Changing it up...

[element00]

So we all know how important it is to change up our workouts, move between heavy weights / lighter weights, low reps / higher reps, hitting the muscle from different angles etc. sometimes though I get caught up in what I know best and not sure when it's right to try something completely different.

Really keen to give a high intensity one working set routine a go and hit the muscle more than the once a week. Also try and get some regular cardio in. But I've been training pretty hard of late on a split and getting some gains so now I can't decide whether I should change it up to keep it fresh or stick with the split until I hit the wall

Is there a best time for a new approach?

 

[atrain999]

So we all know how important it is to change up our workouts, move between heavy weights / lighter weights, low reps / higher reps, hitting the muscle from different angles etc. sometimes though I get caught up in what I know best and not sure when it's right to try something completely different.

Really keen to give a high intensity one working set routine a go and hit the muscle more than the once a week. Also try and get some regular cardio in. But I've been training pretty hard of late on a split and getting some gains so now I can't decide whether I should change it up to keep it fresh or stick with the split until I hit the wall

Is there a best time for a new approach?

What are your goals physically?

 

[element00]

What are your goals physically?

I'm in my 40's trained for a long time and haven't cycled for 20 years. Keen to bulk while trying to stay relatively lean. Have some long term injuries and wondering whether a different approach would also help me to manage all them aches

 

[raysugar1234]

So we all know how important it is to change up our workouts, move between heavy weights / lighter weights, low reps / higher reps, hitting the muscle from different angles etc. sometimes though I get caught up in what I know best and not sure when it's right to try something completely different.

Really keen to give a high intensity one working set routine a go and hit the muscle more than the once a week. Also try and get some regular cardio in. But I've been training pretty hard of late on a split and getting some gains so now I can't decide whether I should change it up to keep it fresh or stick with the split until I hit the wall

Is there a best time for a new approach?

I don't agree with the whole muscle confusion, gotta change up your workout routine to keep growing theory... Lots of guys use the same routine for years and years and make gains the whole time...

 

[amplejunkbin]

I don't agree with the whole muscle confusion, gotta change up your workout routine to keep growing theory... Lots of guys use the same routine for years and years and make gains the whole time...

This. The thing that is most important is progressive overload. In other words, you need to keep pushing weight/volume/intensity. Also, it has been my experience that "changing up my routine" is a red herring. I have been successful sticking to the exact same routine for over two years at a time. I use cycles of increasing loads using A LOT of big compound exercises conjoined with deloads/deconditioning. Easy peasy.

 

[element00]

Thanks guys certainly understand what you're saying and agree as I have pretty much had a consistent approach for a long time. Just finding as I am getting older the need to manage some ailments and looking at whether a change in my training is justified. Most thinking is around timing of any change ie is it a mistake to change something that is working? I guess the answer is probably yes!

 

[amplejunkbin]

[...] Most thinking is around timing of any change ie is it a mistake to change something that is working? I guess the answer is probably yes!

Not necessarily. Experimentation is a good thing. Without it you will never find what is optimal for you.

If you are experiencing a nascent injury, a change in training may be the best idea. That is assuming that your current program is the source of the injury. No matter what, you should strive to prevent injury at the first sign. Pain is a bad thing. It is your body's way of incentivizing you to stop doing something. Learning to distinguish between the pain that generally precedes overuse injury and the discomfort of working hard or the soreness of DOMS is an important skill.

If you believe a change in your routine will ameliorate or reverse a health condition, I believe that this change is almost always warranted. Nothing is more important than your health. Most people take their health for granted until they lose it — big mistake. Just make sure that the changes you want to implement will in fact produce the results that you seek. Do not be bro-scientific; be scientific — doubt EVERYTHING. Preferably verify from multiple VALID and CREDIBLE first-hand sources all information — even credible information.

 

[raysugar1234]

I have seen guys change their routines and leave out important mass building exercises... I knew Tony Horton was a joke when he said you don't have to squat all the time... If you want quads you will dumbass.... This muscle confusion bullshit is from him, and I hear people using that term all the time. I hate it and wanna smack them. So if you do change it, make sure you still include the basic fundamental exercises.. Progressive overload is important, if your routine is effective, changing it is not.

 

[azazul]

I kinda agree yet disagree.
You can grow by not changing it up, for sure.

