Sore After Strength Training? Is It Normal?

Yes, in most cases. Feeling sore a day or two after strength training is very common, especially in the first week or two of a new program or phase. In our experience, it levels out. You can usually keep training: go lighter, keep moving and tell your coach. Sharp pain, or pain in a joint, is different. Get that checked.

Sore is information.

It's no reason to quit.

And it gets easier faster than you think.

First, when should you talk to your doctor or physio?

We coach. We don't diagnose or treat.

Get it checked by your doctor or physio if you have:

Sharp or stabbing pain. Normal soreness tends to feel dull and achy.
Pain in a joint. A knee, shoulder, hip or your back, rather than the muscle you worked.
Pain that lasts more than a few days. Or keeps getting worse instead of easing.
Swelling, or you can't move normally. Limping, or you can't lift your arm the way you usually do.
Soreness that seems way out of proportion. Or you feel unwell along with it.

If you have an old injury, here's how we coach around a bad knee, shoulder or back.

Then bring what they tell you to your coach. We coach around whatever they've cleared you to do.

Why am I so sore after strength training?

When your muscles do something new, or more than they're used to, they tend to let you know a day or two later.

Some people call it delayed onset muscle soreness. Most of us call it "why do my legs hurt when I sit down?"

In our experience, it shows up most often:

In the first week of a new program. Your body is meeting a whole new set of moves.
At the start of a new phase. New exercises, new equipment, a new challenge.
After a long break. Months off, then straight back in.
After a new move. Even when everything else feels easy.

Here's the thing.

It's usually the first week, maybe the second, and then it levels out. A lot of the women we coach tell us that by the third or fourth time through a workout, the soreness has mostly faded.

Should I still work out if I'm sore?

Usually, yes. Just adjust it.

Ordinary soreness tends to feel better once you get moving. Here's what our coaches suggest:

Repeat the weight. If last session left you very sore, use the same weight next time instead of going up.
Take the easier option. Every move in our workouts has one. Use it for a session or two.
Go for a walk. An easy walk the day after tends to help you feel less stiff.
Keep your rest days. In our experience, a lot of the change happens while you recover. Rest days are part of the plan.
Tell your coach. If you're sore all over, or something feels more like pain than soreness, she needs to know.

Some women swear by a warm Epsom salt bath, too. Nice bonus, and a good excuse for 20 quiet minutes.

If it's pain and not soreness, skip that move and go back to the doctor section above.

Does sore mean it was a good workout?

Can we please stop pretending you have to be wrecked for a workout to count?

Soreness tells you your body did something new. It doesn't tell you much about whether you're getting stronger.

Here's what does:

Your numbers. On strength days you write down your weights and reps. When they go up, you're getting stronger.
Your everyday life. Groceries in one trip. Getting up off the floor without a hand on the couch.
Your clothes. They fit differently, even before the scale says much.

We don't want you sore all the time.

If you are, it usually means you're doing too much, too soon. Tell your coach and she'll adjust the plan with you.

How do I make it hurt less next time?

Start a little slower than your enthusiasm wants you to.

I tell women this all the time. Don't come out of the gate like a superhero in week 1.

Start lighter than you think. Learn the move first, then add weight.
Ease into a new phase. The first session of something new is for learning it.
Eat enough. Training hard on very little food tends to leave you sorer and more tired. Protein at most meals helps you recover.
Sleep. Recovery happens there too.
Keep showing up. In our experience, the women who train consistently are the ones who end up least sore.

New to all of this? Here's how beginners over 40 learn strength training at home.

And if you're training most days and always sore, read how many days a week to strength train. Rest days are in there for a reason.

Is all this soreness worth it?

Yes.

Chris says it simply: "Muscle is metabolism."

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

In our experience, building muscle is what keeps body composition changing after 40. The sore first week is part of how that starts.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks.

Plenty of them couldn't sit down without wincing in week 1.

By week 3, most of them had forgotten about it.

Ready to get stronger, sore days and all?

You don't have to figure out the sore days alone.

A coach who knows what week 1 feels like makes them a lot easier.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll ask where you're starting from, including any old injuries, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

Sore legs are temporary.

Strong ones stick around.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal to be sore after strength training?

Yes, especially in the first week or two of a new program or phase. In our experience, it levels out quickly once your body gets used to the work.

Should I work out if I'm still sore?

Usually, yes. Repeat the same weight instead of going up, take the easier options and keep your rest days. If it feels like sharp pain or it's in a joint, stop and get it checked by your doctor or physio.

How long should muscle soreness last after a workout?

Normal soreness tends to peak a day or two after and ease within a few days. Pain that lasts longer, keeps getting worse or comes with swelling is a reason to see your doctor or physio.

Do I have to be sore to lose weight?

No. Soreness tells you your body did something new. Getting stronger week to week, with enough food and recovery, is what tends to change body composition.

How can I tell muscle soreness from an injury?

Soreness tends to feel dull and achy in the muscles you worked, and it eases as you move. Sharp pain, joint pain, swelling or pain that won't settle needs a doctor or physio.

I'm so sore after strength training. Is that normal, and should I still work out?