Let’s Fitness Together
Blake and Gwen Beckcom
If you have been doing the same workout routine for years, it is likely time to switch it up. This 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 looking for some new moves, you have obviously hit a workout fatigue that needs some adjusting. You need some new motivation to get to the gym on a regular basis and continue gaining muscle. Boring workouts can result in a willingness to quit, which will not help you reach your goals.
However, you don’t have to completely rework your routine, 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.
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 comfortable 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 is a sport that you have never tried or even a new type of exercise that 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.
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. You can take what you currently do and just 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 if the reason you want to change is that you keep developing the same injury that is being caused by repetition.
For example, if the back squats that 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.
Change your sets and reps
If you want to keep your old exercises but challenge your body a bit more, try changing up your sets and reps. If you are like most people, you probably tend to do three sets of 10 of 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.
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 some water when you should be paying attention to how much you are resting between sets?
If you tend to take long rests, shorten them up by holding yourself accountable for only doing 50 seconds of rest. This should equate to a workout rest ratio of 1:1. This will help you build up your muscle endurance and make your muscles more resistant to getting tired.
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 to help change things up. While 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 parts 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.
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.
