No pain, no gain – this is the motto of many bodybuilders, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts. But this isn’t as safe and effective as it sounds! You have to say goodbye to such an approach as it can actually endanger your body over time.
Of course, there will be a certain level of pain involved in strength-building workouts, even in cardio and flexibility exercises. But if you’re pushing yourself to the limit and suffering intense pain for it, you should take a step back and evaluate your decisions. Here are the reasons why.
Muscle Soreness Isn’t an Indication of an Effective Workout
Many athletes believe that when delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) isn’t present the next day, perhaps for the next few days, then they didn’t get an effective workout. Many of them may even wear their body pains as a badge of honor!
Of course, you should feel a moderate degree of soreness after an intense workout for 24 to 72 hours after because it’s a normal part of the muscle-building process. But if, after three days, you can’t perform similar exercises as before because your muscles immediately go into failure, then you’ve gone overboard.
The bottom line: Be careful about using muscle soreness as an indication of an effective workout because it isn’t, not by a long a shot. You should still err on the side of safety since your muscles have their limits despite your beliefs otherwise. You must always listen to your body and heed its warnings.
Muscle Soreness Affects Everyone
Even the fittest athletes experience it! But many people still believe that the more physically fit you are, the less vulnerable you can be to DOMS. You must then work towards becoming more and more physically fit, even when it means getting increasingly sore muscles with each successive workout. This is simply isn’t true and, in fact, it can be dangerous.
Your body eventually adapts to the stresses placed on it by your workout and, in turn, your muscles become more effective in shouldering the workload. You must then change your workout routine on a regular basis so that your muscles doesn’t become too used to the same stresses repeatedly. You can also reduce your risk of plateauing in doing so.
But even when you’re at your peak physical fitness, you should also consider your own genetic predisposition to pain tolerance. You can fall into one of three categories – high-responders, low-responders, and no-responders to pain, aches and soreness. You are more likely to feel the soreness if you’re a high-responder so you have to change your exercise routine accordingly.
In conclusion, muscle soreness after a workout is normal but when it becomes a chronic issue, then it should merit your concern. You should work with your personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in ensuring that you’re getting the best workout without plunging into a world of pain.