Reduce Fat and Improve Workout Effectiveness Through Variability of Exercise Routines
Whether you are losing weight, building muscle, or conditioning, you must vary the elements that make up your workouts if you want to continually see results.
While altering your training regimen is a fundamental part of the success of your workout program, your workouts should not be significantly different each and every time.
If you consistently change each workout and never try to repeat and improve on certain exercises for targeted set and rep schemes with defined periods of rest, then your body has no basis to improve on its current condition.
The most effective way to set up your workouts to get the best outcome is to remain consistent with a specific training method for a defined period of time in order to continually improve on that method.
A period of 4-8 weeks is generally most effective as your body will begin to adapt to a particular method and gains will not be as great after this amount of time.
When you reach the point that your progress begins to slow, it is time to alter some or all of your training routine and then remain consistent with your new workout for another 4-8 weeks.
Variables that you might consider changing include number of reps and sets you perform, the sequence in which exercises are performed, exercise grouping, type of exercises (single or multi joint, free-weight or machine), how many exercises per workout, amount of resistance used, length of time under tension, the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), amount of rest between sets, speed, repetition, variations in range of motion, posture (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc...
), length of training per workout, training frequency each week, etc...
As an example, say your current program consist of 10 sets of 3 reps for 6 different exercises grouped in pairs ( as supersets) with 30 seconds of rest between each superset and no rest between the 2 exercises within the superset.
You are, no doubt, tracking your progress as to weights used, number of sets, and reps to see what progress you have made over a period of time.
Let's say that after a period of about 6 weeks you find that you are no longer making gains with that program.
This is the time to change your variables and begin a new workout routine.
For this new workout program you choose a classic 5 sets of 5 reps routine but you assemble your exercises into tri-sets (three exercises completed back to back, and then repeated for the prescribed number of sets).
To further modify your routine, you perform the exercises in the tri-set with no rest between each set with a 2 minute recovery between each tri-set to enable you to fully regain your strength level.
While altering your training regimen is a fundamental part of the success of your workout program, your workouts should not be significantly different each and every time.
If you consistently change each workout and never try to repeat and improve on certain exercises for targeted set and rep schemes with defined periods of rest, then your body has no basis to improve on its current condition.
The most effective way to set up your workouts to get the best outcome is to remain consistent with a specific training method for a defined period of time in order to continually improve on that method.
A period of 4-8 weeks is generally most effective as your body will begin to adapt to a particular method and gains will not be as great after this amount of time.
When you reach the point that your progress begins to slow, it is time to alter some or all of your training routine and then remain consistent with your new workout for another 4-8 weeks.
Variables that you might consider changing include number of reps and sets you perform, the sequence in which exercises are performed, exercise grouping, type of exercises (single or multi joint, free-weight or machine), how many exercises per workout, amount of resistance used, length of time under tension, the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), amount of rest between sets, speed, repetition, variations in range of motion, posture (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc...
), length of training per workout, training frequency each week, etc...
As an example, say your current program consist of 10 sets of 3 reps for 6 different exercises grouped in pairs ( as supersets) with 30 seconds of rest between each superset and no rest between the 2 exercises within the superset.
You are, no doubt, tracking your progress as to weights used, number of sets, and reps to see what progress you have made over a period of time.
Let's say that after a period of about 6 weeks you find that you are no longer making gains with that program.
This is the time to change your variables and begin a new workout routine.
For this new workout program you choose a classic 5 sets of 5 reps routine but you assemble your exercises into tri-sets (three exercises completed back to back, and then repeated for the prescribed number of sets).
To further modify your routine, you perform the exercises in the tri-set with no rest between each set with a 2 minute recovery between each tri-set to enable you to fully regain your strength level.
