Let’s delve into the topic of muscle soreness after a workout and determine whether it’s good or bad for a natural athlete, and also explore the possibility of training in such a condition.
Let’s understand when muscle soreness (muscle pain) is truly necessary and when it’s time to adjust the workout plan. Who among you has not experienced muscle soreness after the first few workouts? Probably, there are very few. After starting a workout or returning to it after a break, muscle pain is a common occurrence.
There are individuals who do not experience muscle pain even during intense workouts, and we will discuss this later. But should you be concerned about muscle pain after a workout, especially for a novice or an experienced athlete?
For beginners, it’s probably more or less clear: muscles may ache at the beginning of workouts, but it’s normal as they adapt to new stress. Muscle soreness can also occur after a break in training for more than 2-3 weeks.
But what about those who have been training for several months or even a year and still experience muscle pain after workouts? Essentially, muscle soreness is a restriction of the freedom of movement in muscles, a physical discomfort felt approximately a day after workouts.
This discomfort can last from 2 to 4 days, depending on the intensity and unfamiliarity of the load. With the right load, we should feel a pleasant tension in the body, not something that hinders movement or causes pain in everyday activities.
It’s important to emphasize that to continue progress in training, it’s necessary to constantly change the load. If we train uniformly, muscles adapt, and progress stops. This is especially crucial for those who have been training for a long time.
Experienced athletes, who have reached a high level of fitness, almost never experience muscle soreness. The further the training process progresses, the more difficult it is to achieve the same rapid progress as in the beginning. And that’s normal.
Now, let’s consider how to “surprise” the body for progress in training. If you follow a program with a gradual increase in loads and see results, that’s wonderful. However, it’s periodically useful to deviate from the usual plan and conduct unconventional workouts.
This may include changing the range of repetitions, weight, or the order of exercises. Some athletes dedicate entire weeks to non-standard loads, for example, switching from gym workouts to bodyweight exercises or vice versa.
But how do you determine if you are recovering well if you don’t experience soreness or it fades quickly? Rely primarily on the presence of progress: are repetitions, working weights, and the number of sets increasing based on your goals.
If you are standing still or even falling behind the workout plan, perhaps you need more time for recovery. Here it’s important to keep a training diary, noting not only the completed plan but also your condition during and after workouts, as well as the presence of progress.
Individual characteristics can influence recovery: age, sleep patterns, nutrition, stress. Don’t strictly adhere to specific days of the week for workouts; it’s essential to rely on your own feelings and experience.
In conclusion, the optimal number of rest days after a workout depends on various factors. If there’s progress, everything is fine. If there’s no progress, increase the number of rest days, conduct light workouts, and adjust the plan based on your feelings. Don’t forget that constant progress isn’t always possible, and that’s okay too.