But I have tested it and if I switch shit up often I grow at a faster rate than if I don't switch it up.
The fact is everyone is different and you have to find out what works for you.

 

[raysugar1234]

I think if you change it and replace an important compound with a bullshit isolation move it's stupid.. Changing sets and reps is important for me. Changing can be good, I'm not saying that, but some guys think they need to change every two weeks to keep growing which is bullshit... As your progress, training needs to change i think, as you become more advanced.. But that is different than the muscle confusion shit... I definitely agree AAZul that everyone is different and you have to find out what works best for you.. But don't think it's isolation moves and no compounds cause it's easy. That will not work for anyone IMO. And I have seen routines based on all isolation's , skinny lazy fucks wrote them...

 

[illuminatty]

I'm with ray here...muscle confusion is a little bit of bro science IMO.

Progressive overload, eat and sleep enough you will grow!

 

[azazul]

I think if you change it and replace an important compound with a bullshit isolation move it's stupid.. Changing sets and reps is important for me. Changing can be good, I'm not saying that, but some guys think they need to change every two weeks to keep growing which is bullshit... As your progress, training needs to change i think, as you become more advanced.. But that is different than the muscle confusion shit... I definitely agree AAZul that everyone is different and you have to find out what works best for you.. But don't think it's isolation moves and no compounds cause it's easy. That will not work for anyone IMO. And I have seen routines based on all isolation's , skinny lazy fucks wrote them...

I guess I shoulda clarified, bouncing between meso and netflix.

I have a healthy mix of both isolation and compound, I will do squats and deadlifts, plus leg extensions and leg curls.
I will change up the order in which I do my sets, squats one day will be first, next time last, etc
I mix up the speed of my movements, I mix up the amount of weight used, reps, sets. I go at different times during the day/eve.
Its not a formula I use, I just do it by default, because I get bored easy.

I don't give my body a chance to get used to the same thing and don't get me wrong I'm not changing this shit up day in day out but 3 weeks here a month there.

That is what works for me.
Anytime I change up alot I get sore like I'm newb again.

 

[element00]

Not necessarily. Experimentation is a good thing. Without it you will never find what is optimal for you.

If you are experiencing a nascent injury, a change in training may be the best idea. That is assuming that your current program is the source of the injury. No matter what, you should strive to prevent injury at the first sign. Pain is a bad thing. It is your body's way of incentivizing you to stop doing something. Learning to distinguish between the pain that generally precedes overuse injury and the discomfort of working hard or the soreness of DOMS is an important skill.

If you believe a change in your routine will ameliorate or reverse a health condition, I believe that this change is almost always warranted. Nothing is more important than your health. Most people take their health for granted until they lose it — big mistake. Just make sure that the changes you want to implement will in fact produce the results that you seek. Do not be bro-scientific; be scientific — doubt EVERYTHING. Preferably verify from multiple VALID and CREDIBLE first-hand sources all information — even credible information.

Thanks ample agree and that's what I'm trying to sort out. Whether a different routine would give some of my injuries a chance to improve. Yep certainly guilty of training through bad pain and now trying to get smarter whilst at the same time maintaining a high intensity

 

[element00]

And I have seen routines based on all isolation's , skinny lazy fucks wrote them...

Haha won't be taking no advice from any skinny lazy fucks [)]

 

[raysugar1234]

I guess I shoulda clarified, bouncing between meso and netflix.

I have a healthy mix of both isolation and compound, I will do squats and deadlifts, plus leg extensions and leg curls.
I will change up the order in which I do my sets, squats one day will be first, next time last, etc
I mix up the speed of my movements, I mix up the amount of weight used, reps, sets. I go at different times during the day/eve.
Its not a formula I use, I just do it by default, because I get bored easy.

I don't give my body a chance to get used to the same thing and don't get me wrong I'm not changing this shit up day in day out but 3 weeks here a month there.

That is what works for me.
Anytime I change up alot I get sore like I'm newb again.

Sounds good to me bro. You have the right idea and you know what works for you.. That is most important IME... Getting soar really doesn't mean anything though, if you do too much damage it's too hard to recover from and hurts progress... What your doing I would not consider changing your program, your only changing variables, and that is important... Progress is important, whatever it takes to continue to make progress is what we should be doing...