Should You Train Whilst Sore? DOMS Explained by Coaches Who’ve Been There

1. What Is DOMS?

DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, that stiff, achy feeling that usually kicks in 24 to 72 hours after exercise. It's caused by microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, followed by inflammation, which is part of the normal adaptation process.

You’re most likely to experience DOMS after:

• High volume or eccentric movements - e.g. like the lowering phase of squats, RDLs, or pull-ups. Eccentric contractions place more tension on the muscle while it lengthens, which increases mechanical stress and leads to greater muscle disruption.
  
  

• Novel exercises or programs - your muscles aren’t used to the coordination demands or loading pattern, so they work harder (and often less efficiently). Even experienced lifters can feel DOMS when switching to a new training block.
  
  

• Coming back after time off - whether from illness, injury, or holiday. Your body loses some of its adaptive resistance to soreness when not exposed to regular training (this is called the repeated bout effect wearing off). Your tissues are still strong, but not fully reconditioned for the specific stress.
  

💬 Coaching insight: We see this all the time with clients restarting after time away or trialling a new program. Even with careful programming, DOMS can still creep in. It’s not a sign of doing something “wrong” just your body adapting to something it hasn’t done in a while.

2. Why Is DOMS Usually Worse in the Lower Body?

It’s not your imagination, DOMS tends to be more intense in the legs.

This likely comes down to:

• Larger muscle groups (glutes, quads, hamstrings)
  
  

• Higher force output
  
  

• More time-under-tension during compound lifts
  
  

• Greater mechanical stress during eccentric actions like squats, lunges, and step-ups
  
  

📚 Research insight: Studies suggest lower body eccentric loading produces more soreness and muscle damage markers than upper body work (Jamurtas et al., 2005; Nosaka et al., 2002). That doesn’t mean the upper body is immune, but recovery often happens faster there due to smaller muscle mass and lower mechanical load.

💬 Real-world note: Lower body DOMS often affects gait, stairs, or sitting, which makes it feel more intense than upper body soreness, even if both are adapting.

3. A Simple DOMS Severity Scale (Coach-Approved)

Use this spectrum to help decide what’s manageable and what’s not:

This isn’t a clinical tool, but it’s an effective coaching aid.

If you're a 3-4, it's often fine to train, just don't expect PBs. At 7+, you're better off moving gently or resting.

4. Soreness vs. Injury: Know the Difference

DOMS is:

• Dull, even soreness across a muscle group
  
  

• Feels worse the next day or two
  
  

• Improves with gentle movement

Injury is:

• Sharp or stabbing pain
  
  

• Localised or one-sided
  
  

• Gets worse with use

✅ If you’re stiff but can still move well, it’s likely DOMS

❌ If you’re limping, locking up, or guarding a joint, get it checked

5. Should You Train Through It?

You can train through mild DOMS, and in many cases, it actually helps.

✅ Light movement increases blood flow and speeds up recovery

✅ Resistance training with manageable soreness is usually safe

❌ But avoid chasing performance or going to failure if very sore

💬 Coaching tip: We often tell members, "You’re training to feel better, not worse."

Training with DOMS is okay, but scale load, range of motion, or intensity based on how you feel.

It’s also worth considering how often you train each week, especially during periods of high soreness.

6. Why Some Muscles Feel DOMS More Than Others

You might feel DOMS after Romanian deadlifts, but not after leg press. That doesn’t mean one is “better.”

Here’s why soreness varies:

• Some movements involve more eccentric loading
  
  

• Some muscles adapt faster
  
  

• Your technique may shift force to different areas
  
  

• Some individuals just don’t feel DOMS as strongly
  
  

💬 Practical coaching note: If you never feel an area working, even with effort, it could signal a technical adjustment is needed, or that the exercise just doesn’t suit you well.

Check out our article on helping progress your upper and lower lifts

7. How to Reduce DOMS Over Time

• Don’t throw in too much novelty at once
  
  

• Repeating the same workout usually reduces soreness (known as the repeated bout effect)
  
  

• Ease into new training blocks or intensities
  
  

• Prioritise proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and nutrition
  
  

• DOMS isn’t required for growth, progress happens even without it

📚 Cheung et al. (2003) found that active recovery, massage, and compression worked better than static stretching or cold exposure for DOMS relief.

DOMS is normal, but excessive soreness after every session means something needs adjusting.

8. Final Word: Normalising Soreness Without Glorifying It

It’s okay to be sore. It’s okay not to be sore.

You can train through it, but you shouldn’t chase it.

What matters most is consistency and recoverability, not soreness.

Quick Recap

• DOMS = normal, especially with new movements or loads
  
  

• Lower body DOMS tends to hit harder due to force and volume
  
  

• Use a soreness scale to guide decisions
  
  

• Train through mild soreness, avoid high effort during severe DOMS
  
  

• Soreness ≠ effectiveness, but persistent DOMS may need investigation
  
  

• Progress = training that you can recover from and repeat
  
  

Get Real Coaching Around Training & Recovery

Struggling to know when to push, pull back, or rest?

At The Lab, we don’t just give you workouts, we coach you through them with smart progression and support.

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References

• Bishop, D., et al. (1999). Muscle buffering capacity and aerobic fitness are associated with repeated-sprint ability in women. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 80(6), 556-561.

• Nosaka, K., & Newton, M. (2002). Concentric or eccentric training effect on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 34(6), 983-989.

• Jamurtas, A. Z., et al. (2005). Comparison between leg and arm eccentric exercise of the same relative intensity on indices of muscle damage. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 95(3), 179-185.

• Cheung, K., Hume, P., & Maxwell, L. (2003). Delayed onset muscle soreness: Treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Medicine, 33(2), 145-164.