How Often to Change Your Workout

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The “Clark Kent” of fitness has stopped by again with another guest post as you Finisher Freaks really dig his style. I’ll let Dennis take over from here…

Guest Post from Dennis Heenan, CTT

The question, “How often should I change my workout routine?” is one that I get a lot. It is also something that people have lots of confusion about and end up doing one of two things:

First, they either do the same routine (exercises, sets, reps, etc.) for months at a time…

OR you have those that change up their workout every time they go to the gym, without any rhyme or reason.

Rarely do you see people having the correct timing when it comes to changing their workout routines. That is why I have decided to put together this post.

Before answering our question, let me first address some major signs that it may be time for you to switch up your workout routine. The list below is mainly for those who go in and do the same routine over and over for months at a time…

If you are on the other end of the spectrum, trying to change up your workouts too often without any purpose behind it, you’ll find part two of this article very helpful.

(Part 1) Signs that your workout routine is in need of a change…

Below are five different signs that you may encounter when trying to figure out when it is time to switch up your workout routine:

• Your workouts are getting boring…The first thing you will notice is that you are bored. You have been doing the same thing over and over and are just itching for a change. Workouts are meant to be fun and exciting. Everyone is different for how long they feel they can stick with the same workout program, but one clear sign that a change is needed is when “bland and boring” starts to hit…

• Results have slowed or come to a stop… This one is very obvious but one that many overlook. If you had been seeing results from a workout routine and now they have suddenly stopped or slowed, it is a clear sign it is time for a change.

• Your goals have changed…Workout routines are built around the goals you wish to attain. Although much of what you should be doing is similar, there are still some variables that need to change depending on your goals. For example, maybe you are going through a period of losing fat then once you accomplish that, you want to put on some muscle mass. This will call for a change in your routine.

• You are getting more tired and sore than ever before…Many times when you stick to the same routine, your body will be the one to signal you that it is ready for something different. If you notice that you are getting more tired and sore from your workouts than before, you either need to take a week off or change up your routine.

• Your workouts are no longer challenging…If you are no longer challenged by your workouts, you must switch things up or you will stay exactly where you are currently. Workouts that challenge you to get better are the ones that will continue to bring serious results.
  

  You should never get bored with your workouts

(Part 2) How often to change your routine…

Now that we have covered some different signs on whether or not you need to change up your workout routine, lets now take a look at just how often you should change up your workouts. Here’s the shocking thing… You should be changing it every time you hit the gym…even if that means a slightly different exercise, an extra set, a few extra reps or a heavier weight.

With that being said, it’s important to take your fitness level into consideration. The factor of fitness levels comes into play when determining the length of time you should stick to a program:

How often should beginners change up their workout routine?

Beginners should focus on doing similar workouts for at least 6-8 weeks, really focused around rapid progression.

The reason for this is their bodies will take much longer to adapt to the exercises and workouts than someone who is more advanced. The time frame of 6-8 weeks gives enough time for the beginner to master certain routines and exercises they are focusing on and will allow for great of strength gains.

The focus here is to make sure you are doing the right exercises, ones that are proven to bring results. Once you have completed a solid 6-8 week workout routine, your body will now be much more prepared to take on different workouts.

Trying to progress to fast in the beginning will not allow your body to gain the proper strength that it needs to eventually perform more advanced workouts.

That being said, even as a beginner, your workouts CAN change on a daily basis IF the right progressions and exercises are used.

As a beginner, focus first on finding a solid workout routine and stick with it for at least 6-8 weeks before changing it up.

How often should intermediate/advanced workers change up their workout routine?

After getting comfortable in the weight room and feeling that you are now strong enough to take on more challenging exercises, you will find benefit with changing up your workout routines more often. Once you have been working out for a certain period of time, your body will learn to adapt faster to what you throw at it.

A professional athletes body will adapt to workouts and exercises much faster than a beginners would. With that said, once you feel you have reached the level that is past being a beginner, you can then start changing your workout routines every 3-4 weeks.

The key here is to make sure that each workout you do adds in new challenges. For example, you can add more reps, do a different exercise variation, perform more sets, etc.

You’ve already built your base, now it’s time to keep the progressions coming…

How often should top level workers change up their workout routine?

Top level workers refer to elite athletes and those who are very advanced with their workouts. When you reach this point, changing your routine is a must in order to ensure that you train your body to adapt to anything that gets thrown at it. That being said, these types of workers will find benefit in changing their workout routines every 1-2 weeks.

This means introducing new exercises, movements, and outside factors (balancing items, chains, tires, etc.) into their workouts. By doing this, they are allowing their bodies just enough time to adapt while changing their routines at the perfect time so they are constantly improving.

Another great way to do this is what I utilize in my new Superhero Body: Bodyweight Edition program where we change up the workouts each and every day for 28-days, starting with the very first workout.

This allows you to really keep your body guessing by throwing something NEW at it each time you hit the gym. Plus, it keeps your workouts fun and exciting 🙂

Take away points: 

• Find the right balance of when you should change your workout routine
• Constantly be challenging yourself each day when you get into the gym
• In order to get results, you must first be focusing on having a solid workout routine that involves doing the right exercises with the right progressions
• Take notice of the signs your body gives you to know when it is time for something new
• Have fun, keep intensity high, and always challenge yourself

If you’d like to see a NEW and unique way to really progress and take your body and workouts to the next level, check out my Superhero Body: Bodyweight Edition program at the link below where I’ll give you 20-different workouts that you can progress through in the next 28-days.

Click Here To Check Out The Superhero Body: Bodyweight Edition And Exactly How To Progress Workout After Workout!