
I am usualyy sore for at least 2 days after every workout. I break my work out up into different muscle groups everyday. You cant tell by sorenss if you have over trained, the only way you can make sure you arent over training is by limiting your sets. A good routine might be 4 different exercises for one muscle group with 3 sets each at 6 or less reps (for msucle mass gaining anyways)
If you arent getting sore, change up your routine, and perhaps increase the weight/reps...
And it doesnt matter how big you are, you always get sore from lifting, that means you broke down the muscle fibers in that area, which is what you want to do, then let it rebuild...

I think Normal Soreness is natural and will always be present, but anything past 4 days might be too much. The first 2 weeks I started I was quite sore, and very tight. I've since started working on Stretching alot more, and let me tell you I have noticed a big difference is just the 1st week. I did a pretty good Chest Workout this week, and expected to be quite sore, but I did a Really good stretch afterward my Cardio workout that nightfor my Pecs, held the stretch about 1min, and did the same the night after, and I'm not really sore at all. I'm unsure if that is because I increased my flexability Some, or just because I stretched it after working it, but All I know is It feels great http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

my legs ususally stay sore for about 24-36 hrs or so.. but my soreness doesnt kick in util about mid day the following day. i rarely wake up sore. if you dont feel it later your not working hard enough.. as the age old addage goes,, no pain no gain...

If your just starting out lifting and are a newbie,well it comes w/ the territory.

However,if you are constantly sore you need to look at your nutrition and make adjustments.A touch of soreness is ok,and normal.But if you can't walk for 2 days after squating,then it's a combination of overtraining compounded by insufficient protein intake.They go hand in hand.

Since your energy levels and Glycogen levels vary on any given day(even though we try to keep them consistent) you should only be training until you start to LOSE your pump.Once the pump is gone,your done bro.Your doing nothing to induce hypertrophy.Your Glycogen stores have been depleted and your wasting your time.

This all takes time to figure out.It goes with what I try to explain to everyone who asks me for advice.You need to strive to learn how YOUR body reacts to nutrition and training.Everyone is different.You need to read your body's signals and make adjustments accordingly.That is when you will truly start to see gains...

Just ask Fiddy.I've been helping him for a few months now and he's really grasped what I've been teaching him.In the beginning he was sending me like 10 PM's a week( http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif),and FINALLY!!!! he learned to read his gains/set-backs and adjust accordingly.Now he never sends PM's, the fucker..... not even to thank me http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Hey oldGixxer, how much can you bench? and do you know baine, just woundering..

Drivenfaster said:
Hey oldGixxer, how much can you bench? and do you know baine, just woundering..


I maxed out @405 on flat(a while back) and inclined 315 for 4 last week.Not a big bencher,was never a strong point.

Now squats on the other hand....... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Sorry,I don't know Baine. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

oldgixxer said:
This all takes time to figure out.You need to strive to learn how YOUR body reacts to nutrition and training.Everyone is different.You need to read your body's signals and make adjustments accordingly.That is when you will truly start to see gains...





That is 100% true. It took me awhile to figure out what worked for me, still trying to figure out what works for different parts of my body. I use to shack like a motha after workouts and be sore for like 1 a week after some workouts. But I figured I needed to increase my protein intake when I workout harder and have a banna or Glutmine before or after workouts.

I'm also still trying to find/figure out a diet that works for me.

What OG said is of course as always right on the money. With that said, if you're a newb or just want to help out a little in preventing soreness, try supplementing your diet with BCAA's. (Branched Chain Amino Acids)

Keeping up a good stretching routine and a post work-out cardio cool down at medium low intensity for 10 or 15 minutes after your weight lifting will also help prevent delayed onset muscle soreness.

I've always found that glutamine helps me recover faster.

Oh man, all you cheaters http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I take nothing at all. Just drink a gallon of h20 a day and eat right.

Old Gixxer, you know Baine, from Batman. Hes that huge guy with the knob you turn to make his muscles bigger,lol... you remind me of him in a pic I saw

oldgixxer said:

Just ask Fiddy.I've been helping him for a few months now and he's really grasped what I've been teaching him.In the beginning he was sending me like 10 PM's a week( http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif),and FINALLY!!!! he learned to read his gains/set-backs and adjust accordingly.Now he never sends PM's, the fucker..... not even to thank me http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif



OG's right... its something you gotta figure out on your own and adjust to your needs.. when i started squatting i could barely get outta my chair and off the shitter the next night. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif but its gotten substantially better now that my diet is better and i stopped overtraining, every day is different, like my bi and shoulder workout the other day... i did 5 sets standing ez bars, 4 sets alt db, 4 sets db spider curls, i thought i was done but i did one set standing cable 21's and my arms were gonna explode.. i was losing some strength but the pump was holding, dopped the weight. hit 2 more sets,,, best pump in my arms in a while. What im tryin to say is if its there, keep hittin it hard till it goes away. thats one thing thats helped me out a ton... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif same thing for my shoulders that day, i dont think ive ever done so many sets in workout,

and OG,, i have thanked you yah BASTID!!! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif

Fiddy is the teacher's peeet!!!!!!!!!! nah nah na nah nah

PHISH said:
Fiddy is the teacher's peeet!!!!!!!!!! nah nah na nah nah



Bwahahaha http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/spit.gif

oldgixxer said:

PHISH said:
Fiddy is the teacher's peeet!!!!!!!!!! nah nah na nah nah



Bwahahaha http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/spit.gif



me --> http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bitchslap.gif <-- Phish
me--> http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bitchslap.gif <-- OG



http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bounce.gif