Get more and faster gains by switching up your workout every 6-8 weeks

(WomensFitnessFocus.com) If you’re like me you enjoy lifting weights and doing cardio on a regular basis to maintain a healthy body. A few of the reasons that have kept me interested in exercising throughout most of my life are maintaining a healthy weight, looking good, and keeping my immune system strong. I noticed in my early 20’s I used to get very bored with working out after about 8 weeks and I could never figure out why. I just reached a certain point and then I just got fed up with going to the gym.

I would take about 2 weeks off and then go back, usually weaker than I was before. I tried to figure out why I would work out religiously for a couple of months and then just quit. When it came down to it the main problem was really just boredom with my routine. I have always kept a workout log when I work out because each time I go to the gym I want to see how many repetitions and how much weight I used the previous week and then increase my weight and repetitions the following week.

This is a great way to motivate yourself and track your results and you’d be amazed how much stronger you are after just 2 months of exercising as long as you’re pushing yourself each and every session. Though keeping a workout log has always motivated me to push myself at the gym in order to see better results each session it was never enough to keep me going once I hit a certain plateau.

I noticed that after about 8 weeks of doing the same exercises I couldn’t lift any more weights or do any more repetitions from the previous week. Another thing that baffled me was that I wasn’t sore after my workouts after about 8 weeks either. The reason why I was so bored with my routine and why I wasn’t getting any stronger was because I hit a plateau with my current routine. Many experts say you should switch up your routine every 4-8 weeks because your muscles get used to doing the same exercises and get bored after a while. I thought it was crazy to think that my muscles have a memory and doing the same exercises over and over wasn’t stimulating after a while.

I don’t know about you but I’m not a big fan of change when it comes to my workout routines. I love seeing myself get stronger every week and by switching up my routine I’m pretty much starting over because I have to incorporate new exercises into my regimen and I don’t know how much weight I can lift with these new exercises once I start them. I find myself trying to figure out how much I’m comfortable with lifting and when I’m at the gym I tend to be impatient because I like to just get in, do my 1 hour workout, and leave.

I decided to take the experts’ advice and switch up my routine after 8 weeks about 5 years ago and continue to change my exercises every 6 weeks to see if this made a difference in my motivation and results. I looked up various exercises on numerous websites and bought some reference books.

The first week when you switch up your routine is pretty exciting because you’re doing exercises you’ve never done before in many cases. The first week also lets you know how much weight you can lift and how many repetitions you can do with your new exercises. I consider the first week of a new routine a learning week since you have to get a feel for how much weight you can lift that forces you to exert enough energy to struggle when you reach your desired amount of reps. After employing this tactic for several months I noticed a big difference in my motivation, strength, and overall attitude about working out.

After implementing a new program every 6 weeks I noticed I was mentally excited about working out, muscles I never even knew I had were sore, and I saw more muscle gains than I did when I just stuck to the same program after several months. I can truly see the benefit of switching up workout routines and I think a big reason why people don’t stick to working out after a couple of months is just a sense of boredom when it comes to doing the same routine over and over again.

I feel that by switching up your routine every 6-8 weeks you will see better results with your body as long as you stick to healthy eating and your motivation will increase by trying new exercises. As someone who didn’t like the idea at the beginning, I can’t see myself sticking to the same routine any more than 8 weeks because now I truly see the benefits of variety when it comes to working out.

By Ronald Cheli, Expert Articles

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