Muscle Soreness & Recovery
No Soreness? No Problem. Why Your Workout Was Still Effective.
What Actually Is Muscle Soreness?
The soreness you may feel a day or two after your workout is DOMS—Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS is generally caused by new and/or intense exercise.
Why You Might Not Feel Sore (And That’s Okay)
Soreness is not a reliable indicator of a good workout. You can still achieve gains without feeling achy afterwards. Here are some reasons you might not be sore even though you were working hard in your workout.
1. Your body is adapting.
If you’ve been training consistently, your muscles are getting better at handling stress. In other words your muscles are becoming more accustomed to that workload!
2. You’re recovering effectively.
Hydration, nutrition, sleep, stretching or foam rolling are all ways to reduce soreness without reducing results.
3. You trained smart, not just hard.
You don’t need to destroy your body to make gains. Progressive overload and good form get the job done. In fact, extreme soreness can be problematic for consistent training, especially in new trainees.
Better Ways to Measure a Good Workout
Some more reliable signs you are making progress in the gym include:
Lifting more than you could previously
You’re training consistently and avoiding injury
Your effort is high in the workouts you are doing
The Problem with Chasing Soreness
Focusing too much on soreness can actually backfire. Here’s how:
Increased injury risk: From overtraining
Poor programming: Random hard workouts with no structure
Burnout: When trying to run at 110% all the time you are bound to burnout.
Pain doesn’t always equal progress. In fact, always feeling sore might mean you’re overdoing it.
No Pain, Still Gain
Muscle soreness is normal, but it's not a requirement for a good workout. The real signs of progress come from getting stronger, moving better, and staying consistent.
Phillip Vardiman, an associate professor of health at Kansas State University put it perfectly when he said “ If you push yourself hard during a workout and no soreness sets in, that means “your muscles have reached a training capacity to handle that volume of activity or amount of external load. In simpler terms: You’re killin’ it.”
This Week At Altitude
Monday
Entering week 4 of our density training phase and we have the front squat + chin up combo, crossover step downs with curls, and then a shorter conditioning segment with some bike, push ups, and alternating DB snatch.
Tuesday
Going into sumo deadlift + standing presses for a traditional upper/lower superset. Conditioning is a 20 minute grind with carries, sled drags, and rowing.
Wednesday
Stamina is a longer bout of aerobic work with mixed core and isometrics for a good blend.
Thursday
Density strength day 2 is the narrow grip bench press + RDLs, followed by split squats and DB raises and into a 12 minute conditioning hit with echo bikes and gorilla rows.
Friday
IWT today for a good blast of higher intensity sprints and longer rests. We have KB swings and run followed by thrusters and rowing. Part 3 is hip accessory movements.
This Week At Altitude
Monday
Starting week 3 of the density training block with our narrow grip bench + DB RDL combo. We’ll follow up with the split squat and DB raises for accessory work and then into a short conditioning with some DB hang cleans, box jumps, gorilla rows in an ascending rep scheme.
Tuesday
We have intervals today with rotational MB slams/jump squats + echo bike in part 1, followed up with DB snatch/Push press + rowing in part 2. Part 3 is accessory hip and core work.
Wednesday
Stamina is our 36-minute effort with a blend of moderate/lower intensity aerobic work and supplement exercises for stability and durability.
Thursday
Density day 2 is front squats and chin ups, right into bicep curls and crossover step downs for accessory work. The conditioning block is a 14 minute bout of carries, sled work, biking, and KB swings.
Friday
Sumo deadlifts and overhead presses for our traditional strength superset day this week, into a longer conditioning effort with some wall balls, running, walking lunges and ring rows.
This Week At Altitude
Monday
Closed For Memorial Day
Tuesday
Density strength today is the close grip bench + RDL combo followed by a 13 min AMRAP conditioning effort with with rows, wall balls, and echo bike.
Wednesday
Stamina today is aerobic work on bikes, rowers, and running paired up with a blend of accessory work for durability.
Thursday
Strength superset with sumo deadlifts and tall kneeling seesaw press. Conditioning is a longer grind with heavy carries, landmine work, and biking.
Friday
Density strength day 2 is the front squat and chin up combo. We add curls and diagonal step downs for accessory work and our conditioning is a 12 minute burner.
This Week At Altitude
Monday
We begin a new phase today, and we’ll be working on the sumo deadlift as a primary strength movement for the next several weeks. We’ll pair this with a DB Arnold press, followed up with a longer conditioning effort that has row, KB swing, lunges and planks.
Tuesday
Density work today with Front Squat + chin up alternating sets every 90 sec. We’ll be adding a second strength block called “accessory strength” to these days and then doing a shorter conditioning effort of 13 minutes of a KB complex, hanging leg raises, and sled work.
