Countless people make the mistake of constantly switching up their training program or jumping from new exercise to new exercise because they “crave variety” or “get bored easily.” In my 15+ years of coaching, these words have been uttered to me on an abundance of occasions. Many\u00a0believe they are ”shocking or confusing their muscles” by never doing anything for more than a few weeks. Some people even “switch it up” after just a few\u00a0days. After all, isn’t this largely why P90X became so popular?<\/p>\n
Rather than constantly changing your workout program and trying to ”shock” or ”confuse” your muscles or to\u00a0“keep your body guessing,” follow a fundamentally sound program that addresses YOUR needs and goals, work at improving your form, and apply the principle of progressive overload. If you\u00a0do so consistently and indefinitely,\u00a0you’ll\u00a0likely be\u00a0pleasantly surprised at what happens.\u00a0This is especially true when you are in the beginning stages of a strength training program. Simplicity, consistency, and mastering the fundamentals are key.<\/p>\n
That being said, there is nothing wrong with wanting variation, especially after you have mastered the basics. However, if you are serious about achieving your performance, health, or even aesthetic-related goals, these variations must be implemented intelligently. Guesswork won’t get you very far.<\/p>\n
Here are 5 strategies that will help you achieve variety\u00a0without\u00a0taking away from the overall effectiveness and integrity of your training program.<\/p>\n