if you're sore does that necessarily indicate muscle tear and growth?

[ultraman100]

If I workout and am sore the next day and/or in two days, does that necessarily mean I am gaining either strength and/or muscle mass, or is it possible to be slightly sore with no gain in either area?

I thought the soreness indicates tears which means repair which means more growth and strength automatically, but just wanted to double check.

[BLITZKRIEG]

The soreness is a sign that your workout was good.

Just curious but what routine are you using??

BTW: Welcome to M&S!!

[ultraman100]

Thanks, I've been using the max press calculator here for a long time but decided to post for the first time because this question has been on my mind for a while now.

I ask because I've been sore after workouts for weeks now but am not seeing gains in strength of the magnitude I've witnessed earlier.

It's a simple workout:
Warmup with 30-60min walk.

Then bench:
140lbs x10 warmup reps.
Then about 245x6 (latest)
For the third set I've been burning out at 140 with around 30 reps.

I rest about 3-4 (sometimes 5) days in between workouts.

Recently started incorporating tricep, back, and incline press workouts to replace above routine on occasion, plus a rare game of basketball.

Thinking about increasing 1st set, but don't want to go too high and reduce gains produced on 2nd set. I used to get most sore from my highest weight set but now it's getting to the point where I think I could benefit from a spotter, and I've recently added this 3rd burnout set which has increased muscle tear like I was used to seeing months ago.

Been able to nearly double my max bench from December 2008.

[Sarbae]

Originally Posted by BLITZKRIEG

The soreness is a sign that your workout was good.

Just curious but what routine are you using??

BTW: Welcome to M&S!!

Soreness is neither a necessary nor sufficient indicator of a good workout. Yes, it can be a sign that you worked your muscles hard, but it's important not to use the degree of muscle soreness to gauge the effectiveness of your workout.

In other words, just because your muscles aren't sore doesn't mean your workout wasn't good.... and just because your muscles are sore doesn't mean your workout was good.

[ultraman100]

Originally Posted by Sarbae

Soreness is neither a necessary nor sufficient indicator of a good workout. Yes, it can be a sign that you worked your muscles hard, but it's important not to use the degree of muscle soreness to gauge the effectiveness of your workout.

In other words, just because your muscles aren't sore doesn't mean your workout wasn't good.... and just because your muscles are sore doesn't mean your workout was good.

are you saying soreness does not always indicate muscle tearing?

[Perseo]

Tear yes, but for growth you need a calorie surplus.

[Sarbae]

Originally Posted by ultraman100

are you saying soreness does not always indicate muscle tearing?

I'm not sure. But, I will say that muscle tearing won't necessarily lead to soreness.

[santosa]

Originally Posted by Perseo

Tear yes, but for growth you need a calorie surplus.

I second this. You need calorie surplus from the right source: 30% protein, 50% carb, and 20% fat.

Also you need enough rest to let your muscles heal. If you don't rest enough, your muscles won't heal effectively and their growth will be delayed.

Another thing is that you should not over train just to get your muscles sore. What you need is not muscle soreness... but muscle overload. Simply stated, overloading your muscles means exercising at a level that's greater than what you're normally accustomed to. This doesn't always lead to soreness.