Camp Gladiator Trainer Talk: Should I Exercise When I’m Sore?

One of the most common excuses for missing a consecutive workout is simply being “too sore” from a previous exercise session. This is a somewhat debatable topic as rest and recovery are very important in developing lean body mass. However, using this excuse frequently can interrupt a workout routine and result in days, weeks, or even months of missed workouts. Next time you feel like missing a workout because of soreness, consider the following information.

Sore muscles after a workout are common, especially for people who are new to exercise, have taken an extended break from working out, or completed a heavyweight session or long-distance run. This is generally due to lactic acid build-up and microtears in the targeted muscle groups. Soreness might even occur 12-36 hours after your workout; this is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (or DOMS) and is very common and normal. Being mild to moderately sore after a workout is very different than being injured. A key difference is that an injury usually has a specific cause and injury site, not just general soreness. For example, when pulling a specific muscle or damaging a tendon/ligament when completing a specific exercise, there is usually a known causation of injury.

When we work out, our aim should be to expose our body to as much challenging stimulus in order for the body to respond and create an environment for physiological adaptations. Basically, we should be aiming to create small amounts of trauma and microtears in the muscle fibers in order to induce an inflammatory response.

Exercise to cause microtrauma? Sounds barbaric, right? Let me explain. I like to use the analogy of a deep cut to our exterior skin. When we get a deep cut, our body responds in a phenomenal way where anti-inflammatory processes simultaneously occur to heal and close over the wound. After a few days/weeks when the wound is closed, you will notice that the scar is thicker and stronger than the surrounding skin. This is a similar principle to when we work out and cause microtears to the fibers of our muscles. The body uses amino acids/proteins to repair the microtears and create thicker fibers, which collectively form lean muscle tissue.

Blood circulation is also extremely important with healing as blood carries oxygen, growth factors, and essential nutrients to the injured area to promote healing and repair. This means that a light workout might even help with the healing process by promoting blood circulation to the sore area. So, the next time you feel sore from a good workout session, remember that the workout has not yet stopped. Your AMAZING body is still at work using energy and burning calories to build up your muscles so that you are stronger than you were before.

So, back to the question: Should you train when you are sore?

If you are sore in an isolated area because of a heavy workout, like training legs or upper body with weights, then I would recommend that you still exercise but avoid heavy and explosive movements of those muscles. Having sore legs does not mean you are completely incapacitated; you can still exercise other areas of the body or conduct light exercise involving the sore area. In fact, moving your muscles through the range of motion/stretching with nil or mild resistance can actually improve blood flow to aid with recovery. The key is to choose an appropriate exercise modality that will support your recovery but also maintain your routine. Going for a 30-minute walk or engaging in a stretch session is a great way to stay in a routine and be active in a non-physically invasive manner.

At Camp Gladiator, we encourage rest and recovery and dedicate a whole week to this in our programs. This is where we take the intensity down, focus on stretching and even incorporate foam rolling. Our workouts are full-body and are designed so that each camper can take each workout at their own pace. This means that you can aim to make some muscle gains or focus on taking it easy to get good blood flow to aid in recovery. If you want to try us out, be sure to contact your local Camp Gladiator location.