|
Q: Is it best to change my workout emery
time I go to the gym, or should I stick with the routine I’ve
been using that seems to deliver results?
A: One of the finer arts of bodybuilding
is sifting through the numerous exercises and techniques to
find what works best for you. On one hand, you’re grateful
to have finally put together a winning routine, and therefore
reluctant to mess it up. On the other hand, you know that
variety is what makes training fun and keeps your muscles
growing. So why not do both?
Of course, you can’t strictly do both, but with a little
give and take, maybe you can have the best of both worlds.
Start by keeping your time-tested routine; it will form the
backbone of your new program. Next, make a subtle change,
whether it’s the resistance, number of reps or the exercise
order. Now you have your new routine, only it’s your
old routine with a twist.
Here’s a summary of the changes you on can make to keep
your workouts fresh while maintaining or even increasing their
effectiveness.
REPS & RESISTANCE: Try going ultra-heavy
once in a while to shock your muscles. Keep the reps in the
3-6 range and don’t forget to rest a little longer between
sets. On the other side of the spectrum, lighten the load
occasionally and bump up the reps to 12-21. The change will
be refreshing and your tired body will welcome the reduced
load. Whether you go heavy or light, your training volume
should stay about the same (volume = reps x weight).
MOVEMENT ANGLE: Small variations in the angle
at which a muscle is stressed can make a tremendous difference
in the way it responds. You may think you’re simply
moving the bench a few degrees when you do your bench press
at a slight incline, but your pecs believe that you’ve
discovered a new exercise. Your chest will be stimulated in
a new way, forcing it to contract somewhat differently than
what it’s accustomed to. Whether you change your foot
placement, grip width or bench angle, or substitute a cable
exercise for the free-weight version, modest changes give
way to more significant changes in growth.
EXERCISE ORDER: In theory, changing the order
of your exercises doesn’t really alter your routine.
After all, you’re using the same movements and doing
the same amount of work. Yet it does change the way in which
your muscles fatigue, and thus stresses them in a different
way. If you always do bench presses first, then you’re
somewhat weaker on your successive exercises. Do inclines
first next time. This is probably the quickest and easiest
way to change your routine without making significant modifications.
You can probably come up with some other ways to modify your
training without changing the underlying framework. Be creative
in developing new workouts and always remember to make training
fun.
Related Articles
5x5 Training Rotuine
Max-OT Weight Training
Teen Beginning Bodybuilding
| Popular Products! |
EAS
Phosphagen
The PHOSPHAGEN HP formula is based on university
research. PHOSPHAGEN.. |
|
Myogenix
AfterShock
After intensive research and field testing, MYOGENIX™
has..
|
|
AST
GABA
There have been literally hundreds of clinical
studies on GABA and numerous studies on GABA’s.. |
|
