VarietyVariety cannot be overlooked when working out or beginning a new fitness program. It should come as no surprise that in order to continually see results, you must make regular adjustments to your program. After following the same workout for a while, the body simply adapts to the routine and at that point, new challenges are required. Most people have a basic understanding of this and as result, they will increase the intensity of their workouts by trying to lift more weight or perform more reps. While this is definitely important since you should always be trying to gradually increase the intensity of your sessions in order to improve, remember that changing your workout structure or the specific exercises you perform can have a positive impact on your results as well. Changing Other Factors in Addition to Intensity Levels There is no getting around the fact that the intensity of your workouts must be continually increased in order to see improvements in your body and performance. This can be done in many ways; for example, you can try to add 2-3 lbs to your lifts every workout, you can do more sets or reps, you can take shorter rest periods, you can do your cardio at a faster pace, etc. This is a form of variety in itself. Aside from all this though, remember that variety can also mean doing different exercises or changing the way in which you perform a certain exercise, which can also help you improve. There are virtually thousands of exercises that you can do for your body, and there are often several variations to each of those exercises. For many movements you can use free weights or machines and cables, you can perform an exercise standing or seated, you can use a wide-grip or narrow-grip, you can use a supinated or pronated hand position, you can vary the angle at which you move the weights in order to target different areas, etc. To effectively work a muscle and target the fibers in different ways, it is a good idea to take advantage of all the variations that can be performed. This will give you the best overall development since you will always leave your muscles guessing as to what’s coming next, forcing your body to adapt and grow stronger. Not only is variety essential to the development of your muscles, but it also takes the monotony out of your workout. Working out the exact same way can become boring very quickly, reducing a person’s motivation to exercise until they eventually quit the entire process. Constantly changing the way you train will eliminate this problem, leaving you excited to try new exercises and looking forward to tomorrow's workout. Free Weights vs. Machines There are pros and cons to both free weights and machines. Remember that for the best variety, it may be good to use both in your workouts. From a strength-training standpoint, the main advantage to using free weights is that they are more conducive to building functional strength (that is, strength that is more useful in everyday life) since the movements are often more natural and call upon various stabilizing muscles to work together. Machines, on the other hand, are often useful for isolating certain muscle groups and keeping them under constant tension without worrying about having to stabilize the weight. Machines can sometimes be safer since they reduce the risk of losing control of the weight but at the same time, certain designs may take your joints through an unnatural range of motion and can therefore be potentially dangerous in this sense. Of course when working out at home, free weights may be the easier choice since they take up a lot less room and are usually less expensive than machines. Overall, the best option is to simply keep an open mind to both alternatives. This will contribute to the variety of your workouts and assist you in making progress along the way.
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