Quick Take: If It Doesn't Hurt, Am I Doing It Wrong?

(By the way, if I use any terminology you’re not sure of, please check out my Dictionary.)

The phrase “No Pain, No Gain” was invented to encourage lifters to embrace that certain, specific burning discomfort you might feel when you approach the point where you can’t do any more reps of the exercise you’re doing.  The phrase should really say, “If You Always Avoid the Burn, You Will Not Achieve Gains As Quickly As You Otherwise Could”.  But that’s terrible poetry.  At a beginning experience level, you may feel that burn on some exercises, which is a good thing.  But you shouldn’t be completely obsessed with pushing yourself to feel the burn.  Focus on getting your muscles tired for now, and as you get more experience, you can push yourself that little bit farther.

If you feel sharp pain while you are working out, that is a sign you’re doing something wrong, or that you’re injured and need to heal.  If that happens, STOP that exercise.  If you think it was just a form mistake, double-check your form and try again.  If it still hurts, don’t do that exercise again until you’ve done some research or asked someone for advice.  Don’t completely give up on that exercise, but if you keep making the same mistake, it’s not going to do much for you.

What about soreness after your workout?  It’s likely you will feel sore.  You might get sore right away, but more likely, you won't feel sore until hours later or the next day.  That’s “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness”, or “DOMS” and it’s normal, especially at first.  The more experienced you get, the milder DOMS will be.  

I get a little sore from workouts much of the time, but I usually only get really sore after a workout if I’m coming back to it after a week off.  Don’t listen to people who want to make you think lifting weights correctly always has to hurt.  In general, they just want you to feel bad that you’re not as awesome as they are.

So, expect some muscle soreness, but not sharp pains in your muscles, joints, or bones.  Know that you will get less sore, less often as your experience grows.  It might sound crazy, but the more experienced you get, the more you start to enjoy a little bit of soreness, as a reminder that you had a great workout.

Best wishes!

The Friendly Lifter