Have you ever felt like you didn’t workout hard enough just because you don’t wake up sore the next day?

That’s a very normal feeling, and it’s more common than you think. Many believe that muscle soreness automatically means that you got a killer workout in, but that’s not always the case.

Think back to when you first started working out. Your first week, you were probably so sore you felt like you couldn’t move! After that first week though, you probably weren’t as sore. There is a reason for this, and it has nothing to do with whether or not you worked out “hard enough” during your exercise.

Muscle soreness depends on a variety of factors. Simply put, muscle soreness occurs when your body goes through physical activity that it’s not yet used to doing and you get minor muscle tears. So whenever you start working out for the first time in months, or if you try a new type of workout class, or even if you just add a few more reps to your usual routine, this can result in muscle soreness.

If you are not sore, it does NOT mean your workout was ineffective, or that it isn’t helping your body! Like anything else, your body is built to adapt to change. What this means, is as you become more consistent, you may not get as sore, or sore at all after your workout. Your body will still be improving, getting stronger, and leaner! It simply means that your body has learned how to adapt and recover more quickly, resulting in less muscle soreness.

So the next time you wake up after a tough workout the day before, remember that soreness doesn’t determine how hard you’ve worked. Keep moving forward towards and crush your goals!

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you use muscle soreness is an indicator of how much effort you put into your workout? Comment below!