Sam: Why Am I Not Sore?

Dear Sam,
After our workouts together, sometimes I am "not sore." Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong? I thought it was supposed to be, "no pain, no gain?" Thanks, Jeremiah

Actually, soreness is NOT always indicative of success. You've probably heard that old adage, "no pain, no gain?" Well, this saying can sometimes do more harm than good if it's not taken in the proper context.

Here's why: Pain is actually your body's way of signaling that something is wronng. If you're experiencing a lot of pain during (or after) a workout, you should NOT push PAST it, you should slow down and even stop the workout.

If you're trying to develop muscular endurance (but not size) you may experience a slight level of post-workout discomfort, but not always. As long as you continually strive to progressively overload your muscles, you'll make progress. When you're developing a lifelong fitness plan, "no pain, no gain" is no good.

The best way to ensure your success is through consistent effort and consistent workouts, "periodized" and progressively altered to suit your developing body.

--Sam