Get Off The Plateau By Varying Your Workout Routines

I wrote recently about changing your training variables when you workout so that you are not always doing the same old routine. This is an important consideration if you want to get consistent results in gaining muscle, losing fat or just toning up your body in general.

But if you change your workout routine very often and radically, then you may get bad results and all your efforts will be wasted. If you are not trying to improve in a consistent way on a specific set of reps and rest intervals, then your body cannot get used to the varied regime and has no basis on which to build in order to improve its condition. So, you have to stick at a current specific training method for a period of time so that you can see the results. Usually a time period of 4-8 weeks works best. That gives your body time to adapt to the method you are using and you will get the results you want.

Time for a change- but not a complete change! If you are reaching a plateau , say after 6 -8 weeks, then you will have to consider varying your whole routine and introduce new variables. Once you have decided on these you will have to stay with them for another period of 4-8 weeks. Just in case you have not read my article on training variables, these are some of the main points I wrote about. The order in which you do your exercises. You can change round the order – it will make life more interesting ! Then you can consider changing the exercise grouping – that is, whether you want to do tri-sets, super-setting or circuit training. You can consider changing the exercise TYPE – i.e. whether machine based or free weights. How about your stability base – you can change to standing, sitting, one-legged a stability ball. Then there are rest periods between sets, repetition speed and exercise angle (inclined, declined, flat or bent over). Last but not least, you may want to change the duration of your workout and vary also the frequency – two longer sessions or three shorter sessions and so on.

For example, this is the training program you are doing right now. Six different exercises which are grouped together in pairs – these are done as supersets. You are doing 10 sets of 3 reps with 30 seconds rest between each superset. You are taking note in your notepad of the weights used, sets and reps so that you can see the progress you are making. If, after six weeks, you find that you have reached a plateau, then it is time to change some of the variables I have mentioned above and stick with that program for another 4-8 weeks and see how you are doing.

So how do your change the program I have outlined above? Go for a classic 5 sets of 5 reps routine but this time you are going to them in tri-sets. That means three exercises done back to back and then repeated for the number of sets. You can decide to do the exercises in the tri-set with no rest period between them and then have arrest for 2 minutes between each tri-set so that you can recover your strength.

What we have done is an example of introducing variables in your program but within a consistent framework and that will get you great results.

Robert Locke is a specialist in Wellness.
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