DOMS an Indicator

Training
1

I know muscle soreness isn’t the key indicator if a training session was fruitful or not but is it an indicator to how your body responds to rep ranges?

For example when training chest, if I stay in the 5 rep range for the majority of lifts, I feel great the next day. If The majority are in 10 - 12 then my chest is screaming for 48 hours. This is to be expected as that type of range does more damage to the muscle.

Conversely when training back, if I stay in the 5 rep range for the majority I’m crippled (from muscle soreness not straining anything). Doing 10 - 12 rep sets, DOMS doesn’t even come into play (with more sets than a heavier workout as well). I’m a big believer in squeezing the shoulder blades and contracting for a second before going back to best feel the muscle and keeping momentum out of it.

I generally stick with varying ranges, start with 3 x 5 then move onto higher reps…but does this suggest how my body best responds, or is it a standard “STFU and lift” response that this question warrants? Bodybuilding has never been my main concern but I’m going that way as I get older so any information is always welcome.

Thanks All,
E

2

what do you mean by responds if you aren’t referring to muscle growth?

3

[quote]fu7upj wrote:
I know muscle soreness isn’t the key indicator if a training session was fruitful or not but is it an indicator to how your body responds to rep ranges?

For example when training chest, if I stay in the 5 rep range for the majority of lifts, I feel great the next day. If The majority are in 10 - 12 then my chest is screaming for 48 hours. This is to be expected as that type of range does more damage to the muscle.

Conversely when training back, if I stay in the 5 rep range for the majority I’m crippled (from muscle soreness not straining anything). Doing 10 - 12 rep sets, DOMS doesn’t even come into play (with more sets than a heavier workout as well). I’m a big believer in squeezing the shoulder blades and contracting for a second before going back to best feel the muscle and keeping momentum out of it.

I generally stick with varying ranges, start with 3 x 5 then move onto higher reps…but does this suggest how my body best responds, or is it a standard “STFU and lift” response that this question warrants? Bodybuilding has never been my main concern but I’m going that way as I get older so any information is always welcome.

Thanks All,
E[/quote]

Out of curiosity, is there any difference between the time spent lengthening the muscle under the load (“eccentric”) between the 5 reps and the higher reps? I’m asking based on the connection that’s been found between DOMS and eccentric movements.

4

I know little but if my understanding is correct part of what generates DOMS

  • slow eccentrics as mentioned before
  • more range (an old mouvement becomes new, well partialy new)
  • a new pattern, i remember well as a kid april trowing a baseball after 6 months of cold/other sports, at 20 yo i was roller skating(35 years ago) daily and 1 hour of ice skating gave me a bad case.
    I never noticed reps numbers being relevant, if it is the only different factor.
    Sometimes i go for 60 reps on leg press no DOMS so my experience disagree about more reps more DOMS.
    Please pass forward my 2 cents !
5

For me it just means there was a lot of micro tearing of the muscle, or a new movement pattern.