Do You Have to Get Sore to Gain Muscle?

If you’ve ever started a new weightlifting routine, then you’re most likely familiar with DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. Sometimes, DOMS can be so excruciating that squatting down to sit on a chair or raising your arms to shampoo your hair takes a monumental effort.  But you think to yourself, “Good, that means I’m building muscle”, and soon you start chasing that ache, convinced that it is a good proxy for muscle growth.  But do you have to get sore to gain muscle?  Research shows that DOMS is not a reliable indicator for muscle growth.  Instead, let’s break down what actually builds muscle growth:

Muscle growth (hypertrophy) comes from:

1. Mechanical tension – Lifting heavy loads through a full range of motion
2. Metabolic stress – The “burn” you feel from sustained contractions
3. Muscle damage – Microscopic tears from training, which then repair and grow back stronger

You only need mechanical tension and some metabolic stress. Muscle damage (and soreness) is a byproduct, not a requirement.

Why Soreness Isn’t a Reliable Growth Signal

1. You Adapt Over Time

As you get more experienced, your muscles adapt. You may continue to grow with minimal or no soreness because your body is efficient at recovering.

2. Excessive Soreness Can Be Counterproductive

Severe soreness can:

• Impair training frequency and intensity
• Disrupt your next sessions
• Delay recovery
  In other words, too much soreness can slow down your actual gains.

3. Soreness is Highly Individual

Some people get sore easily, others almost never do, regardless of effort. Soreness depends on:

• Exercise selection (e.g., eccentric-heavy lifts like RDLs)
• Novelty (new movements = more soreness)
• Genetics
• Recovery (hydration, sleep, nutrition)

When Is Soreness Worth Noting?

Mild soreness, especially early in a program, can be a sign that you’re:

• Targeting muscles you haven’t hit before
• Creating a stimulus worth adapting to

But what matters most is:

• Progressive overload (more weight, more reps, better form)
• Consistent effort
• Adequate recovery and nutrition

You don’t need to be sore to build muscle. In fact, the best long-term muscle-building programs:

• Minimize soreness over time
• Maximize training frequency and intensity
• Keep you progressing without crushing your recovery

If you’re getting stronger, your lifts are improving, and your physique is changing—you’re growing, whether you’re sore or not.   Rather than chasing soreness, focus on a good recovery strategy because your muscles grow during recovery, and the more well-recovered you are, the better you will perform at the gym in your next session.  Here is a checklist of good recovery habits:

Recovery Habits Summary

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