To reach a state of little or no change after a time of activity or progress.
Every article I write is inspired by my current state-of-being in some way. And this post is no different. The past couple of weeks, I've been feeling a bit uninspired in my exercise routine. Admittedly, I haven't been feeling as compelled to go to the gym as I once did, and when I did go, I didn't have very good workouts by my standards. In times like these, I do tend to focus more on my nutrition to avoid weight gain, but from a muscle-gaining perspective, that won't happen if I don't take my butt to a gym and pump some iron.
This kind of "crossroad" means it's time to add some variation to my workouts! To re-fuel and re-inspire, I take a look at my workout routine and identify areas where I can switch things up a bit. Variation not only gets me excited to workout again, but it shocks my muscles and stimulates new growth to ensure I'm physically progressing as well. For the latter reason (even for those who absolutely love working out all the time and NEVER experience lows...yea right), adding variation into your routine is extremely important in progressing instead of plateauing.
So, how does one add variation? What does that mean? Well, here are a few techniques I use to add variation to my workout routine...
1. "Reverse Reps"
This is when you alter the way you actually lift the weight. Think about performing a simple bicep curl. Usually, you begin with arm down by your side, with the bicep muscle relaxed. To begin the curl, you increase tension in your bicep muscle and curl your arm up, then release and place your arm by down by your side. And that's one rep. A "reverse rep" alters the way you perform the rep. Instead of the typical bicep curl, you would increase the speed of the first part of the set, curling your arm very quickly in an explosive motion. But as you release the curl, you would do so much more slowly, continuing to squeeze your bicep and control the pace of lowering your arm back down to your side. This "reverse" motion will stimulate your muscle fibers and trick your muscles into thinking you are performing an entirely different routine. Add throughout your routine.
2. "Drop Sets"
A drop set is another way to change the way you perform a set of your preferred exercise. Let's use leg extensions as an example this time. Typically, when you perform a set of leg extensions, you add on enough weight to do 8-12 reps, bang out the set, and then rest for 30 seconds until your next set. For a drop set, after completing that 8-12 rep set, you would immediately "drop" the weight down to a lighter weight and go right into another set of 8-12, with no rest in between. You could even drop the weight again for a third immediate set at even lighter weight. This will completely exhaust your muscle and ensure you've hit every muscle fiber. A great way for muscle gains! I recommend only performing a drop set as your last set of each exercise (Ex: I perform four sets of leg extensions, and my fourth set is the drop set).
3. Adding in New Exercises
Every so often, you will also need to add in completely new exercises to your routines. For my leg workouts, every six months or so, I'll add a new workout to my leg routine. Currently, I am adding in front squats to the very beginning of my workout to warm up my quads, glutes and hamstrings. Front squats are tricky, but they are a good way to work your legs and core. The position of the squat bar on your chest instead of your neck/shoulders forces good posture and requires a solid abdominal pose to complete successfully.
4. Higher Rep, Lower Weight Sets
This is when you lift less weight then you typically do, but perform a higher number of reps. Think of a chest fly. Instead of pushing the weight up as high as possible for an 8-12 rep set, you would decrease the weight and complete a set of 25-30. This stimulates the muscles in a different way, improving muscle endurance instead of sheet strength. Higher reps also increase the calories burned during your workout, so this type of variation is good if you are looking to cut fat. I typically perform one week of higher rep, lower weight workouts every three months or so.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it gets your mental juices flowing. The important thing is to be creative, instead of repetitive, in your exercise approach. Good luck! |
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