"keep the muscles guessing" doesn't work ? Yes it does..

[NorwegianMuscle]

Gotta disagree bro. The logbook is absolutely necessary. I can look back at 2 weeks, 2 months, even 2 years ago and tell you how many reps I did on what day, etc.

Dorian did it. He was really analytical with it.

And keeping same exercises is the best way to gauge improvement with the logbook.

If you’re constantly switching out exercises, how do you know what’s working and what’s not?

I did a log book way back in my teens. It's a good idea. I knew how many reps down to the pound of weight I could do and show my gains. As for bodybuilding I used a mirror in accordance to my diet and muscle maturity. If my shoulders needed growth or my lower back needed better development. I would use exercises to target those specific areas. I stopped counting reps and concentrated on training to failure.

 

[Biggerp73]

you don't understand - if you change exercises every training, you won't be able to use progressive overload correctly - I believe that you always need to have a basic movement in your training in which you will progress (personally, I like to have two and rotate them every week, e.g. hack SQ and smith SQ)

There aren't an infinite number of exercises. You can really only rotate 3-4 different ones. So it doesn't seem like we are really saying something different

 

[Brock456]

There aren't an infinite number of exercises. You can really only rotate 3-4 different ones. So it doesn't seem like we are really saying something different

If you do flat bench week 1 and do 275x10

Then week 2 swap exercises and do incline bb for 275x8. How do you know you are progressing?

Vs if you stuck with flat bench week 2 and did 285x10 on flat bench for effective progressive overload.

 

[qbkilla]

you don't understand - if you change exercises every training, you won't be able to use progressive overload correctly - I believe that you always need to have a basic movement in your training in which you will progress (personally, I like to have two and rotate them every week, e.g. hack SQ and smith SQ)

This is true. But, I wonder about these guys that travel around, go to different gyms, how can they really track it with various different machines, brands, etc and still grow?

I know for me I decided to start focusing on volume/intuition vs constantly tracking progressive overload because those key machines that I can progress on and find a mind muscle connection, they are never available when I need them. So I have to wait and end up 2 hours in the gym. The dip machine, any smith machine, preacher curl machine, etc. It made me hate going to the gym, 2 hours 7 sets

With volume and training just to go in and stimulate muscles and train intense, I never have to worry about that dip or shrug machine being taken, I can go in find what's available and get to work...more reps less time

This is my experience, I used to love beating the log book but over time I guess due to fitness trends my workouts become a battle to get that key machine more so than to add weight or reps.

 

[UnholyAlliance]

This is true. But, I wonder about these guys that travel around, go to different gyms, how can they really track it with various different machines, brands, etc and still grow?

I know for me I decided to start focusing on volume/intuition vs constantly tracking progressive overload because those key machines that I can progress on and find a mind muscle connection, they are never available when I need them. So I have to wait and end up 2 hours in the gym. The dip machine, any smith machine, preacher curl machine, etc. It made me hate going to the gym, 2 hours 7 sets

With volume and training just to go in and stimulate muscles and train intense, I never have to worry about that dip or shrug machine being taken, I can go in find what's available and get to work...more reps less time

This is my experience, I used to love beating the log book but over time I guess due to fitness trends my workouts become a battle to get that key machine more so than to add weight or reps.

It gets challenging when the gym gets busy and you have to wait for the machine, rack or bench you want, thus why I'd mix things up on such days.

 

[Biggerp73]

If you do flat bench week 1 and do 275x10

Then week 2 swap exercises and do incline bb for 275x8. How do you know you are progressing?

Vs if you stuck with flat bench week 2 and did 285x10 on flat bench for effective progressive overload.

When you go back to flat bench week 3 or week 4 what do you get?

 

[Brock456]

When you go back to flat bench week 3 or week 4 what do you get?

It’s not effective progressive overload.

But to each their own.

 

[buck]

As this is a beginner forum. I would tend to think muscles are confused enough if they just keep using the same program and just increase weight. If beginners are switching exercises they are probably confusing themselves more then is good i would think.

 

[Biggerp73]

As this is a beginner forum. I would tend to think muscles are confused enough if they just keep using the same program and just increase weight. If beginners are switching exercises they are probably confusing themselves more then is good i would think.

This wasn't posted in the beginners forum

 

[Biggerp73]

Whichever moderator moved this to the beginner forum is just biased. There's a plethora of threads on training in the regular forum. Right now the top names in the bodybuilding and fitness industry are constantly preaching that you need to do the same basic exercise, every workout, for years on end. This isn't a basic topic. This is a high level topic. Look at what guys like Jordan Peterson and Dante Trudel do in terms of rotating exercises. This isn't newb stuff unless your too slow to read what's actually being written and spoken about here. Even Luki, who initially disagreed, eventually came out and said he actually rotates exercises every workout. Who knew? For your own sake, moderators, ask me before you make a decision. You clearly can't make them on your own.

