Interesting discussion in the forum. Member Seo1 asked if it’s ok to Squat again when sore.

I completed Starting Strength’s workout A on Friday, rested today and am scheduled to complete workout B tomorrow.

My legs are so sore today that I’m not very mobile. So I’m guessing that it probably is best to not try and hit my legs again tomorrow as they haven’t had time to recover.

At what point is it ok to lift through soreness?

This might sound counter-intuitive but you should lift through the soreness.

Why You’re Sore. There are 2 reasons why you can have soreness the day after you exercised.

• You’re Out of Shape. You never did any sport. You’re mostly sedentary. You’re weak. You never trained your legs. You don’t eat right. Etc. The soreness is normal: your body never did anything before this.
• You Started too Heavy. Seo1 is doing Starting Strength which has you choose your starting weight. Chances are he didn’t control his ego and started too heavy. Hence more soreness than with a lighter weight.

If you’re out of shape: go the gym as planned. If you started too heavy: make sure you use the smallest increment next time (5lbs/2.5kg).

Benefits of Training The Muscle Again. Some people will tell you not to go the gym. To stay at home and rest. This is counter-productive. Training the muscle again has 2 main benefits:

• Speeds up Recovery. You flush blood into your muscles by training them again. Blood contains nutrients which will speed up recovery. Soreness will go away faster. Try it to believe it.
• Keep The Exercise Habit. 1 missed workout turns into 2 missed ones. Before you know it, you’ve missed 1 week or 2. You need to get used to training when tired, sick, sore, etc. These are all part of the game.

How to Make Soreness Go Away Faster. Again: don’t miss workouts, go the gym as planned and make sure you didn’t start too heavy. If you’re really sore, here are some things you can try.

• Massage. By a professional or soft tissue work using a foam roller.
  
• Contrast Showers. Alternate hot & cold water for a few minutes. Note that saunas & steamrooms also speed up recovery.
• Light Workouts. Go to the gym on your rest day and do some sets with 30% of your work weight. Or do mobility work like Magnificent Mobility.
• Sleep & Eat. Get enough quality sleep. Try naps. Eat post workout. Get enough food, remember nutrients help recovery. And drink water.

As you get stronger, the soreness will be less pronounced and you’ll also get used to train when sore.