How sore should I get after working out?

Q: Recently I went back to the gym to start working out again. The first day went very well, but to my surprise, the day after was a different story. My body hurt so bad it was difficult to even take a step. I know lifting weights will make my muscles sore, but this is ridiculous. Is this normal, or are there ways to avoid the soreness?

A: Soreness is obviously a byproduct of working out and getting in shape, but it should never be so bad that you can’t walk or that it takes a week to recover, especially for beginners or those coming back to the gym after a long break. The truth of the matter is, soreness is not an accurate gauge of a good workout. Instead, gauge your progress based on how fast you recover.

I heard this story so many times I can probably tell you exactly what happened.

I’ll bet when you started your new routine, it felt so easy you decided to turn up the intensity. You had a great workout and left the gym with a feeling of accomplishment, and you promised yourself you would be back tomorrow for an even better workout. Upon waking the next day, you felt like you’d been hit by a truck. Every muscle in your body was sore, and getting out of bed was a job in itself. Your legs hurt so bad you had to walk up the steps sideways to get to the top, and let’s not even talk about trying to sit on the toilet seat. It no longer seemed like such a good idea to hit the gym again after all. Maybe you should take the day off. Maybe even the week. Sound familiar?

This scenario is not at all uncommon. Most people are so anxious to get back into a routine that common sense gives way to the desire to get quick results. Too often they start too fast and end up taking three steps backward instead of moving forward. There’s a much better way to get where you want to go. Take your time, and avoid injury and extreme soreness.

When first starting a program, take it easy and concentrate on good form. Work at about 65 percent of maximum effort. This means if you can leg press 100 pounds for 10 repetitions, start with 65 pounds instead. It’s common to get sore from lifting weight, but you should never be so sore you can barely walk.

Set yourself up for long-term progress. The body responds best to workouts that cycle in difficulty. Start slow with a moderate to light workout, and then progressively work toward harder routines. A good example would be: week 1 - 65 to 70 percent, week 2 - 75 to 80 percent, week 3 - 85 to 90 percent and week 4 - 95 to 100 percent effort.

Work hard but don’t burn yourself out. A good routine should include a series of peaks and valleys designed to cycle your progress to a climax and then allow you time to recover properly. Failure to take time off will likely result in physically and mentally overtraining, and results will come to a screeching halt. Instead, take your time, start slow and concentrate on smaller goals that add up to much larger accomplishments.

Have fun and learn how to make your body work for you. As I grow older, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that we must work smarter than when we were in our 20s. We can still accomplish great things, but a little common sense and some knowledge of how the body works go a long way toward achieving our goals.