When Pain is Not Progress

🎙️ Episode Title:

“Sore but Not Growing: Why Pain Isn’t Proof of Progress”

💡 Full Episode Summary (for Readers)

We’ve been taught to wear soreness like a badge of honor.
If you can’t sit down after leg day, that’s proof you “did it right,” right?
Wrong.

Soreness is inflammation — not progress.
It’s a sign your muscles are repairing micro-tears, not necessarily adapting or growing stronger. In fact, constant soreness can be a red flag: poor recovery, hormonal imbalance, or even overtraining.

Let’s unpack it all.

1️⃣ What Soreness Really Is

That post-workout ache — called DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) — is your immune system’s inflammatory response to microscopic damage in muscle fibers, especially from eccentric (lowering) phases of movement.
Think walking downhill, controlling a squat on the way down, or those long negative reps everyone swears by.

Your body rushes repair crews — fluid, enzymes, and immune cells — to the scene. The result: tight, swollen, tender muscles.
It feels productive, but it’s not a direct measure of effectiveness. You can grow without pain — and you can be wrecked for days and make zero progress.

2️⃣ Why You’re Sore (and Still Not Growing)

Soreness doesn’t always mean success. It usually means you did something new, not necessarily something optimal.

Here’s why:

• Novelty – New exercises, new volume, new tempos. Your body isn’t used to it, so inflammation spikes.

• Eccentric overload – Lowering weights slowly or training deep into stretch under load causes more micro-tears. Great tool, bad habit if overused.

• Volume creep – “One more set” becomes five more sets. Without recovery, your muscles stay in repair mode and never shift into growth mode.

• Under-fueling – Low protein, low calories, or poor hydration prolong recovery and amplify soreness.

So that crippling soreness you’re proud of?
That’s your body saying, “I’m still fixing what you broke last week.”

3️⃣ Who Gets the Most Sore

• Beginners: Every move is new — soreness is brutal but short-lived.

• The ‘Back-from-a-Break’ crowd: Two weeks off? Welcome to DOMS-ville.

• Variety junkies: Constantly changing workouts prevents adaptation. Your body never learns efficiency.

• Under-fed or over-stressed lifters: Low fuel and high cortisol = chronic soreness.

• Midlife athletes: Slower repair mechanisms mean you’ll feel sore longer. It’s not age weakness — it’s physiology.

4️⃣ Should You Train When You’re Sore?

Depends.

• Mild soreness: Move — it boosts blood flow and recovery.

• Moderate soreness: Train something else or reduce volume.

• Severe soreness: Rest. If it changes your form, you’re one rep away from injury.

The goal isn’t to crawl out of the gym — it’s to keep coming back.
Consistency outperforms intensity every time.

5️⃣ When Soreness Becomes a Warning Sign

If you’re always sore, you’re not recovering — you’re overtraining.
This isn’t dedication. It’s dysfunction.

Chronically sore athletes often show:

• Elevated cortisol (stress hormone that blocks muscle repair)

• Suppressed testosterone and DHEA

• Low thyroid output (T3)

• High CRP and CK (blood markers of inflammation and muscle breakdown)

• Fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, and mood swings

If this sounds like you, stop chasing soreness and start chasing balance.
You’re not getting fitter — you’re getting inflamed.

6️⃣ How to Reduce Soreness and Actually Grow

• Increase training volume gradually — no 50% jumps overnight.

• Eat 30–40g of protein per meal.

• Add carbs pre- and post-workout to lower cortisol and replenish glycogen.

• Hydrate like an athlete — recovery slows when you’re dehydrated.

• Prioritize sleep — it’s when growth hormone peaks.

• Use tools like red light therapy, sauna, or massage to enhance recovery.

• Stick with your plan. Constantly switching workouts keeps you sore and stagnant.

7️⃣ Bloodwork Clues

Your labs often tell the real story.
If you’re training hard but always sore, ask your doctor about:

• Cortisol (AM levels) – chronic elevation = catabolism.

• DHEA/Testosterone – low levels = poor repair potential.

• Ferritin/B12 – energy and oxygen transport markers.

• CRP/CK – inflammation and muscle damage indicators.

• T3/Reverse T3 – thyroid efficiency under stress.

These numbers explain more about your soreness than your workouts ever could.

8️⃣ The Big Takeaway

Soreness isn’t the goal. Adaptation is.
Real progress doesn’t come from pain — it comes from stimulus, recovery, and consistency.
Muscle grows when you give your body enough stress to signal growth, and enough recovery to make it happen.

Stop chasing the ache. Start mastering the process.

💌 Work With Joanne: A Perfect 10

If you love the depth and science in this episode, imagine applying that precision to your own health.

Joanne is now accepting applications for A Perfect 10, her exclusive 10-month mentorship beginning February 2026.

Ten women. Ten months.
A master-level experience covering hormones, training, nutrition, mindset, and midlife mastery — built for women who refuse to fade quietly.

If you’re ready to understand your physiology, master your metabolism, and feel stronger than ever,
email Joanne directly at joanne@joannelee.com for details.