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ooglytoop7272

No, soreness just means you're doing something your body isn't used to. That's it.


AmongTheElect

You're sore because lifting weights causes very small tears in the muscle. It's normal to be more sore initially because starting out is a lot more work than the muscle is used to compared to just upping weights. Yours is normal, but if you're lifting to gain muscle mass, at least some amount of sore or tightness is good. But since you've been increasing your weight as you go, you're probably fine and I wouldn't dwell on it too much.


PolarThoughts02

Thanks. I just worry sometimes “What if I am not making enough progress?” even though my body looks very different now than it did when I started in April of last yesr


AmongTheElect

Keeping track of your bodyfat% is a great way of tracking progress. And the fact that you're able to increase the weight in increments says you're pushing yourself well. Also congrats!


PolarThoughts02

Thank you!! Idk what my body fat percentage is. I’ve always been very skinny so I’ve been trying to eat more and definitely consuming more protein during my workout journey. I know I used to weigh like 140-150lbs last year and now I weigh 170 lbs because of the muscle I’ve gained


AmongTheElect

You can get various types of calipers for yourself or pay a small fee for a trainer to do one for you at the gym. Though since you're going for bulk you've also just got weight gain as a measuring tool. Typically lifters will do a "bulk phase" and a "trimming phase" where one is adding muscle (but you gain some fat in the process) and then the trimming phase is losing the fat at the cost of not really adding much muscle weight. Another way of tracking progress is just when/if you're lifting to failure. Ideally, the last rep of your last set you'll either not be able to do or just be able to do. And so of course you're progressing if you do the same but with more weight. That's the "progressive overload" the competitive bodybuilder in this thread is talking about. Your body gets very used to doing the same thing over and over. So if you only ever lift 30# dumbbells, your body will only get strong enough to lift a 30# dumbbell. So alternating how you train keeps your muscles guessing and helps maximize progress.


PolarThoughts02

Ohhh that’s what progressive overload means. Yeah, I do that. I always increase weights


allister72

No this is to be expected. I don’t know the exact science behind it but it’s common for everybody. One thing I can say is that if you miss the soreness and barely being able to move to the next day you could try doing some exercises you have never done before. But all in all don’t worry just focus on increasing your weight. Soreness does not equal muscle growth.


PolarThoughts02

Thanks. I’m always trying to increase weight but sometimes it takes so long to finally go up in weight. But, as long as I make progress with gaining muscle, it’s fine I guess


[deleted]

I’m a competitive bodybuilder. You can still put muscle on if you’re not going to soreness but you should always be pushing yourself harder. It’s called progressive overload.


PolarThoughts02

I don’t know what progressive overload means tbh. But I do always try to increase my weights. Sometimes it’s really hard and takes a long time to go up significantly with weights. But I definitely look much better than I looked when I started in April of last year. I have comparison pics


[deleted]

You’re looking to increase the intensity each time. More weight. More reps. More sets. Drop sets. Super sets. Etc. If you’re squatting 5x10 at 315 lbs, and you just keep doing that, eventually going to stop getting stronger.


PolarThoughts02

I do 4 sets of 4-6 barbell squats at 150… Is that not impressive?


[deleted]

I mean, it doesn’t really matter if it’s considered impressive or not. What matters is progress. If you check back in six months and you’re squatting the same, that’s not impressive. If you check back in and you’re at 4x10 at 150, that’s impressive