Harder isn't better. Better is better
Chase Morlock
•
One of the biggest misconceptions in fitness, especially for adults 40 and up, is that for a workout to be effective, it has to leave you feeling like you got your butt kicked and sore for days.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. And unfortunately, it’s a misconception that many people believe.
Of course, it is normal and often expected to be somewhat sore after a workout, especially if:
• You’re new to exercising
• You tried a new type of movement or exercise
• You increased the intensity, weight, or duration of your workout
This soreness is called DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and usually peaks 24–72 hours after the workout. It’s caused by microscopic muscle damage, which is a normal part of the muscle-building and strengthening process.
Normal vs. abnormal soreness
When soreness is OK:
• It’s mild to moderate
• It improves after a few days
• You can still move around and do daily tasks
When soreness is not OK:
• Pain is sharp or localized in joints (could signal injury)
• It doesn’t go away after 5–7 days
• It worsens with time
• You’re experiencing swelling, dark urine, or extreme weakness (rare signs of rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition)
Tips to ease soreness:
• Gentle movement (walking, light stretching)
• Warm baths or showers
• Foam rolling
• Hydration and protein-rich meals
• Adequate rest and sleep
It's fun to be strong, not sore
While light soreness is normal from time to time, using your level of soreness as a measurement of the quality of a workout is actually very inaccurate. Extreme soreness often means the body is under-recovered, over-stressed, or pushed too far past its limits. And at the stage of life that most of our members are in (age 40-70+), recovery is everything.
When your body recovers well, it performs better. When it doesn’t, everything else suffers the consequences, like sleep, mood, energy, joints, digestion and more.
Yes, there’s a time and place for tough workouts that test your mental toughness and trust me, I have done plenty of those throughout the years. Building “mental muscle” has value. But day-to-day, the goal of training should be simple: feel better, move better, and get stronger without breaking down. It is fun to be strong, not sore.
I had a chance this week to hear from my good friend and former teammate at NDSU, Easton Stick. Easton is one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. He has spent most of his NFL career as a backup quarterback for the LA Chargers and is now on the Atlanta Falcons. Easton held his annual quarterback camp in Fargo for high school and college athletes and he always incorporates a leadership panel at the end. I got to go listen to this leadership panel and Easton said a line that really resonated with me.
“Are you willing to be bored? Consistency wins.”
What ultimately will make you strong and healthy is not going to be the next fancy workout machine or even the “butt busting” workout. The secret sauce is in consistency. You will become strong and healthy from the consistent effort of showing up and putting in good, solid strength training that limits soreness and builds muscle.
A great session isn’t one that leaves you wrecked. It’s one where you walk out feeling energized, more capable, and excited to come back again. That’s the kind of consistency that creates real, lasting progress.
The worst thing we can do as coaches is push you so hard that you can’t do your job, play with your grandkids, or even enjoy your life the next day. That’s not smart training, it’s ego programming.
Anybody can write a hard workout. It takes experience to write the right one.
To learn more about Rise and how our custom-built personal training programs will help you reach your goals, head here.
And my final note to our current Rise members is this: please tell us if you are feeling super sore after workouts. If that is the case, we need to make some adjustments to your program!
If you’re chasing soreness, you’re chasing the wrong thing. Chase strength. Chase consistency. A good workout makes you better, not broken.
It’s a great day to be great! Go crush it!