Why You're Always Sore After Pole: What’s Normal & How to Recover
So... Why Are You Always Sore After Pole?
Pole dancing demands a ton from your body. You’re gripping, lifting, spinning, inverting, holding — often with muscles you didn’t even know existed. So yeah, soreness is expected.
The culprit behind that tight, tender feeling? It's called DOMS, aka Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This happens when your muscles experience microscopic damage from unfamiliar or intense movement — especially eccentric movements, where muscles lengthen under tension (like coming down from a pole hold or slowing a spin).
There is a common misconception in the fitness and pole world that soreness and microscopic damage is what creates hypertrophy (muscle growth). This isn’t completely true. The fact is, you can have muscle growth without muscle damage, and muscle damage without muscle growth.
What Actually Triggers Muscle Growth (Spoiler: It’s Not Just About Soreness)
When it comes to building muscle, a few key things need to be happening behind the scenes. Let’s break down the big players:
– Mechanical Tension
This is the force your muscles experience when you lift, push, pull, or hold resistance — basically, when you ask them to do hard things. It’s one of the biggest drivers of hypertrophy and shows up in both isotonic movements (like lifting a dumbbell) and isometric holds (like a plank that’s trying to ruin your day).
– Metabolic Stress
Ever get that burning sensation during a high-rep set? That’s metabolic stress in action. It’s the build-up of byproducts like lactate during training, and it kicks off a cascade of muscle-building signals. It often goes hand-in-hand with mechanical tension and adds another layer of stimulus for growth.
– Cellular Signaling
When you strength train, you trigger internal messengers like mTOR (short for mammalian target of rapamycin — but you don’t need to remember that to benefit from it). mTOR helps ramp up protein synthesis, which is exactly what your muscles need to grow and repair.
A lot of folks still think muscle growth is mainly about tearing your muscles down and letting them rebuild stronger — but that’s an oversimplification. While muscle damage can occur, it’s more like a side effect of training hard, not the main ingredient. Think of it as a by-product, not the goal. The real magic? It’s the mechanical tension and the internal signaling that happens as a result of challenging but intentional training.
When Is It Normal to Be Sore?
Feeling sore after pole — especially when you’re new to training — is expected. Normal soreness usually includes:
A dull ache or tightness in worked muscles
Discomfort that peaks 24-48 hours post-training and subsides by day 3-4
Slight stiffness when getting up or moving but improves with light activity
Soreness in the specific muscles you trained (like your lats, shoulders, inner thighs)
No impact on your ability to perform basic tasks (no crying while brushing your hair 😉)
If this sounds like you? Congrats, you’re just getting stronger.
When It's Not Normal to Be Sore
Okay, let’s go a bit deeper here — because being chronically sore or wiped out after every class can be a sign of under-recovery, not badassery.
Here’s what might be going on:
🚨 You're Overtraining
Pole is addictive. But doing too much without giving your body time to adapt can cause chronic fatigue, excessive soreness, and even hormonal imbalances.
Red flags include:
Muscle soreness lasting 5+ days
Feeling like your muscles are getting weaker, not stronger
Getting sore from movements you’ve already mastered
Trouble sleeping, irritability, or mood swings
Feeling wiped after warm-ups or basic conditioning
According to NIH, overtraining can suppress your immune system, reduce performance, and prolong soreness. (1)
🔋 You're Under-Fueling
If your muscles don’t get the nutrients they need after you break them down in training, they can’t repair. This leads to persistent soreness — even from moderate workouts.
Look for signs like:
Soreness + fatigue after every session
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded during class
Low energy throughout the day
Slow recovery between workouts
Losing strength or muscle mass despite consistent training
Even if you're eating enough calories, you may be missing key macronutrients and micronutrients that support recovery — more on that in the nutrition section below!
🛑 Potential Injury (Not Just DOMS)
This one’s important. While soreness is usually harmless, some symptoms point toward strain, sprain, or overuse injury:
Sharp, stabbing, or pinpoint pain (especially during movement)
Pain that gets worse with activity or doesn’t improve after rest
Swelling, bruising, or numbness
Loss of mobility or function (like not being able to lift your arm overhead)
Pain that’s unilateral (one side only) or unrelated to your workout
You might be dealing with an injury. When in doubt? Consult a medical pro or physical therapist familiar with aerial or pole sports, like my good friend and colleague ARLO Physical Therapy.
