People asking for exercise advice are frequently in search of a straightforward answer. Do this over that. Do this a lot of that thing, for this long. Get these gains. In reality, things are never that easy.
That’s actually true for the age old query of how often one should change up one’s exercise routine. Unfortunately, there’s no single, perfectly designed study that answers this query exactly; much is dependent upon things reminiscent of how suit you already are, your goals and the way you train.
But in case you’re interested by changing your routine, listed below are some aspects to contemplate.
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Progressive overload and diminishing returns
The notion you must mix up your exercise routine likely comes from the concepts of progressive overload (where you wish stimulus to get continued improvements) and the principle of diminishing returns (where the more experienced you’re at something, the less you progress with a given stimulus).
One way people try to include these principles into training is via something called “periodisation”.
That’s where you manipulate certain features of a training program, reminiscent of exercise volume, intensity and frequency.
Periodisation models typically keep a consistent exercise selection for a delegated time frame, normally an eight to 12 week program.
The two predominant periodisation models are linear and undulating. Linear periodisation involves gradual increase of a variable. For example, over an eight week program, the masses may get heavier but the quantity of sets or reps you do gets lower.
Undulating periodisation involves manipulating different variables (normally volume and intensity) on different days. So, Monday you would possibly do some heavy lifting, then Tuesday’s focus can be on higher repetitions, then have an explosive or speed priority for the following day.
Research shows periodised programs appear to outperform their non-periodised counterparts, with no difference between undulating and linear models.
Even in case you aren’t knowingly doing a periodised plan, most exercise programs are likely to be eight to 12 weeks long and incorporate among the standard linear progressions mentioned above.
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It is dependent upon your goals
What about mixing up the actual exercises themselves? Research has shown people gain comparative or greater muscle strength and size after they go for variable exercise selection in comparison with fixed exercise selection.
Variable exercise selection is where you don’t all the time persist with using the identical exercise for a similar muscles groups. For example, you would possibly swap between a squat, and a leg press the following session. Alternatively, fixed selection means in the course of your program, you stick with the identical exercise (say, the squat).
And using a varied selection can improve motivation.
Conversely, excessive rotation of exercises appears to have a negative influence on muscle gains.
When it comes right down to it, many movements are skill-based; by not practising as much, it’s possible you’ll not progress as fast. This is probably going only applicable to complex multi-joint exercises reminiscent of those performed with a barbell (versus, say, gym machines).
Does this matter? If you will have a performance-related goal to lift a specific amount, or something similar, then possibly it does. But in case you are training for health and wellbeing, it might not be an element for you.
What about running?
Many of us run the identical loop, at the identical pace, for weeks and years on end. Is that an issue?
Some researchers recommend increasing your training stimulus after six months of endurance exercise, as many of the profit occurs between three and 6 months, then tends to plateau without changing training regimes.
But is it enough for health? Our current national physical activity recommendations don’t mention the necessity to progress or vary exercise. They simply state the quantity, intensity, and form of exercise for health advantages. Exercising for performance or ongoing improvement appears to be a special story.
If interested by how continuously we needs to be changing up our exercise, consider the time it takes for the body to adapt following exercise.
Research has show muscle growth can occur as early as three weeks right into a resistance training program and plateaus at roughly three months in previously untrained people.
Adaptations to cardiovascular fitness can occur as early as roughly one week right into a training program but have been shown to plateau inside three weeks if no additional progressive overload is applied.
Even following a progressive long run aerobic program, measurements of cardiovascular fitness are likely to plateau around nine months into training.
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Do what you enjoy and may persist with
So what can we make of all the evidence above?
Adaptation occurs quickly, but in addition plateaus quickly without ongoing stimulus.
Even so, we do all have a “ceiling” of adaptation, beyond which it can take significant effort to progress.
This comes back to the principle of diminishing returns, where the more you train, the less able you’re to enhance.
All things considered, the normal approach of adjusting your program every 12 weeks might actually make sense in an effort to prevent plateaus. However, there isn’t any hard and fast rule about how often you must mix it up.
Perhaps the most effective approach is to do what you’re most definitely to persist with and what you enjoy probably the most.
After all, you possibly can’t get gains in case you don’t actually do the work.