It is funny how as an exercise, sports and health "scientist"/coach I have changed my view on this area so often.
Currently, I cannot agree more with you, but for very different reasons. I like that you clearly highlight that "technically" soreness is not necessary for getting any muscle growth or strength improvement - mainly because in the past (and I still believe that this is true for many people in the general public, as they are, like you pointed out, crazy unfit) people thought you need to work out like Arnold or run like Kipchoge to have any benefits.
I agree with you, and I think this needs much highlighting for the general public, because of how bad our general state of health and fitness is. And by "our" I mean world-wide. After decades of working in this area, and seeing/hearing the continuous discoveries and implementations of various training methods and protocols (some of them, being right there at the "cutting-edge" of science myself), it is very clear to me, in an objective way, that nothing that we have done so far is working or having MAJOR impact.
While I am not a fan of calling people "soft" or similar, I actually 100% agree with where you coming from. The physical wellbeing standard, or expectation, that people have for themselves, is definitely "soft" and outrageously low. The amount of time we had people across different training and educational facilities practice their coaching and programming with trainees while claiming that they will deliver them crazy big muscle or endurance gains if they just show up to the gym twice per week for 45 min is quite telling about this (literally, our beginner coaches/students who have 0 previous knowledge assumed that you can go from 30% body fat, 20 kg barbell squat and generally "pear" physique to 10% body fat, 2x body-weight squat and Arnold levels of looks :( ).
Finally, I think a big part of this is of how bad, low and "soft" ;) our general "fitness" and exercise recommendations are.
It is funny how as an exercise, sports and health "scientist"/coach I have changed my view on this area so often.
Currently, I cannot agree more with you, but for very different reasons. I like that you clearly highlight that "technically" soreness is not necessary for getting any muscle growth or strength improvement - mainly because in the past (and I still believe that this is true for many people in the general public, as they are, like you pointed out, crazy unfit) people thought you need to work out like Arnold or run like Kipchoge to have any benefits.
I agree with you, and I think this needs much highlighting for the general public, because of how bad our general state of health and fitness is. And by "our" I mean world-wide. After decades of working in this area, and seeing/hearing the continuous discoveries and implementations of various training methods and protocols (some of them, being right there at the "cutting-edge" of science myself), it is very clear to me, in an objective way, that nothing that we have done so far is working or having MAJOR impact.
While I am not a fan of calling people "soft" or similar, I actually 100% agree with where you coming from. The physical wellbeing standard, or expectation, that people have for themselves, is definitely "soft" and outrageously low. The amount of time we had people across different training and educational facilities practice their coaching and programming with trainees while claiming that they will deliver them crazy big muscle or endurance gains if they just show up to the gym twice per week for 45 min is quite telling about this (literally, our beginner coaches/students who have 0 previous knowledge assumed that you can go from 30% body fat, 20 kg barbell squat and generally "pear" physique to 10% body fat, 2x body-weight squat and Arnold levels of looks :( ).
Finally, I think a big part of this is of how bad, low and "soft" ;) our general "fitness" and exercise recommendations are.