DOMS DOMS DOMS

DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. That intense ache you get in your muscles the next day, or days, after a bout of exercise or workout. It occurs when your body goes through a lot of stress it hasn't encountered, either before, or for a long period. So don't go thinking that if you don't get DOMS when you used to, that you aren't working hard enough, in fact you are! DOMS is a sign of being under-trained!


The science behind it is a phenomenon, with unknown cure. It is basically the inflammation of microfibres in your muscles that occur due to microtearing (associated with a workout), this inflammation causes your nerves to have excess pressure on them causing that sometimes unbearable ache.

From experience, there are 3 forms that I would characterise delayed onset muscle soreness into,  and that would be mild, moderate and severe.

Mild - Awesome feeling, especially in the chest, only lasts for 24hours, feel like you've pushed it.

Moderate - Quite sore may last around 48hours, hurts to use muscles in everyday situations e.g getting in/out of bed, sitting down, opening doors, going up/down stairs etc.

Severe - The mother of aches. Think you've done damage as muscles quickly reach failure when doing everyday activities (even walking), can last up to 4-5days after workout.


The worst areas I have found for DOMS would be legs and core. I've had it so severely in my legs twice now to the point I can't walk properly, and I find my self without the ability to sit down without craning myself with my arms. Calves and Hamstrings cripple you, and you will often find you cannot press your heels on the ground or straighten your legs! Quads can get so badly affected that sitting on the toilet is more of a collapse and walking is near impossible, oh I've been there! Core is horrible, especially when you laugh or cough.

Going into the Smolov base cycle again, with a substantially heavier weight, after a week of barely moving off of a chair gave me some pretty bad DOMS this week. But I had to go in again in order to follow the program! I have never attempted to do this before, usually waiting it out and then going back.

So what do you do if you have DOMS, incapable of everyday activities, yet you have to lift heavy that day? Do you train with DOMS? Answer is YES. It is all part of the adaptation process, get in the gym and give it your all. You'll feel completely incapable of lifting any weight, but you'll never know unless you try. If you can lift on days like that, YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS! I had DOMS and set a 7-rep PR in the process! Just be sure to warm up sufficiently.