Since I started running cycles 2 years ago I almost never get DOMS anymore, regardless of training load., If I do it's very mild. Is this normal?

[Slowww]

I get DOMS after every fucking session in a surplus
In a cut my loads that are being lifted get lower (because even if psychologically i am pushing, high RPE to failure, my body just isn’t performing it’s best)
In surplus my loads rapidly increase even though volume and intensity is basically the same, and they continue to increase in the surplus so DOMS are pretty consistent. Especially rebound it’s really severe, because strength increases are drastic out of depleted state.

 

[egruberman]

Oh and DOMS is used kind of retarted.... Ot does not mean you can't fkin move the next day....you just feel like the muscle was stressed and you weren't just moving weights around like a puppet

For me, it's not the next day, but the following. When it hits, I can hardly walk. It only comes after a break or a period when I'm doing insufficient volume. Typically it happens on heavier sets of 5-8 reps, presuming maximal intensity for that rep range. For me, it qualifies as DOMS if I can't hit the same intensity or make progress for that exercise on the following week.

As a distinction, my pecs suck coz genetics so I hit 'em twice a week. They're always sore, but I can make progress.

 

[narta]

If you're not having DOMS or feeling sore, how can you know when your muscles recover or not?

Can you add a rep or weight in the next session? If yes, it recovered. If no, then not.

 

[Eddie.]

I get DOMS after every fucking session in a surplus
In a cut my loads that are being lifted get lower (because even if psychologically i am pushing, high RPE to failure, my body just isn’t performing it’s best)
In surplus my loads rapidly increase even though volume and intensity is basically the same, and they continue to increase in the surplus so DOMS are pretty consistent. Especially rebound it’s really severe, because strength increases are drastic out of depleted state.

Nice to hear this, i thought i was the only one. If i haven't done bloodwork i'd think my gear is fake because i'm having a hard time recovering lol

Can you add a rep or weight in the next session? If yes, it recovered. If no, then not.

After 20 years of training i don't always chase an extra rep or weight, it's just not possible to keep doing in each session. I'm focusing on better contraction, slower reps, pause at the bottom and of course extra reps and weight here n there but i'm not beating the log book. I'm already butchered from shoulders to knees haha

 

[bigMoJo]

I'm focusing on better contraction, slower reps, pause at the bottom and of course extra reps and weight here n there but i'm not beating the log book.

You bring up an interesting point. On some lifts, an increase in weight or added rep(s) is quantifiable "progressive overload," hence recovery/growth. What about same weight from the week before, but this week with slower eccentric? Is it a gain? A pause rep with the same weight/same rep you couldn't the week before is "progress," right? I track that type of progress on the notes in my app.

For me DOMS is it's worst and/or doen't appear until around 48 hours after.

 

[BuildABro]

You bring up an interesting point. On some lifts, an increase in weight or added rep(s) is quantifiable "progressive overload," hence recovery/growth. What about same weight from the week before, but this week with slower eccentric? Is it a gain? A pause rep with the same weight/same rep you couldn't the week before is "progress," right? I track that type of progress on the notes in my app.

For me DOMS is it's worst and/or doen't appear until around 48 hours after.

I tend to draw a distinction between feeling “tender” which for me is pretty much a constant state in some part of my body, and DOMS which is painful to the point where I can’t train that muscle group until it resolves.

The latter just is not as much of an issue for me at all since gear entered my life. On cycle in particular

 

[Slowww]

You bring up an interesting point. On some lifts, an increase in weight or added rep(s) is quantifiable "progressive overload," hence recovery/growth. What about same weight from the week before, but this week with slower eccentric? Is it a gain? A pause rep with the same weight/same rep you couldn't the week before is "progress," right? I track that type of progress on the notes in my app.

For me DOMS is it's worst and/or doen't appear until around 48 hours after.

Why not just keep tempo and pause the same and add weight because it is consistently quantifiable ? Isn’t that the simplest way to move forward? Consistent technique that works, adding weight.

 

[bigMoJo]

Why not just keep tempo and pause the same and add weight because it is consistently quantifiable ? Isn’t that the simplest way to move forward? Consistent technique that works, adding weight.

Yes, absolutely bro. Don't get me wrong... more weight, more reps is the simplest way to quantify. Sometimes, for the sake of "changing it up," "shocking the muscle," isn't a change—or adding a degree of difficulty—to tempo (i.e. pause rep) still a gain?