Does anyone else like changing there workouts weekly to keep your body guessing? I see pros and cons. I guess at the end of the day it depends on if your in a calorie surplus or deficient
Maybe exercise order. That will confuse the shit out of them muscle.
Sounds like a Weider Principle to me
I could never understand this . . . confusing a muscle,
as if it had a brain, as if could think, distinguish
between right and wrong, good and bad, correct
and incorrect, and safe and unsafe. If only . . . if only
in my dreams, in my perfect world.
But I think I know what you mean, but there has got
to be another word for it, but I don’t know it
I have made my best progress on the exact same
routine, used for an extended period of time and
never changed one single thing except the weight
(increase).
Then again, I have and am still making progress,
even at my prehistoric age, by never doing the
same ‘routine’ twice in row, always doing some-
ting different. But that is mostly driven by my gym
environment, a piece of equipment not being
available when I want it and having to make a
suitable substitution in the interest of time.
Plus, I get bored very easily, boredom I suspect
is being driven by me not getting the immediate
results (and they should and can be) that I used
to get in my youth. Yes, boredom is a factor in
people changing routines because if what you are
doing, even if it is the exact same thing, is working
then what sane person would change things?
An old adage comes to mind: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
So both clearly work. I think believing in what you
are dong (even the worst routine will produce
results if you believe in it) is most important and
being able to wrap your brain around it; discipline
and the effort are really what it boils down to in
my opinion.
I think that in off season it is totally logical to maintain a fixed routine, but when you are cutting, you can have days of weakness, fatigue or accumulation of pain, and will change some exercises if you want to avoid an injury.
Yes. I would make the point that I think once you find exercises that work well for you to stick with them unless there is a good reason for you not to use them. Injury is the biggest reason. If an exercise is now causing you joint pain or some other pain then you need to do another exercise in it's place.
Right now my left shoulder has been acting up again, pretty sure I have a tear in one of the rotator cuff muscles, so I had to stop decline barbell presses. Declines put the least amount of stress on it but when I started adding more weight it got to be too much again.
Now I am doing keiser machine bench presses and it is getting better.
I don't think it is bad to do the same exercises year after year. I don't really believe in the whole "muscle confusion" thing. One thing I do change up though is the rep range/weight I am doing from one workout to the next. Maybe add in some drops sets or rest pause, etc.
Yes. I would make the point that I think once you find exercises that work well for you to stick with them unless there is a good reason for you not to use them. Injury is the biggest reason. If an exercise is now causing you joint pain or some other pain then you need to do another exercise in it's place.
Right now my left shoulder has been acting up again, pretty sure I have a tear in one of the rotator cuff muscles, so I had to stop decline barbell presses. Declines put the least amount of stress on it but when I started adding more weight it got to be too much again.
Now I am doing keiser machine bench presses and it is getting better.
I don't think it is bad to do the same exercises year after year. I don't really believe in the whole "muscle confusion" thing. One thing I do change up though is the rep range/weight I am doing from one workout to the next. Maybe add in some drops sets or rest pause, etc.
My shoulder was giving me problems a few days ago with the dumbbell side lateral raise. Just I changed and used resistance bands.
Another example, in my last back training I made a new record in rack pull, my next training was legs. I usually have squats and zercher squats, this time I changed the zercher squats by belt squat. I did not want to overload my lower back anymore.
In the past, I would never make this type of change, and I believe that the routine should be followed as much as possible 100%, but you should have some flexibility and inteligence to avoid major problems.
Which makes sense. Have you ever did any MD programs? He will go a few weeks in a row of rack pulls then may take them out for a week or so. His programs change a little each week, but not a complete different workout. I appreciate your input!
Who or what it's MD programs?
As a general rule I do not like to change the program, I will keep it for 10-12 weeks, and I will change it in an order, starting with power routines of 1-5 reps, then I will add some strogman exercises to 6-8 reps and finally I will bodybuilding routines focused on hypheertrophy. This routine will vary if I am in off season/maintenance or in cut. In off season I like to have only free weights movements to 8-10 reps, while in cut I will add cable and bands to 10-15 reps, and unilateral exercises.