Not getting DOMS. Does this mean I'm not building muscle?

Blacktie.

Hey everyone I've been working out now for about 6 months and for the last while I amn't getting any serious amount of DOMS. I'm slightly stiff the next day in the muscles especially if I went up in weight but still not anyway painful or anything and was wondering does this mean I've stopped or slowed progress and I need to work it harder? I don't know how I can its not like I consider my gym routine relaxed or anything I give it all I can unless I just do more exercises or something?

Appreciate the feedback .

Boston

Slowed progress, yes. You will never make as big an improvement 6 months in as you did right at the start. Its not a linear curve, its exponential, as time goes on you need to do more and more to get the same increases in strength and endurance. DOMS are a poor metric for determining how much your improving. If you consistently lifting heavier weights or the same weight for more reps/ sets then you are improving, regardless of DOMS

Pugsley

Boston wrote: »

Its not a linear curve, its exponential

[nitpick] logarithmic curve, an exponential would be if you progressed faster the longer you stuck at it [/nitpick]

If your doing the same routine for an extended period DOMs will tend to reduce, if you go back to an exercise you haven't done for a while you should feel it the next day. As for how it affects your progression, not 100% on that, but you should try to jig about your routine every month or 2 anyway.

rubadub

Yep, I do not do much squats anymore, but when I do I can be in tatters for days after!

cowzerp

Doms are not a guarantee that your doing well, sometimes they can mean overtraining! if your training regular and progressing at a steady pace you might not feel any doms, then again, you might!

brianthebard

Have you changed your programme lately op?

Blacktie.

No not in a while was thinking of changing it up soon. Maybe change my rep range and some of my exercises. Thats all I can think to change to mix things up really....

brianthebard

After a certain amount of weeks your body will get used to the movements and no longer be so stressed as to create DOMS (my understanding of it.) There are plenty of plans out there you can try, any goals in mind?

Blacktie.

Well basically I'm looking to get my deadlift and squat up to 100kg and my bench up to 75kg. At the moment my deadlift and squat are at 75 but I'm going to up that to 80 at my next session. My bench is at 65 but I'm going to up that aswell.

kevpants

brianthebard wrote: »

After a certain amount of weeks your body will get used to the movements and no longer be so stressed

Depending on the rep range and exercise this can be as little as 3 weeks. Change is good.

brianthebard

Yeah I actually had killer doms in my quads and hams after getting back to the gym (from front squats)-two weeks later and that's almost gone. Must squat more!

jakeypooh

What does DOMS stand for ?

NicheG

jakeypooh wrote: »

What does DOMS stand for ?

Delayed Onset Of Muscle Soreness

Boston

Pugsley wrote: »

[nitpick] logarithmic curve, an exponential would be if you progressed faster the longer you stuck at it [/nitpick]

If your doing the same routine for an extended period DOMs will tend to reduce, if you go back to an exercise you haven't done for a while you should feel it the next day. As for how it affects your progression, not 100% on that, but you should try to jig about your routine every month or 2 anyway.

[nitpick]
You can have exponentially increasing and exponentially decreasing curve. See below.



A logarithmic curve is one where you increase or decrease by powers of ten. Trust me, I'm an engineer.

[/nitpick]

Jumpy

jakeypooh wrote: »

What does DOMS stand for ?

I thought it was a shortening of "condoms".

ie - They dont feel good, but they feel better than not doing it at all.

Reyman

Boston wrote: »

[nitpick]

A logarithmic curve is one where you increase or decrease by powers of ten. Trust me, I'm an engineer.

[/nitpick]

Not quite true! A log curve may use the base 10 or the base e (2.71828) also called the natural log. Back to College please!

Boston

Well if we're going to get really nitpicky, it could be any base from 1 to infinity. Put yea, 10, 2 and e are typical.

g'em

I this forum

kevpants

Weights are heavy...

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

Weights are heavy...

Speak for yourself :D:D

brianthebard

Fcuking nerds.