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If you've been struggling to make gains at the gym, then maybe your workout routine needs to be revised. Unfortunately, the majority of people who join a gym and begin a fitness program quit in the first six weeks. The rest stick with it, but if they don't see consistent changes in their bodies they might become discouraged and quit, as well. So why do you tend to see changes early in your program, but eventually reach a plateau? There are many reasons for a failure to maintain consistent improvements to your physique, but the main reason, in my opinion, is getting stuck in a workout rut.
Congratulations, if you are one of the dedicated few that made it past the first six weeks of your training program. To continue to see improvements, however, you will need to change your routine, at least every two months. The body reacts to new physical stresses by growing to meet the demand. In other words, if you body build, your muscles will grow to accommodate the requirements you are placing upon it. If you continue to work out in the same manner, however, you will eventually reach a plateau, and no matter how hard you train, you will no longer see improvements. To avoid the workout rut I suggest you regularly make changes to your routine.
Here are some simple suggestions:
- Change the order in which you do your movements. If you are working your chest, for example, and typically do your bench press first, followed by the dumbbell fly, then reverse that order and do your bench press last.
- Change to different movements. If you are working your legs, and typically do
squats with a barbell, switch to using a Smith machine so you can place your feet
further out in front while you lean back against the bar. Also throw in some lunges, both stationary and walking.
- Vary the weight you use. Many people like to use heavy weights and low
numbers of repetitions for maximum muscle growth. Break this up once in
awhile and start using lighter weights with more reps.
- Vary your sets. A great way to change your routine is to use a variety of
set variations. For example, you can use the descending method whereby you
begin with heavy weights and descend to lighter weights with each succeeding set. You can also use the opposite method, known as the ascending set, or even a
combination, known as the pyramid set.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of combinations that you can employ to regularly change your routine so that you can maximize the improvements to your physique and avoid the pitfalls of the workout rut. Happy training.
Steven Myhre is an IFPA Certified Personal Trainer and a freelance fitness writer. He is also the star of his own fitness video "Fitness For Keeps, The Beginner's Guide to an Ageless Physique." You can visit his website at: www.fitnessforkeeps.com.
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