work out
SIX WAYSTO ADD VARIETY TO YOUR
by blake beckcom
If you’ve been doing the same workout routine for years, it is likely time to switch it up. Doing so will allow your body to get out of a plateau and will also bring a new sense of enjoyment to your workout schedule. Whatever your reason is for needing some new moves, you have obviously hit workout fatigue and need some adjusting. You need to get back to the gym on a regular basis, find some new motivation and continue gaining muscle. Boring workouts can result in a willingness to walk away from working out, which will not help you reach your goals. You don’t have to completely rework your routine, however, especially if you still enjoy doing certain parts of it. Making little changes can help you set your routine on the right path. Here are six ways to add variety to your workout to keep your motivation high.
1. Try Some New Moves While it may be an obvious answer, adding in some new moves to your current routine is one way to switch it up and keep it exciting. You will always resort to doing the exercises that you are used to doing because you like them and they are comfort- able for you. Instead, you need to put forth some effort to add in new moves. This may require giving some things a try that you never really thought you would do. Maybe there’s a sport you have never tried or even an interesting new type of exercise you have seen people doing. How about a new class that you never considered…or even a boot camp? Trying new things will not only allow you to have a more well-rounded fitness routine; it will also
make you healthier in the long-run. Also, you might discover that you like something that you had never considered doing before.
2. Change Up Your Current Moves If you really like what you do now, you don’t have to come up with an entirely new routine. Just take what you currently do and change it up a bit. Make some little tweaks so you don’t feel like you have to give up what you love. This means that you can change to an exercise that has a new variation rather than trashing it completely. This is a great idea too, if you keep developing the same injury that is being caused by repetition. For example, if the back squats you do hurt your lower back, try doing a front squat or a goblet squat. You can also change your workout by switching your dumbbells to barbells.
3. Change Your Sets and Reps If you want to keep your old exercises but challenge your body more, try changing up your sets and reps. If you’re like most people, you probably tend to do three sets of 10 for your exercises. Instead, try doing 10 sets of three, just make sure to increase your weight accordingly. Also, don’t forget about doing drop-sets and getting to the last set until failure. Both of these will stimulate your strength and growth.
4. Make a Variation to Your Rest You may not be great at sticking to an effective rest schedule. Do you ever find yourself chatting with friends or getting water, when you should be paying attention to how much you are resting between sets? If you tend to take long rests, shorten them
WORKOUT
up by holding yourself accountable for only doing 50 seconds of rest. This should equate to a workout rest ratio of 1:1 and will help you build up muscle endurance and make your muscles more resistant to getting tired.
5. Change Up Your Tempo Try the time under tension theory when it comes to setting your pace. Consider how long each muscle is under strain during a set as a way to help change things up. Though you might be used to trying to finish your move as quickly as possible, this is not the best way to challenge your muscles. Do the lowering part of your squat for five seconds, then take five seconds to come back up. This will help you increase the amount of time that your muscles are under tension in your workouts.
6. Add in Some Pauses To make your workout more challenging, add a pause before you lift up from your movement. So, if you’re doing a push-up, lower your chest to the ground and pause before pushing back up. This takes some of the momentum out of your exercise, which will make your muscles work harder.
Fitness Together Mission Hills offers personal training with qualified professionals by regular appointment in private suites. Exercise and nutritional programs are custom designed to fit your needs and abilities. Call 619.794.0014 for more information or to schedule a free fitness diagnostic and private training session. See what others are saying about us on Yelp.
MARCH 2018 | RAGE monthly 41
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