How do you know that your muscles are growing?

[erikiksaz]

I heard that it doesnt necessarily mean your muscles are growing if they're sore. is this true? especially after working out? what other signs are there of muscle growth?

 

[ff123]

The surest sign your muscles are growing: you can do more reps or lift heavier weights the next time.

 

[ForeverSilky]

you look in a mirror and your arms, legs, and stomach look more muscular.

 

[Valhalla1]

if they are sore, that means whatever you did worked. lifting breaks down the muscle fiber tissue, when the muscle tissue rebuilds itself, it rebuilds it stronger, and depending on the exercise, weight, sets, and reps, larger.

low reps, high weight builds mass, strength
high reps, low weight tones and builds endurance

 

[dennilfloss]

One muscle is pretty obvious when it grows.

Norwegian Wood (The Beatles)

 

[prodigy]

dennilfloss, your brain?

 

[cxim]

erik... sore muscles does not mean they are growing.

if muscle fibers break down, they die.... The soreness is due to metabolic byproducts. metabolism of muscle ends with essentially an organic acid. Glucose is 'burned' to CO2 & water. plus muscles also have an 'anaerobic' metabolic pathway.

muscles respond to mechanical stress by growing more fibrils, so there is more bulk + more blood supply. a muscles maximal strengh is directly proportional to its cross sectional area.

conditioning also causes a muscle to build up energy stores so that it can do more work without becomming tired.

The whole story is a bit more complex than made out.