Muscle recovery calculator

See whether a muscle group has had long enough before you train them hard again.

Your details

Trained 30 hours ago

30 hrs

before training these muscles hard again

Suggested gap60 hours
Chance of soreness (DOMS)likely, 3 of 7 points
Soreness timingyou are in the 24 to 72 hour window when it usually peaks

This is a rule of thumb: ACSM suggests about 48 hours between hard sessions for the same muscles. Light movement helps, and sleep matters most. Soreness after new or lowering heavy work is normal, and the same session will hurt much less next time.

Very severe pain, swelling, or dark brown urine after a hard session needs urgent medical advice: call NHS 111.

The working

Hard leg day 30 hours ago

Hard work gets 48 hours, plus 12 for big muscles: 60 hours. After 30, there are 30 hours to go. Train something else or go easy.

The guide

ACSM 2009

Session	Suggested gap
Light	about 24 hours
Moderate	about 36
Hard	about 48
Big muscles or new moves	add 12 each

Recover well

What helps

Sleep 7 to 9 hours
Protein spread across the day
Easy walking
Train different muscles on back to back days

Soreness

Will it hurt tomorrow?

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) comes mostly from muscles lengthening under load, like lowering into a lunge or running downhill. It usually peaks 24 to 72 hours later. The page scores it: new exercises 2 points, lots of lowering 2, a gap of more than a month 2 (1 to 4 weeks, 1) and a hard effort 1. Five or more of 7 is very likely. Thanks to the repeated bout effect (McHugh 2003), doing the same session again within a few weeks hurts much less.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

IndividualRecovery varies a lot.
SorenessSoreness alone is not a perfect guide.
InjuryInjury needs rest and advice.

Questions

Common questions

How long do muscles need to recover?

About 48 hours after hard work.

Can I train when sore?

Gentle work is fine; hard work on very sore muscles is not ideal.

Does age affect recovery?

Older adults may need a bit longer.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.