would it be ok to have a program and change it up a lil every week like instead of lunges have step ups one week and keep alternating…do u guys vary ur programs, if so, what do u guys do to vary it? ex. changing the rep/set schemes every week, adding weight, changing up exercises…?
also, would it be beneficial to vary like this?
thank you all
Depends on what your trying to achieve. If your trying to increase strength or power week by week i wouldn’t recommend it as you want to progress at those particular lifts only. Reps, sets, tut, rest, exercise order and weight can all be manipulated week by week to increase the stess on the body from the workout thus minimises stagnation. The closest i believe you’ll get to the ever elusive ‘maintenance’ program however is to change your exercises every workout and as for
Hypertrophy, well that is a whole other chapter…
yes it can be done and is done. Look at west side the more advanced you get the more you roatae the exercises. beginner threee weeks or so at one main core lift and then change and the more advanced you get the more you chage up to every week.
You then gauge your progress on when you repeat said lifts. The thing is to have lifts that are similar but different. Like you had lunges and step up. those hit much of the same musculature but in a slightly different way, but say you bring one up. the other will likely follow.
Id prob start by picking a few nsay three exercises to rotate and rotate them every other or third week. so repeat once ro twice trying to do better progress then switch, eventually you will after youve cycle the three exercises be back to the first and trying to get better on it again.
There ar a million ways to skin a cat this is just one of them the poster above with the varying and progressing reps, sets, rst, etc gave you more options.
Are you introverted or extroverted?
Louie Simmons and Charles Poliquin have both commented that your answer to this question determines how much variety you need in your routine, particularly with regard to max effort work.
The more extroverted you are, the more quickly you burn out movement patterns and need to change it up. An introvert can plough along with the same parameters for longer.
This is totally anecdotal though…but those guys are both well respected, especially Simmons.
I believe in changing reps and sets (loading parameters) more frequently than making alternate exercise choices.
Generally speaking, 2-6 weeks with the same program is a good idea. The more advanced you are, the more frequent the program should be changed.
Beginners can stay with the same program for even longer, often for 12 months or more.
A lot of people think they are more advanced than they are and use 1-2 week cycles.
[quote]Checkmate wrote:
A lot of people think they are more advanced than they are and use 1-2 week cycles.[/quote]
Well said