Why You Shouldn’t Chase Soreness in Your Workouts

About this episode

Rick Richey discusses the myths surrounding muscle soreness and its relation to fitness progress.

Are you obsessed with post-workout soreness? Wondering if being sore means you’re making true fitness gains? On this episode of the NASM CPT Podcast, award-winning personal trainer Rick Richey exposes the myths around muscle soreness, progress, and recovery in strength training. What you’ll learn in this episode: · Why muscle soreness (DOMS) is NOT a true indicator of progress or muscle growth · The science behind inflammation, microtears, and pain after workouts · Recovery strategies for overcoming soreness and maximizing results · How overtraining and poor rest reduce your gains (plus warning signs) · Tips for personal trainers to keep clients motivated and coming back · Real stories and proven methods for training smarter, not harderWhether you’re a fitness enthusiast, personal trainer, or just getting started, this episode will help you rethink your workout strategy and avoid common mistakes that lead to burnout, injury, and client dropout. If you like what you just consumed, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with a friend to help grow our NASM health and wellness community! The content shared in this podcast is solely for educational and entertainment…

People in this episode

Host: Rick Richey

Topics covered

• muscle soreness
• fitness gains
• recovery strategies
• overtraining
• personal training

Keywords

• muscle soreness
• DOMS
• recovery
• overtraining
• fitness strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASM

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• Pro Boxer Amelia Moore on Weight Cut, Nutrition & Training · May 12, 2026 · 55 min
• Do You Plan Workouts—or Just Wing Them? · May 5, 2026 · 21 min
• Is the Client Always Right in Personal Training? · April 28, 2026 · 24 min