Wednesday
Stamina mid week helps us break up the heavier work with more movement, breathing, and some isometrics built in for durability.
Thursday
Intervals today is hang power clean + bike, into jumping ball slam and run. Part 3 is accessory structural work for the hips.
Friday
Density strength has narrow grip bench press and DB RDL’s, alternating every 90 sec. Accessory strength includes split squats and DB lateral raise/front raise combos. Shorter conditioning is is E2MOM DB burpees and row/bike cals.
This Week At Altitude
Monday
We are rolling into our final week of this phase. Today we hit the standing press and tricep rollbacks for an upper body strength set. We’ll follow up with 2x8 min EMOM format for conditioning that includes some MB slams, squatting and rowing.
Tuesday
Strength today is Bulgarian split squats (hand supported). Getting heavy on the single leg movement first and paired with a t-bar row. The conditioning block is 16 minutes grinding out sled rope pull + push, mixed rack carries, and ring push ups.
Wednesday
Stamina today is bike, row and jump rope blocks broke up with some isometric work and core and unilateral movements.
Thursday
Intervals today has push press + rowing in part 1, followed by KB swings and sprints in part 2. Part 3 is rotational work.
Friday
Final workout for this phase is deadlifts and landmine presses, followed by a 20 minute EMOM format for conditioning that increases in intensity each round.
This Week At Altitude
Monday
Bulgarian Split Squats & T-bar rows to continue our current training block into week 3. The conditioning is 2x9min AMRAPs.
Tuesday
Deadlifts with kneeling landline presses, followed by a grinder of conditioning work with K2E, rowing, and mixed rack carries.
Wednesday
Stamina has running, sideboard work and bike ergs in a blend of cardiovascular work and isometrics/rotation.
Thursday
Final strength day this week has seated presses with tricep rollbacks similar to week 1. A DB complex with increasing weights for conditioning and continued strength work,.
Friday
Interval weight training today has Back Squat + Running followed by DB Snatch and Echo bike. Part 3 is rotational work and progressions.
Why Endurance Athletes Need Real Strength Training
If you're an endurance athlete, you likely understand the importance of cardiovascular fitness in your sport. However, many endurance athletes don’t realize the value of incorporating strength training into their routine. Even when they do lift weights, they often fall into a common trap: turning a strength session into a pseudo-cardio workout.
The Mistake: Turning Strength Into Endurance
Endurance athletes tend to gravitate toward what they’re good at: high reps, low weight, short rest. But that’s not strength training.
Common signs you're turning a strength session into an endurance one:
Doing sets of 15+ reps with light weight
Taking minimal rest between sets (e.g., <30 seconds)
Choosing exercises that spike your heart rate more than they load your muscles
If your strength session feels like a spin class or a HIIT workout, you’re probably not getting the strength adaptations you need.
Why Strength Training Matters for Endurance Athletes
Strength training can feel unfamiliar and even uncomfortable for endurance-focused athletes. But it builds foundational qualities that improve your endurance performance:
1. Increased Muscle Efficiency
Strength training enhances neuromuscular coordination and motor unit recruitment. That means more power output with less effort—especially crucial during hill climbs, surges, or sprints.
2. Improved Neuromuscular Efficiency
The NSCA reports that “resistance training has a strong influence on an athlete’s neuromuscular function… resistance training can elevate the athlete’s lactate threshold, movement efficiency, and ability to engage in high-intensity activities”.
3. Injury Prevention
Depending on your sport there can be an uneven use of muscles during certain movement patterns. Strength training allows us to develop and strengthen muscles for all of your muscle groups. Lifting strengthens tendons, ligaments, and stabilizing muscles. That improves joint resilience and helps prevent overuse injuries that can be common in endurance sports.
4. Improves Power To Weight Ratio
When you build strength and or specially train power/plymetrics your power to weight ratio improves which allows you to produce more force with every stride whole also keeping an appropriate body composition for your sport.
Some Strength Training Guidelines
To facilitate a good strength training routine follow these principles:
Lift Heavy : Choose weights that challenge you in the 3–12 rep range.
Use Compound Movements: Squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses—these hit multiple muscle groups and improve overall strength.
Take Rest Seriously: 2–3 minutes between sets allows for recovery and maximizes strength gains.
Train 2x/week: Training two times a week helps increase frequency and consistency needed to support strength gains.
Sources:https://www.usatriathlon.org/articles/training-tips/importance-and-benefits-of-advanced-strength-training-for-endurance-athleteshttps://www.nsca.com/education/articles/kinetic-select/resistance-trainings-effect-on-endurance-performance/?srsltid=AfmBOop9NFRIDQbMPd_lxNDfWbduNO8maQCVCfXmS4Vj3Ho4XIjGNeeT
This Week At Altitude
Monday
We move into week 2 of the single leg strength and overhead pressing focus. Strength today is standing overhead less with banded tricep pushdowns. Conditioning work is a momentum building full body circuit for 20 minutes.