Fueling for Recovery: It’s Not Optional
Alright — let’s talk nutrition, because this is often the missing link.
If your muscles are going to rebuild after the stress of training, they need raw materials. Without fuel? You’re just digging a deeper recovery hole, and yep — you’ll stay sore longer.
🍽 Why Nutrition Matters for Soreness
Muscle recovery isn’t just about protein shakes — it’s about cellular repair. That means your body needs:
Amino acids from protein to rebuild muscle tissue
Carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores (aka your energy bank)
Fats and micronutrients like vitamin D, magnesium, calcium, and B-vitamins for muscle and nervous system function, endocrine health, and reduced inflammation
If you’re consistently sore or feeling depleted after pole, it could be a sign your cells aren’t getting the nutrients they need to heal.
Pre- and Post-Pole Fueling (Quick Recap):
✅ Before:
Carbs + protein, 1-2 hours before class
Examples: oatmeal + protein powder, eggs + toast, banana + greek yogurt
✅ After:
Protein + carbs within 30-60 minutes
Examples: grilled chicken + rice, beef stir fry, protein shake + fruit
A study from Washington University and the University of Illinois found that timing your protein and carb intake around workouts significantly improves muscle repair and reduces soreness. (2)
Sleep & Stress: The Hidden Recovery Blockers
Let’s be honest — you can have the perfect training plan, eat all the protein, and foam roll your heart out, but if your sleep and stress are out of whack? You’re still gonna feel whack.
💤 Sleep: Your Body’s Ultimate Recovery Window
During deep sleep, your body:
Releases growth hormone, which helps rebuild tissue
Clears inflammation and waste from the brain and muscles
Restores nervous system function (which is key for learning pole tricks!)
Not getting enough? You’re not recovering fully, and DOMS will hit harder.
Aim for 7-9 hours of high-quality sleep. That means:
Going to bed and waking up at consistent times
Reducing screen time at least an hour before sleep
Keeping your room cool, dark, and quiet
Studies from The Research Center of Sports Sciences show that sleep deprivation impairs muscle recovery, cognitive performance, and pain thresholds. Translation? Less sleep = more soreness. (3)
😰 Stress: The Silent Soreness Amplifier
Here’s something not enough pole dancers talk about: Stress makes soreness worse.
Why? Because stress increases cortisol, a hormone that:
Suppresses immune function
Reduces your ability to build muscle
Increases inflammation (aka worsens soreness)
Chronic stress = chronic inflammation. That’s a no-go for recovery.
Tips to manage stress:
Add non-pole movement you enjoy (walks, gentle yoga, Tai-Chi)
Try breathwork or meditation
Journal, read, or just be still without your phone
Take one full day off each week — no work, no pole, no guilt
Remember: Mental rest counts as physical recovery, too.
Here's the Recovery Checklist
If you want to stop feeling sore all the time, ask yourself:
✅ Am I scaling my pole intensity gradually?
✅ Am I eating enough carbs, protein, and micronutrients?
✅ Am I sleeping at least 7 hours a night?
✅ Am I taking recovery days seriously (not just skipping class and doing chores)?
✅ Am I managing daily life stress in healthy ways?
✅ Am I aware of the difference between soreness and pain?
If you're hitting all of the above and still always sore, it might be time to:
Reduce training frequency for a few weeks
Add cross-training or active recovery
Get bloodwork done (especially vitamin D, iron, or magnesium levels)
Work with a coach or trainer who can help you periodize training
Final Thoughts (Not a Conclusion 😉)
Being sore after pole is normal, but being constantly sore and drained isn’t. The key to long-term pole progress is learning to recover as hard as you train.
So the next time you find yourself waddling to the fridge post-class, remember: your muscles aren’t just screaming, they’re asking for support.
Fuel up. Rest well. Breathe deeply. And keep climbing.
Looking to be a stronger, healthier, more energized pole dancer? Download P3’s Free Grocery List Here.