Why You Should Vary Your Workout Routine for a Fit Body

Consistency is key when it comes to getting in shape. After all, you can’t get fit if you don’t put the work in at the gym. But are there any benefits to doing the same workout day-in and day-out? Some influencers say there are – claiming that doing the exact same workout for years has been the key to their fitness success.

While this might sound appealing to those of us who have trouble sticking to a routine, the truth is if we don’t challenge our body enough, eventually this strategy could actually work against our aim to get in shape.

The Importance of Disrupting Homeostasis

In order to improve your fitness, you need to disrupt your body’s homeostasis. This is the process by which living organisms maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in our external conditions. In relation to exercise and fitness, the external condition could be lifting weights at the gym. This puts stress on the body, altering our internal environment – and thereby disrupting homeostasis.

Stress and Fatigue

Stress is what causes our body to respond and adapt. When the stressor that disrupts this homeostasis is exercise, the response is fatigue due to the way it disrupts our normal, internal environment. The more stress the exercise places on our body, the more fatigue it induces. Only once the stress is removed – for example, when we take a rest day between workouts – does the fatigue start to dissipate.

The Secret to Physical Adaptation

Fatigue is actually the secret to physical adaptation. The greater the fatigue, the greater the potential for adaptation and the more your fitness will improve. On the other hand, if the exercise stressor does not disturb homeostasis, you won’t become fatigued enough to see any physical adaptations.

Progressive Overload

When we physiologically adapt, we adjust our homeostatic “set point”. This means the minimum amount of stress our body needs to induce a fatigue response increases. So, in order to continue improving our fitness levels, we need to start changing up our workouts to continue causing our body stress and fatigue. This principle is known as progressive overload.

Ways to Achieve Progressive Overload

There are three basic ways progressive overload is achieved: increasing the intensity of the exercise, increasing the frequency of training sessions, or increasing the duration of each workout. The principles of biological adaptation are a complex intermix of these components – although workout intensity is considered the primary driver of adaptation.

Conclusion

While sticking with the same workout might seem the easiest way of staying physically active, it could work against you in the long run. If you want to keep fit, change up your workouts every 4-6 weeks (either by boosting the intensity or adjusting the exercises), do a mix of different activities (including weight training and cardio), and keep track of your fitness – so you know when it’s time to change your workout again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often should I change up my workout?
A: It’s recommended to change up your workout every 4-6 weeks.

Q: What are some ways to achieve progressive overload?
A: You can increase the intensity of the exercise, increase the frequency of training sessions, or increase the duration of each workout.

Q: Why is fatigue important for physical adaptation?
A: Fatigue is the secret to physical adaptation. The greater the fatigue, the greater the potential for adaptation and the more your fitness will improve.