Does anyone else find that they actually work out BETTER when slightly sore? I seem to find that somehow when I can really “feel” my muscles since they are a bit sore I lift more…
No I always feel much stronger when I’m fresh actually, but I usually have to lift somewhat sore.
When you’re sore it means your muscles still haven’t recovered, which means your are working a damaged muscle… You might be overworking that muscle.
get it? 
It’s probably a psychological thing. On an irrelevant sidenote when I’m cutting down I’ve noticed that muscle soreness lasts a couple of days when usually I have none
[quote]imasri wrote:
When you’re sore it means your muscles still haven’t recovered, which means your are working a damaged muscle… You might be overworking that muscle.
get it? ;)[/quote]
sometimes might take a week to fully heal from a leg workout, thats too long for me ;). Its different for some people, you might heal much faster but I usually am somewhat sore definitely not sore enough not to workout though.
[quote]shizen wrote:
imasri wrote:
When you’re sore it means your muscles still haven’t recovered, which means your are working a damaged muscle… You might be overworking that muscle.
get it?
sometimes might take a week to fully heal from a leg workout, thats too long for me ;). Its different for some people, you might heal much faster but I usually am somewhat sore definitely not sore enough not to workout though. [/quote]
It takes me about a week to recover fully from a proper leg workout! Back to the original question, i tend to workout with the same intensity whether sore or not, altho i do obviously lift more when im fully recovered!
I guess the mind-muscle connection is working for you that way.
I have actually experienced surprisingly heavy lifts when sore, but only on a couple occasions. Usually they suck if I’m not fresh.
Yeah, undeadlift is right, when your muscles are sore it probably enhances your mind-muscle connection simply because you can feel them more.
one of the “tricks” used to train in a better way a weak muscle is the “pre-fatigue” (sp? sorry) method. A sore muscle is more easy to feel and to concentrate upon than a fresh one.
But it is weaker than a fresh one.
To answer your question it is necessary to know why you train.
(just my 2eurocentrs)
I’ve learned that if you’re sore for more than 4 days then you worked out too hard. My chest used to be sore for a week. I only worked it 1 day and it lasted for about 7 days. Then I started lowering the intensity and working it out every other day and it made a very big difference. I feel a lot stronger every workout and my chest is developing a lot better.
[quote]sed26 wrote:
I’ve learned that if you’re sore for more than 4 days then you worked out too hard. My chest used to be sore for a week. I only worked it 1 day and it lasted for about 7 days. Then I started lowering the intensity and working it out every other day and it made a very big difference. I feel a lot stronger every workout and my chest is developing a lot better.[/quote]
heh its different for different people, in fact their are certain programs designed to be very intense and they help put on a lot more weight-smolov,sheiko-
The less often you workout the more sore you get.
The more often you workout the less sore you get.
There are some disgusting squat programs that have you lifting heavier than ever before weekly while your legs are sore, I think it can go both ways but as a general rule I think people lift more when they arent sore.
[quote]Legionnaire wrote:
It’s probably a psychological thing. [/quote]
I tend to agree with this
I wouldn’t work out if you’re still sore because as the previous poster pointed out it is proof that your body has not yet recovered from the earlier exercise. If you continue to lift while sore then the muscle won’t grow. A normal recovery should take like 2 days so its best to wait it out.
I agree that it is probably psychological
perhaps you have created a false connection between how torn your muscles are and how good your workout was?
I find that focusing on my sets and the power I generate is a much better indicator of a good workout than how sore my muscles are afterwards
also, if you’re sore for a long time, make sure your diet is in check (maybe lack of protein?) as your body might not have enough medecine to heal the sore muscle.
I have big legs and my intense leg workout soreness lasts for about 3 days… but as for being able to train harder, that’s a phsychological thing for sure.
Get enough rest. Dont build on a weakened muscle as it will collapse (get smaller)
Hmm. Thanks for all the replies. I tend to use Waturbury’s HF protocols - so my schedule will tend to be about at least 3 total body workouts in a row. I just find sometimes I lift better in the later workouts…
[quote]imasri wrote:
also, if you’re sore for a long time, make sure your diet is in check (maybe lack of protein?) as your body might not have enough medecine to heal the sore muscle.
I have big legs and my intense leg workout soreness lasts for about 3 days… but as for being able to train harder, that’s a phsychological thing for sure.
Get enough rest. Dont build on a weakened muscle as it will collapse (get smaller)[/quote]
So, these “medicines” that my body needs, can I get them over the counter or will I need to get a prescription?
[quote]IronWarrior24 wrote:
imasri wrote:
also, if you’re sore for a long time, make sure your diet is in check (maybe lack of protein?) as your body might not have enough medecine to heal the sore muscle.
I have big legs and my intense leg workout soreness lasts for about 3 days… but as for being able to train harder, that’s a phsychological thing for sure.
Get enough rest. Dont build on a weakened muscle as it will collapse (get smaller)
So, these “medicines” that my body needs, can I get them over the counter or will I need to get a prescription?[/quote]
lol by medecines i meant protein and other things in your diet your body uses to recover…