I recently was told that I may hit my potential a little faster if I stick to a program longer. The person told me to stick to a program for say 3-5 months then switch to something else.
The question is: How often do you guys change programs?
What are your goals, and what weaknesses do you have that inhibit you from that goal? You have to know these things, and then build your training and nutrition plan around them.
[quote]Red Son wrote:
The question is: How often do you guys change programs?[/quote]
If by “program” you mean one of the weekly “best ever” routines featured on this site…never.
I used certain principles in some of the routines to find out what I like and what works for me, and I stick to it that way. Any stalls in progress can usually be traced back to my diet (usually), rest (sometimes) or general intensity (occasionally) under the iron, not whether or not I’m doing this weeks Latest and Greatest.
If I DO switch up what I’m doing, it’s generally because the same old exercises in the same old order gets kinda stale after a while; I use it as a tool to keep me focused so I don’t fall into the “going through the motions” mentality, not because I think my success depends on it.
I haven’t been training for very long, though, so take that with a grain of salt.
The best time to change things up is when you stop having fun. Maybe you try a new exercise in your routine. Maybe you change the set and rep scheme for a couple weeks, then go back the the tried and true.
I like trying new ideas, because I find out what works better. If it doesn’t work, I stop it within two weeks. If I like it, I add it, and thus it becomes a new routine.
Maybe I feel like a strength session and do 5x5 for a couple weeks. Maybe I want a serious hypertrophy session that lasts two months.
Most times, I don’t even know what I’m doing until I go through the door.
Being new to this game is difficult. Your goals will determine what to do.