the same exercises and the same reps? They've been there as long as you can
remember, doing the same thing on the same night, year after year. And when you
think back on how they looked when you first noticed him way back when, he
looks...the same.
Yeah... let's not be that guy!
Consistency is good – it's essential – but if you've been doing exactly the same
workouts for a bit too long, it's time to switch things up. Sure, you may have
had some decent results while lifting the same weights in the same movements
through the same range of motion at the same speed, but come on, man, it's the
21st century.
Many of the methods we're going to discuss play upon the concept of neural
engram remodeling, where a well-known pattern with some added variables has to
be relearned as if it were a totally new pattern. An example of this would be
running on concrete compared to running through sand.
The movement is basically the same – run real fast – but in sand, the difference
in ground reaction forces applied to the body to propel it forward cause the
muscle activity to change, the response time of the stretch-shortening cycle
elongates, and the person doing the running is challenged more, compared to
running on flat, solid concrete.
By introducing just one or two variables to a familiar exercise, you can create
a new stimulus out of a movement that's already well practiced, which can
prevent you from plateauing and even spark some new progress. Here are 12
suggestions:
1. Get a (Different) Grip
Grip is something that many people don't seem to like to mess with. They see a
bar, they grab the bar, and they start their lift. Most people want their grip
and hand position to be as familiar, reliable, and uncomplicated. Any deviation
makes them feel anxious and totally ruins the rest of their day.
The funny thing is, that by altering your grip even slightly, you can make
different muscles fire and different fibers within those muscles fire more than
you were with your previous grip. Plus, a new hand position means the weight is
in a new position, which can alter the leverage being used.
Grasp a dumbbell in the dead center of the handle and the weights are equally
distributed on both sides of the hand, requiring little stability from the
forearm muscles. But shift your hand position either to the very top, with the
thumb against the weights, or to the very bottom, with the pinky against the
weights, and you've adjusted the dumbbell's balance and altered the activity of
the forearm muscles.
You have even more options with a barbell:
Hook grip: Grasping the thumb between the index and/or middle fingers and the
bar, like making a fist the wrong way.
False grip: Keeping the thumb on the same side of the bar as the fingers.
Reverse grip: Supinating both arms, palms up.
Mixed grip (when applicable): One hand supinated/palm up, the other hand
pronated/palm down.
2. Base of Support
The base of support can be best described as the square area that makes up the
distance between both feet and the distance from the point of one toe to the
heel of the other. The bigger your base is, the more stable you are and the more
weight you can successfully manipulate.
A square stance, as used in squat patterns, can work the hips more when in a
wide stance and with feet slightly externally rotated. When the squat stance is
narrower, it requires more work from the ankles and more flexibility through the
hips and thoracic spine.
Balance becomes a challenge when you move from a square stance to a narrow split
stance, as in most lunge movements, and it becomes even more challenging when
you go to a closer heel-to-toe position.
One of the most difficult progressions would be to perform single-leg exercises
(single-leg squats or one-leg deadlifts) since you'll obviously have only one
foot to provide the base of support. For upper body work, consider the multiple
foot positions available for a push-up – feet close together, wide, staggered,
or even changing your foot position during the exercise.
3. Speed of Movement
Rep speed, or tempo, can be one of the easiest variables to manipulate, yet it
can produce dramatic differences in what the movement actually does and its
level of difficulty. Performing an exercise at a moderate pace, such as one to
two seconds for lowering and lifting the weight, is typically the easiest and
safest method, but it's more mind numbing than the "Ben Stein Reads the
Dictionary" audiobook.
A faster speed with more explosive movements generates a higher level of force
production within the muscle, and allows bigger force outputs to the weights
being lifted.
A deliberate and super-slow pace, such as a 10-second lowering and lifting, can
make you hate life by increasing the torturous time under tension, limiting the
amount of weight you can lift but increasing the level of post-workout muscle
soreness, and still end up being very useful for strength gains and muscular
development.
4. Rest Intervals
Honest question: When was the last time you timed your rest intervals? If you're
like most people, you can't remember, because it's just not something you do.
That's for newbies who don't know any better. You lift when you feel "ready,"
whatever that means.
But by holding yourself accountable to the clock and starting each set within a
specified time, you can actually increase the overall demand on your system
while reducing the time you spend in the gym. Not such a bad deal, and all you
have to do is glance at a clock every once in a while.
For most programs, the length of rest time will be determined by the relative
intensity of the lift being attempted. In most circuit-style workouts, where the
relative intensity is roughly 50% or less of the individual's 1-rep max (1RM),
the rest time could be under 30 seconds.
For intensities between 60-75% 1RM (generally 10-15 reps per set), a full 60
seconds is usually adequate. For work in the 80-90% 1RM range (around 3-6 reps),
90-120 seconds rest between sets is typically required. Lastly, for true max
weight efforts, a solid 3-5 minutes may be needed.
The longer rest periods for higher intensity work are needed to allow for neural
recovery, while the shorter rest periods in the lower intensity sets allow for
cardiac recovery, which can occur relatively quickly.
The higher the intensity, the more demand on more tissues is present, beginning
with cardiac demand (heart rate response) and progressing into muscle demand.
5. Use Dynamic Resistance
Using a form of resistance that changes throughout the movement can make a big
difference in the activity. Two examples of this would be using rubberbands when
performing free weight movements. As you lift the weight the resistance
increases causing a greater demand on the muscular system.
Another form of dynamic resistance would be to use something with an unstable
load, such as sand bags or chains. The weight shifts while moving and creates an
unstable load that requires more work to simply stay vertical and not get
crushed while trying to move from point A to point B.
6. Workout At A Different Gym
Varying your workout may be as simple as a change of scenery. By visiting a
different workout facility, you will be forced to use different pieces of
equipment, have a different "energy" in the building and spend less time
chatting with friends. This is a tactic I've incorporated on occasion when I
feel my workouts getting mundane. A while ago, I joined one of the $10/month
gyms. Nobody knew who I was and I was able to focus on a great workout, using
equipment I wasn't used to causing the muscles to adapt to a new stimulus. At
$10/month, even if I only used the gym once each month it was the equivalent of
paying a guest fee at most gyms!
* some information compiled from tmuscle.com
** To be continued next week.**