 

[Eguz22]

All the people I see in the gym keeping track of everything they don’t even look like they train lol I know because Iv seen these people for years in there and they never look any different and use the same weights and do the same things. Same with the ones that are on their phones taking pics and videos constantly of themselves. Nothing special about nearly all of their physiques. I quit bringing my phone into the gym entirely in the Last 8-9 months because I don’t want to be associated with that garbage. I just listen to the voices in my head instead of music and honestly I’m more focused on my training without the distraction. Iv been wearing earplugs so I don’t hear idiots dropping weights on the floor , grunting with fake weights and the shitty gym music. The earplugs put me in my own world entirely

Those people would probably look worse if they didn't keep track of their workouts or meals. I don't see how that can be a problem.

 

[Eguz22]

you don't understand - if you change exercises every training, you won't be able to use progressive overload correctly - I believe that you always need to have a basic movement in your training in which you will progress (personally, I like to have two and rotate them every week, e.g. hack SQ and smith SQ)

I always have squat, I'll alternate between flat and decline bench press, and between deadlifts and rack pulls.

So technically I don't always do the same exercises, but they are very similar and still basic. And the reason why I alternate is not to confuse the muscle, its simply because doing 2 of those exercises on the same day would leave me destroyed and I would not be able to perform at 100% on the second exercise.

 

[luki7788]

I always have squat, I'll alternate between flat and decline bench press, and between deadlifts and rack pulls.

So technically I don't always do the same exercises, but they are very similar and still basic. And the reason why I alternate is not to confuse the muscle, its simply because doing 2 of those exercises on the same day would leave me destroyed and I would not be able to perform at 100% on the second exercise.

you clearly didn't understand me at all - having two rotations of different exercises and doing them every training session makes it easier to progress than doing the same basic exercise every week - I do that myself

but when we start one week with flat bench, the next with incline DB, the next with incline hamer and the next with decline smith, we have no chance to track whether we are actually making any progress.

 

[Eguz22]

you clearly didn't understand me at all - having two rotations of different exercises and doing them every training session makes it easier to progress than doing the same basic exercise every week - I do that myself

but when we start one week with flat bench, the next with incline DB, the next with incline hamer and the next with decline smith, we have no chance to track whether we are actually making any progress.

I disagree, powerlifters progress by doing the same exercises every week. As I said, in most sports the movement patterns that are going to be performed in the competition are repeated.

Bodybuilding is different because you are not judged by the way you train, but if it is about building muscle, then repeating the best exercises is going to be the most fruitful option.

In my experience, I don't progress more if I alternate the exercises or don't do them at all. The reason I don't do deadlifts every week is because I've tried it, and I end up destroyed if I do squats and deadlifts every week. And I'm not going to give up back squats because there is no substitute that comes close. Besides, there are emotional aspects that this exercise offers me, and on top of that I don't have machines in my home gym.

 

[Alzadosghost]

Those people would probably look worse if they didn't keep track of their workouts or meals. I don't see how that can be a problem.

You don’t even understand what I said. Those guys are not in shape and have never made progress because they have no idea how to train lol they couldn’t look any worse than they do. They don’t even look like they go to the gym. They spend all their fucking time in the gym watching the tv and playing with their phone. Your reply Dosnt even make sense lol

 

[Alzadosghost]

I disagree, powerlifters progress by doing the same exercises every week. As I said, in most sports the movement patterns that are going to be performed in the competition are repeated.

Bodybuilding is different because you are not judged by the way you train, but if it is about building muscle, then repeating the best exercises is going to be the most fruitful option.

In my experience, I don't progress more if I alternate the exercises or don't do them at all. The reason I don't do deadlifts every week is because I've tried it, and I end up destroyed if I do squats and deadlifts every week. And I'm not going to give up back squats because there is no substitute that comes close. Besides, there are emotional aspects that this exercise offers me, and on top of that I don't have machines in my home gym.

I’d like to see pics of you to show us all how effective your training is.

 

[Eguz22]

It is likely that with a single exercise you will not hit all the muscle fibers of the muscle from all possible angles or shapes, that is why in bodybuilding the routines are made up of 2-5 exercises per muscle group, but once you have a well-structured routine, there is no real need to change exercises to achieve improvements. You're going to change volume, rest times and that kind of stuff.

If we like to change the exercises it is because, just like with food, we have a variety and you are not going to only eat chicken if you can also eat salmon, steak or eggs. That is, to escape boredom, the search for new sensations, and also to challenge ourselves with a new exercise, these are important stimuli to keep us motivated to train, but only that.