Always Sore? Why That’s Not a Good Thing (And What to Change)
A lot of people wear soreness like a badge of honour.
“If I’m sore, it must be working.”
And while some soreness is normal…
Being sore all the time is not a good sign.
What Soreness Actually Means
Soreness is a response to stress your body isn’t fully adapted to yet.
That can happen when:
you increase volume
you introduce new movements
you train harder than usual
But over time, as your body adapts, soreness should decrease.
The Problem With Always Being Sore
If you’re constantly sore, it usually means you’re training above your threshold.
And that leads to:
poor recovery
inconsistent training
reduced performance
Instead of progressing, you’re just surviving workouts.
What This Looks Like
struggling to move well the next day
skipping workouts because you're too sore
feeling fatigued all the time
That’s not progress.
That’s a sign something needs to change.
What to Change
Manage Intensity
Not every workout should feel like a max effort.
Reduce Volume
Sometimes less is more — especially if recovery is the issue.
Improve Consistency
Training 3–4x/week consistently will reduce soreness over time.
Focus on Quality
Better movement = less unnecessary stress
What Progress Should Feel Like
manageable soreness
consistent energy
ability to train regularly
feeling better after workouts
The Goal
The goal isn’t to feel crushed.
It’s to keep training
Because consistency — not soreness — is what drives results.
Final Thought
If you’re always sore… it’s not a sign to push harder.
It’s a sign to train smarter.