Should you do resistance training on a muscle group if you’re already feeling sore?

by Richard Adams in Training

sore legs

Those of you in the gym last week may have heard me moaning on about muscle soreness in my legs that resulted from doing some squats.  Despite the pain and discomfort, if I had trained in a similar way the day after this workout, would my rate of recovery had been made worse?

Recent research suggests not. In a study published last week, the researchers found that “resistance exercise in the presence of elevated fatigue and pain from a previous training session does not worsen recovery, or lead to significant alterations in quadriceps neuromuscular function.”

So, next time you’re feeling a bit sore after a session, bear in mind that you could work the same muscle groups the next day without extending your recovery rate.  Although it might feel quite unpleasant!  From time to time, our best laid plans to structure exercise over the week with rest days and variation get messed up by events – so it’s reassuring to know that if you do occasionally have to workout the same muscle group on consecutive days, it may hurt, but you’re not going to create an extended period of recovery.