6 Signs it’s Time to
Switch Up Your Workout
Provided
by American
Council on Exercise
When it comes to exercise having a standard routine or
adhering to a specific habit may not be a bad thing because any form of regular
physical activity provides some benefits and is better than doing nothing at
all. However, when it comes to getting results from your exercise program,
staying with a routine that you’ve been following for a long period of time may
actually work against you.
General adaptation
syndrome describes how the physiology of the body adapts to a physical stimulus
such as exercise. When beginning an exercise program, there is an initial alarm
phase of one to three weeks, where the body recognizes that a new stimulus is
being applied. This is followed by an adaptation phase of four to 16 weeks,
where the body adapts to the stimulus and becomes more efficient at tolerating
it. Finally, 12 to 16 weeks, the body reaches what is called the exhaustion
phase, where the stimulus no longer has a significant effect.
This is why the first
few workouts of a new exercise program can be extremely tough and leave you
feeling sore. As you continue with the program, your body adapts to the
stimulus and the exercise becomes a little easier, causing your body to be less
sore the longer you stay with that program. The physiology of the human body is
highly adaptable to any exercise stimulus placed on it in an appropriately
challenging manner. Exercise that is too intense or increases in difficulty too
quickly may overload the tissues and cause injury. On the other hand, doing the
same exercise repeatedly could lead to a plateau where no more physiological
changes occur.
Here are six signs that
it’s probably time to change up your workout routine:
1.
You are stuck at a plateau. You stop losing weight, you stop getting
stronger or your strength isn’t increasing the way it used to. One definition
of insanity is performing the same action repeatedly, but expecting different
results. This definitely applies to exercise because doing the same exercise
routine repeatedly could cause a plateau where the body has adapted to a
stimulus. Whatever the cause, anytime you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and
not making any progress, it’s time to change your workout and try something
different.
2.
You start feeling bored and look for other things to do rather than exercise. Let’s face it,
doing the same thing over and over again is rather…well, repetitive and boring.
If you start scheduling activities other then exercise it might be because your
workouts have stopped being fun. The solution can be as simple as trying new
equipment. For example, if you usually use machines, try free-weights. If you
usually use free weights, try bodyweight exercises with equipment like a TRX.
If you usually do your cardio on an elliptical, try a different machine or
rotate between three different machines to bring variety back into your
program.
3.
You continue to feel sore or have nagging injuries that don’t seem to go away. Doing the same
exercise routine over and over can cause overuse injuries. Likewise, doing a
lot of high-intensity exercise with minimal time off for rest and recovery can
lead to overtraining. In either case, simply changing your exercise routine to
do different movements or using a different amount of weight can be an
effective strategy for reducing the overall stress on the body. (Note: If pain
persists for a period of time, it might be a good idea to see a doctor to make
sure you have no serious underlying issue.)
4.
Exercise becomes more of a chore that you feel you have to do rather than a
fun, leisure-time activity that you look forward to doing. When we were
young we would play for hours at a time because it was fun and engaging, and
provided constantly changing challenges. If you feel as if exercise is no
longer fun, it might be time to start thinking of your exercise time as “play
time” and look for ways to bring the fun back. Taking a boot-camp class or
challenging yourself with dance or martial arts lessons, for example, may help
make your workouts more enjoyable.
5.
You feel as if you are spending all of your time in the gym. Traditional
bodybuilder-style “split routines” focus on one body-part or muscle group at a
time. If you follow a split routine, the focus on one body part with the
requisite rest intervals means that you have to be in the gym most days of the
week to properly exercise all parts of your body. Total-body circuit routines,
however, where all body parts are targeted in a single workout can be an
effective way to save time by reducing the need for lengthy rest intervals.
Alternating between exercises for the upper and lower body, or between pushing
and pulling movements, means that one set of muscles is resting while another
is working. An additional benefit is a higher cardiorespiratory demand, which
helps burn more calories during the workout.
6.
Research has identified a mode or style of exercise that may provide more or
different results than what you’re currently doing. A number of years
ago the standard way of doing cardiorespiratory exercise was to do long, slow
distance training. Over the past few years, a plethora of research has
demonstrated that shorter periods of extremely high-intensity exercise can be
effective for burning calories (losing weight) and improving aerobic capacity.
If you’re looking for a
way to organize your workouts to avoid becoming bored in the first place try
this strategy: There are 52 weeks in a year and four seasons, each lasting
approximately 13 weeks. Adjusting your workout program when the seasons change
is an effective and consistent method for constantly changing the exercise
stimulus applied to your body.
This doesn’t mean that
you have to change everything. If you like running, continue to run but change
your route or distance. If you enjoy participating in races, enter a different
race distance each season. For example, run a 10K in the spring, train for a
marathon in the summer, enter an obstacle course race or train for a triathlon
in the fall, and find a destination race during the winter months, where you
can combine a run with a vacation from the cold weather.
If you lift weights,
changing with the season is pretty straightforward. Focus on developing
strength with heavier weights for fewer reps over the winter. As the calendar
transitions to spring, start using lighter weights, but lift for higher reps
with shorter rest intervals to promote muscular definition. In the fall, leave
the free weights behind and focus on bodyweight or multi-planar training using
equipment like the TRX, medicine balls or Sandbells to allow for a period of
active recovery.
If you’re a group
exercise junkie, it’s important to know that many health clubs will change
their schedules with the seasons to reflect new programming options and usage
of the facility. If your facility doesn’t change its schedule that often, try a
class with a different instructor or try to attend classes at different times
of day. If you regularly go in the evening, forcing yourself to get up a little
earlier for the morning classes could be a nice change to your schedule.
To stay engaged with
your exercise program and continue seeing results be sure to change your
workouts regularly, but not too frequently. When it comes to using exercise to
change your physique, it is important to have some consistency to allow your
body to adapt to the applied stimulus.
AUTHOR
Pete
McCall
Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, is an ACE Certified
Personal Trainer and long-time player in the fitness industry. He has been
featured as an expert in the Washington Post, The
New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Runner's
World and Self. He holds a master's
degree in exercise science and health promotion, and several advanced
certifications and specializations with NSCA and NASM.