Doesn't sound like a *bad* thing but I'm a little perplexed. Normally, I work a given muscle group to failure on the last set and - until recently - could feel some stiffness/soreness that evening and the next morning. Lately, though, I still work to failure but don't "feel the burn" later on.

The only thing I'm doing differently is that I've switched from mostly free-weights to using one of those Weider pulley-machines-of-death units. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/tongue.gif My routines are basically the same and, if anything, I've marginally increased the weight I'm lifting. My diet hasn't changed and I'm not doing any type of new warm-down. So what's going on here?

Thanks,
Keith C.

This is common. Your muscles have gotten used to your workout. You need to change things up. Use different exercises, change the weight and reps, and use techniques like drop sets to shock your muscles. It's a good idea to change your workout about every 6 weeks.

Soreness (doms) isn't a sign of a good workout. Working to muscular failure is the only sure sign you worked out well. Doms only tells you you've done something your body isn't used to doing. If your routine is still giving you results, theres no need to change it. However, I would say that you shouldn't be doing the same exercises week in week out anyway and I'd agree with changing things up every 6-8 weeks. This doen't mean a massive rehaul of you work out. Small changes are just as effective eg changing the days you train/your rep range/etc

This makes sense. I'd slacked off since January until about 3 weeks ago, only working out here and there inconsistently but still using the same routines. The same ones I'm using now.

Overdue for a change, I guess. Thanks again.