Question:

I was just wondering…How can you tell when adaptaion sets in…..Does adaptation mean that your muscles won’t get sore after a particular routine or that your muscles will get sore but they just won’t get any bigger…….Basically, my question is,….Does soreness equal muscle growth in spite of how long a person has been doing a particular routine?

Kyle’s Answer:

Hey there,

Thanks for the question. Let’s see how I can help you out…

The quick answer to your question is ‘No.’

Soreness is not a good indicator of whether or not you have adapted to a given exercise program and is certainly not a good indicator of progress.

It has been typically stated by various strength coaches and trainers that a given person will adapt to an exercise program in 4-6 weeks.

Beginners can typically stick with a weight training program for even longer than 6 weeks and still see progress from that same program due to the fact this is a new stimulus for the body…

However, people that have been training for longer periods of time need to change their training program even more frequently so as to keep their body’s adaptation response going…

Now, regarding the soreness point you bring up,

I understand that that soreness feels kinda good when you first start training or when you switch your training program up and that it can seem like a good thing - like your body is changing and adapting.

When you first start working out you get sore. You also get sore when you switch routines or add new exercises to your workout plan.

This soreness however is not a good indicator of progress.

What Should I Look At To Measure My Progress?

Depending on your goals, you should be tracking certain key measurements such as body fat percentage, girth measurements, bodyweight, strength, etc.

Fat loss expert Tom Venuto calls this keeping yourself in a “Feedback Loop.”

The results you see from your Feedback Loop should be what you go by to see if you are making progress towards your fat loss goals…

So, I would recommend that you instead focus on whether the sum of your current strength training, cardio, and nutrition plan are bringing you closer to your goals (this is a key reason why you SHOULD have a definitive goal that you are working towards).

Train with purpose,


Kyle Battis, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.SecretsOfBurningFat.com
www.FatBurningInnerCircle.com