DON’T BECOME STALE
It’s important to stay with a fitness program. Consistency is essential to good results. But there are several important reasons to change our routines periodically.
I think I knew this intuitively. Starting with barbells as heavy as I could manage at age 18, I could tell when I was getting bored or burning out on a routine. It seems that it was after about 6 weeks. Now, as an octogenarian, I begin to need a change after about the same length of time, though my workouts have changed dramatically.
Changes can be made in sets, reps, weight of resistance, type of exercise, speed of movements, time of routine and type of equipment, to name a few types of possible changes. Below are some of the reasons to make changes:
- Muscle adaptation. Our bodies quickly adapt to a specific training stimulus. When we keep the same resistance, sets and reps, we may reach a plateau because our muscles have adapted to that routine. Changing the type of challenges to our bodies is needed to continue gaining in strength or muscle size.
- Preventing boredom and burnout. Doing the same workout routine continuously can become monotonous and non-productive. A change is needed to keep our interest and our further good results.
- Injury prevention. Repetitive loads can put stress on the same joints and muscles, leading to the risk of overuse injuries. Using different equipment challenges our bodies to distribute the load differently and reduce the risk of chronic injuries.
- Improved skill and balance. Using different equipment and exercise variations can improve our functional fitness and overall athleticism. This is because our bodies are forced to adapt to new movements and body positions. See my prior post on functional fitness equipment.
- Plateau breaking. When we hit a strength or size plateau, we can shock our bodies into new growth and progress – by changing reps, sets, resistances or types of exercise.
- Mental stimulation. We can keep our mind engaged by new and different workouts. We become more enthusiastic and motivated.
- Specific goals. Different goals may call for different training approaches. For example, if our goal is to gain strength, we may need fewer reps with greater resistance. If we want hypertrophy (muscle size), we may need moderate resistance and higher reps.
- Individual progression. As we become more experienced in resistance training, our bodies’ responses to specific training variables may change. We may need to adjust the variables to meet our changing individual needs. Otherwise, we may be building an unbalanced physique.
- Skill improvement. Trying new exercises or using new equipment may help us develop new skills and improve our overall fitness level. It can also be an opportunity to work on weak or neglected areas of our bodies.
- Recovery. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, decreased performance or poorer results. By changing training variables, we can give specific muscle groups and joints time to recover while working other parts of our bodies. This reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
I always saw a need to change my routines when they seemed to become too easy or when my progress was not evident. Or when I began to look for reasons not to do the workout, meaning that I had lost my “hunger”. A complete change was not necessary, only a few different movements or new pieces of equipment.
My workout now is to walk outside or on my treadmill (or both) along with planks one day, then to work chest, back and arms the next day, along with planks and some treadmill walking.
It even helps me to use different speeds on my treadmill for variety and to play different music every day.
When I was younger and stronger, I would always take a total rest day between workout days. Now I go with cardio one day, strength building the next.
EQUIPMENT SOURCES
Most of my equipment is available from Amazon. This is convenient, since I am an Amazon associate. This means that I can use Amazon links in my posts and earn from purchases made from those links. The prices are the same through my links or otherwise. Each link provides detailed information, images, reviews and access to similar or complementary items.
Here are some of the fitness tools that I use.
Nordic Track treadmill – I use the model shown here. It is not the most expensive, but it has been very durable for me with daily usage.
Adjustable dumbbells – I use dumbbells similar to these. They can be moved easily and don’t take up much space.
Resistance bands with handles – I use bands similar to these and believe that they are very attractively priced.
Loop resistance bands – I use these for physical therapy. Less than $13
Push-up board – I use a similar push-up board. This allows for deeper push-ups and a choice of which muscle group to emphasize.
Crunch device – I use this to protect my back when doing crunches.
BULLWORKER
I use Bullworker fitness tools when I work on my chest or back, which is every other day. The Bow Classic is shown below.
Please see my prior Bullworker post here.
I have a Bullworker link at the side of my website, Just click on the red link for access to their website.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Change is refreshing. And motivating. Especially when we are engaged in something requiring a bit of discipline. This does not suggest change for general principles. We will know when our workouts become tedious or non-productive or when we begin to think about skipping them.
There is new energy with new routines or the same routines with different ways to work the same body parts.
Stay refreshed! Our bodies will thank us!
Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below. Or email me, richard@myworkoutathome.com.
Be well!
