Fitness Coach Reveals When to Train Through Soreness and When to Rest

Fitness Expert Advises on Training While Sore: When to Push and When to Rest A recent video by fitness coach JPGCOACHING addresses a common dilemma among fitness enthusiasts: whether to continue training when experiencing muscle soreness or fatigue. The coach provides insights into recognizing when your body needs rest versus when it can benefit from further training. According to JPGCOACHING, if muscle soreness is so significant that it prevents you from lifting your usual heavy weights or completing the desired number of repetitions, it's a clear indicator that the muscle is too fatigued for another intense session. He explains that training in such a state can reduce the mechanical tension and motor unit recruitment necessary for muscle growth, making the effort less effective. Conversely, if you are only mildly sore and can maintain your performance (reps and load) from previous sessions, it is generally acceptable to continue training. The coach stresses the importance of keeping a training log to monitor progress and identify significant reductions in performance, which serve as a warning sign of overtraining or insufficient recovery. For individuals consistently experiencing severe soreness or fatigue, JPGCOACHING suggests several adjustments: reducing overall training volume, decreasing training frequency by adding more rest days, or lowering training intensity by not taking every set to failure. He recommends taking initial sets to one or two reps in reserve (RIR) and only pushing the final set to failure to manage recovery effectively.