What is DOMS After Strength Training?

Key Takeaways

• DOMS is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness that occurs 12-48 hours after exercise.

• DOMS is normal and can last 2-3 days. If it's longer, your workout was probably too intense.

• You can lessen the feeling of DOMS with warm ups and cool downs, stretching, drinking water, good sleep, and doing light activity (walking, easy biking) between workouts.

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Ever try a new sport, lift weights, or push a little harder in practice—and then wake up the next day feeling stiff and achy? That feeling is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS for short.

What is DOMS?

DOMS is muscle soreness that usually shows up 12–48 hours after exercise. It often happens when you:

• Try a new activity

• Increase how hard or how long you exercise

• Do lots of slow, controlled movements (like squats or downhill running)

Why does it happen?

When you exercise, especially during strength training, your muscles get tiny micro-tears. Don’t worry—this is normal! Your body repairs these muscles, making them stronger and more resilient. The soreness you feel is part of that process.

Is DOMS a bad thing?

Nope! Mild soreness is a sign that your body is adapting. However, pain that is sharp, sudden, or doesn’t improve after a few days is not normal and should be checked by a coach, parent, or healthcare professional.

What helps reduce soreness?

You can’t always avoid DOMS, but you can make it easier to handle:

• Warm up before activity and cool down after

• Stretch gently

• Drink water and eat healthy foods

• Get good sleep

• Do light movement (like walking or easy biking) instead of total rest

The good news

DOMS usually goes away in 2–3 days, and the more consistently you exercise, the less sore you’ll feel over time.

So next time your muscles feel sore after a workout, remember: it’s your body getting stronger. 💪