Is Chasing the Burn Like Running in the Wrong Direction?
What does a good workout feel like to you? I used to be a long distance runner. I loved the ease of just throwing on my shoes and strapping my Sony Diskman around my waist and, well, then listening to my one CD over and over again.
I loved that feeling of adrenaline shooting through my body and pushing through that moment of "I can't do this" to like I was floating on a cloud. And afterwards, I was sweaty and felt like I had a great workout. Note: I did not really warm up or cool down. But it was the 90's and we knew so much less back then.
In my 30's I took up soccer. That was even better. The feeling of having had a good sweat and the burn in my legs, plus a very fun group of artists, sculptors, designers and other creatives. That was the ULTIMATE workout.
So it was shocking to me to discover, only recently, that the quality of a strength workout is not counted in steps, in sweat or post-workout ache. In fact, a strength workout may register as zero for steps on your wearable.
If you are not chasing these indicators that your brain tells you are the signs of a successful workout then what are the signs that you have had a good workout?
What Strength Training Actually Feels Like
Interestingly, I don't miss the runner's high. I used to really crave that and the time with my music which triggered my brain's default network, that feeling of flow. Strength training has its own kind of buzz. It is not a thrill, but more steady and measured.
This is what is actually happening when you train:
Exercise releases endorphins during strength training, the same feel-good chemicals you get from running, but the effect is more of a steady hum than a spike. You may not notice them as much when you're not also gasping for breath. The adaptations are happening at a cellular level: your muscle fibres repair and rebuild stronger, your nervous system gets more efficient, your metabolism stays elevated for hours after you've left the gym. The rub is that none of this is screaming at you, demanding your attention. It is a more steady and grounded kind of feeling.
What Is DOMS and What Does It Mean?
The next day you may feel a little stiff. That's DOMS, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, which peaks 24-72 hours after a workout and is a sign your muscles are repairing and adapting. It's not the dramatic burn of a sprint. It's your body saying: workout completed.
As your body adapts, even that post-workout stiffness decreases. Not because the workout stopped working but because you got better at it.
This is one of the most misunderstood parts of strength training for women. Many women assume that if they are not sore, they did not work hard enough. The opposite is often true. No soreness after a familiar workout means your body has adapted. That is progress, not failure.
The New Scorecard for Women Who Strength Train
So how do you manage this shift in signals? You stop measuring effort by how wrecked you feel, and start measuring by something more interesting: can you lift a little more than last week? Did your form feel cleaner? Are you doing things you couldn't do three months ago?
Over time, your focus will shift from the burn to this scorecard. And that shift from chasing sensation to tracking progress is one of the most important changes that happens when women commit to strength training.
Try This: The Banded Romanian Deadlift
A banded Romanian deadlift is one of the highest-reward compound movements you can do for strength training at home. It works the entire posterior chain and you can do it anywhere with a resistance band.
Stand on the centre of the band, feet hip-width apart, hold the ends at your sides. Hinge forward at the hips keeping your back flat, arms hanging down, band taut. Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then drive your hips forward to stand. Use your posterior muscles, not your biceps. That's one rep. Do 3 sets of 10.
You may not sweat. You will feel it tomorrow.
Check out the demo on Instagram.
Not This
Don't grab the heaviest weights you can find and start pumping. Your body needs time to adapt, not just muscles but connective tissue, tendons and joints. Start lighter than you think you need to, get confident with the form, and add load gradually.