Tuesday
Bulgarian Split Squats hand supported allows use to overload this single leg movement by increasing the stability in your set up. Push these weights to get the most out of this cycle of training!
Wednesday
We have 3x12 minute AMRAP’s today with biking, running, and rowing, and a good blend of core and isometrics.
Thursday
Intervals today for more dynamic work with hang power cleans, jump squats and sprints. Part 3 is rotational core work and progressions from last week.
Friday
We’ll hit deadlifts and single arm landmine presses today for strength, similar to last week, and conditioning will have mixed rack carries, running, push ups.
Unstable Surface Training: Does it work?
What Is Unstable Surface Training?
Unstable surface training (UST) is when an exercise is performed on an unstable surface such as a bosu ball, yoga ball, balance board, etc. But why would one choose movements such as squats and bench on a bosu ball or bench press on a yoga ball?
The Benefits of UST
UST has become a widely used tool in rehabilitation and strength training, particularly for reducing the recurrence of ankle sprains and ACL knee injuries. Balance training on a UST device has been shown to decrease the risk of subsequent injury in individuals recovering from ankle or knee injuries.
UST is often used to increase core muscle activation and stability. By introducing instability to traditional stable surface exercises some core muscles experience increased activation. This has led to the belief that UST can enhance overall stability and functional strength.
Functional Training and UST
UST is sometimes categorized as "functional" strength training because it is believed to enhance stability in ways that transfer to sports and daily activities better than stable surface training. However, being on an unstable surface alters neuromuscular recruitment and diminished force output suggest that UST is less "functional" than traditional stable surface resistance training.
The Limitations of UST
Despite its benefits, UST presents several limitations, particularly when applied to healthy / uninjured individuals. One major concern is that it may counteract the neuromuscular training adaptations produced by stable surface training. Research indicates that muscular force output is significantly reduced when exercises such as squats and bench press are performed on an unstable surface. One study found that maximum isometric force output declined by 59.6% when the bench press was performed on an unstable surface compared to a stable one. This suggests that UST compromises the ability to generate maximal force, which can hinder strength development and progressive overload.
Core Activation and Resistance Training
UST can be effective for engaging the abdominal muscles, particularly the rectus abdominis, when resistance exercises are performed on an unstable surface in a supine position. However, standing resistance exercises on an unstable surface are not as effective for core activation compared to stable surface resistance exercises performed with at least 50% of an individual's one-repetition maximum.
Conclusion
So is UST worth doing? Depends on your goals. While UST is a valuable tool in rehabilitation settings for restoring proprioceptive and reactive deficits in individuals with ankle and knee injuries, its application to healthy adults is limited. The reductions in force output, difficulty in achieving progressive overload, and questionable transfer to functional movements suggest that stable surface training is a better option for strength and athletic performance. UST should be used selectively, primarily for rehabilitation purposes rather than as a primary strength training method.
Sources: https://ace-pt.org/ace-physical-therapy-and-sports-medicine-stable-vs-unstable-exercise-surface/https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2010/06000/is_unstable_surface_training_advisable_for_healthy.7.aspx
This Week At Altitude
Monday
We’re starting a new block of training, with single leg strength as one of our focuses. We’ll be utilizing the hand supported split squat to add stability to a single leg movement to help build strength. This one is paired with a t-bar row for a full body superset. Conditioning includes a split of 2x 8 min circuits.
Tuesday
Seated overhead press + DB tricep rollbacks will be our pushing strength combo. The conditioning is a fun AMRAP with rowing, ball slam, and farmer carries.
Wednesday
Stamina has 3x12 minute blocks of aerobic work with a mix of core and complex movements.
Thursday
Interval Weight Training has hang power clean + front squat with rowing, then landmine rotational clean and press with echo bike. Part 3 is rotational core focused.
Friday
Final workout of the week is Deadlift + 2 handed landmine presses for a full body superset, then our conditioning burner is an 18 min EMOM with echo bike, gorilla row, and wall balls.
This Week At Altitude
Monday
Starting off this week with the landmine reverse lunges and chin ups superset for strength. Then moving into a 9+9 min conditioning split.
Tuesday
Drop sets with the bench press and RDL for strength, followed by a momentum building 20 minute conditioning segment.
Wednesday
Stamina includes a combination of strength movements with aerobic work on the bikes, rowers, and sideboards.
Thursday
Interval weight training today has hang power cleans + echo bike first, followed by landmine clean and press + run/shuttle. Part 3 focuses on the upper back.
Friday
Our last session this week is back squat drop sets with landmine meadow rows. Conditioning includes running, front rack carries, and push ups.