hey Docs,
I’m curious about the relationship between adaptation and soreness. I’ve seen this video from one of your seminars – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A652sNIRrvg – and it’s clear from the video that you guys don’t think it’s necessary to be extremely sore after workouts to get adaptation, but I’m curious about the opposite situation. I’m getting sore in my legs and lower back from my squats and deadlifts (not excessively, but I’m feeling it) but from press and bench, I feel no soreness whatsoever in pecs, shoulders and tris in spite of apparently adapting as I’ve been able to add weight to the bar consistently. I’m doing 4@6,7,8x3 both press and bench, 8@6,7,8x3 bench, and 10@6,7,8x3 press per week. Obviously the lack of soreness isn’t a major problem, but I also don’t mind being a little sore and I’m wondering whether there’s value in adding more pressing sets. Is the lack of soreness a sign that I’m not doing as much as I could effectively be doing, or is it just an indication that I’m not overdoing it? Is there some downside to doing more? My dumb brain is wondering whether it might be ruining gains in the future by increasing volume before I need to. If there’s no downside, will it actually help, or is it just a waste of time?
David
I feel no soreness whatsoever in pecs, shoulders and tris in spite of apparently adapting as I’ve been able to add weight to the bar consistently . . . but I also don’t mind being a little sore and I’m wondering whether there’s value in adding more pressing sets. Is the lack of soreness a sign that I’m not doing as much as I could effectively be doing, or is it just an indication that I’m not overdoing it? Is there some downside to doing more? My dumb brain is wondering whether it might be ruining gains in the future by increasing volume before I need to. If there’s no downside, will it actually help, or is it just a waste of time?
It is not an indication that you aren’t “doing as much as you could effectively be doing”. That you are making consistent progress means the current dosage of training is appropriate for you.
My best advice here is to simply enjoy the progress and keep rolling with what’s clearly working.