Should you lift when you're still sore?

Some soreness the day or two after a workout (called DOMS, delayed-onset muscle soreness) is normal, especially after a new exercise or a long break. It doesn't mean you trained well, and it doesn't always mean you can't train again.

When it's fine

• Mild soreness that fades once you're warmed up.
• Training a different muscle group.
• Light, easy work on the sore muscle, which often makes it feel better.

When to wait

• The muscle is so sore it changes how you move.
• It's weak: your warm-up sets feel much heavier than usual.
• Soreness is still bad after three or four days.
• It's pain in a joint, or sharp, one-sided, or getting worse. That isn't muscle soreness, and it's worth seeing a doctor or physiotherapist.

Soreness isn't the goal

You don't need to be sore to grow. Soreness mostly shows that something was new, and it fades as you repeat a program. Chasing it leads to too much volume, too close to failure, and slower progress.

Being less sore next time

• Add new exercises gradually: one or two sets the first week.
• Keep a rep or two in reserve on most sets.
• Don't jump volume a lot from one week to the next.
• Sleep and eat enough protein.

Tip: If you're always sore, your training is probably too much for your recovery right now. Cut a few sets and see if your lifts go up.

A plan that knows

Liftsmith keeps track of how fatigued each muscle is from what you've logged and steers today's plan to muscles that are ready. If something hurts rather than aches, injury mode lets you skip or lighten the exercises that load it.