How often do you guys switch up your workouts?

[RyanG415]

Sup BB.COM,

Just wanted to ask you guys, how often do you change up your routines? Do you guys like changing your workouts every week? Or do some of you like to stick to a routine for a month or so than switch?

[Joe2DovesGiotto]

"a month or so" is just barely getting started. More like once/twice a year. Program-hopping = wheel spinning.

[Anthony21]

Sup BB.COM,

Just wanted to ask you guys, how often do you change up your routines? Do you guys like changing your workouts every week? Or do some of you like to stick to a routine for a month or so than switch?

I switch to a different program once that routine isn't providing steady gains and progression based off my goals.

[KarmicEffects]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it is a good general mindset, but it's good to try something different to freshen up gym feel and to see what works best (even though your's might be doing good) because "ground beef will be the best meat you've ever tasted if you've never had a choice cut before." That usually ends up every 4 months personally. Or, if something isn't going the way you want (endurance getting sucky, top end power stalling, etc.) then slight changes to routine can be nice to target the issue.

[bevans100fitnes]

6 weeks to 3 months, i alter EVERYTHING... except i said alter, not change.

Bench might become closer grip, neutral grip, or incline/decline as an example.

Here's exercises:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=150415343

[RyanG415]

I agree with you guys!!! Not sure about switching it up every week... If I kept switching it up, I wouldn't be sure whats working or not.

[SuffolkPunch]

You should be asking yourself why "switch it up" at all... don't believe myths about muscle confusion and other psuedo science.





You should have a core of go-to exercises and add or remove other exercises to work on specific issues. Those issues might change over time leading to changes in the routine but the core should stay roughly the same.

[bevans100fitnes]

You should be asking yourself why "switch it up" at all... don't believe myths about muscle confusion and other psuedo science.





You should have a core of go-to exercises and add or remove other exercises to work on specific issues. Those issues might change over time leading to changes in the routine but the core should stay roughly the same.

"Muscle-confusion" is not pseudoscience. It is just a pseudoscience name for different variations of the same movements hypertrophying different fibers. All the top programs do it.

[ulsak]

If you are advanced enough to know what to target achieve a certain goal, a switch to a certain excersise is justified : like to achieve symmetry or gain strength for a lagging bodypart, to get better support for a mainlift. Yes. But to change a whole routine after a couple of week. No.
Beginners shouldn't worry about changing anything for at least 6-12 months imho. And I really wish I got that advice when I began.

[SuffolkPunch]

"Muscle-confusion" is not pseudoscience. It is just a pseudoscience name for different variations of the same movements hypertrophying different fibers. All the top programs do it.

It is if you keep switching to unfamiliar exercises. You have to keep relearning neural patterns and don't give your muscles much of a chance to actually hypertrophy. Things like switching rep ranges are OK though.

Read this post from All Pro:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post698362731

The idea of "hitting a muscle from all angles" is overrated in my opinion. People can and have developed great physiques from a very limited range of basic movements

[ironwill2008]

Just wanted to ask you guys, how often do you change up your routines?

When my current routine stops progressing me towards my specific goal at the time.

Do you guys like changing your workouts every week? Or do some of you like to stick to a routine for a month or so than switch?

Every week? No way. Not even every month.

To jump from one thing to another so quickly will only leave you spinning your wheels and making little/no progress.








If your routine was any good to start with, it will provide you with gains equal to the effort you put into it (providing you eat and rest adequately, of course). It's possible to progress on the same routine for months.


If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[ShrimpPasta]

Once I fee like I'm not getting as good a pump. When I'm trying to put on more lean mass and not just maintaining, I tweak it a little bit every week to keep the confusing going.

[musikguy72]

Once I fee like I'm not getting as good a pump. When I'm trying to put on more lean mass and not just maintaining, I tweak it a little bit every week to keep the confusing going.

read above posts and follow links/do some research. No need to chase a ''pump' and no such thing as 'confusing the muscles'.

[Cainin]

read above posts and follow links/do some research. No need to chase a ''pump' and no such thing as 'confusing the muscles'.

amen.

[bevans100fitnes]

It is if you keep switching to unfamiliar exercises. You have to keep relearning neural patterns and don't give your muscles much of a chance to actually hypertrophy. Things like switching rep ranges are OK though.

Read this post from All Pro:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post698362731

The idea of "hitting a muscle from all angles" is overrated in my opinion. People can and have developed great physiques from a very limited range of basic movements

I'm not too much about "changing" the exercise like oldschool bbers.. I dont replace pressing with flyes, etc. When i say "change" I mean, possibly, a slight decline in the bench, or a slightly narrower grip. Rotate deadlifts off a box or rack deads in for deadlifts... etc.

[bobbydigitaloa]

I typically change mine up every 6-8 weeks. Often finding new programs for the major 3 lifts and then random accessory stuff.

[FearNoHardship]

well i usually make small modifications to my program every month or so but not completely change it. things like changing the order of some exercises or substituting certain workouts with others just to mix it up and not get bored.

[bevans100fitnes]

I'm gonna backtrack because I realized I might be giving the right advice to the wrong person. Once you've been at it a couple years, plateaus are frequent, and progress is slow, change it up every 6 to 12 weeks.

If there has been less than 16 months consistent coumpound heavy lifting, do not change, because in all likelihood, you are still figuring out how to bench, squat, and deadlift, properly. No point switching it up when you don't even have form (neural recruitment patterns as well) learned.

If you're just getting started pick a push, pick a pull, pick a squat, and pick a deadlift variation.
Stick with them for 16 months.
Keep a journal and make sure more reps with same weight or more weight for same reps every workout.
Eat tons of protein.
Try not to confuse yourself with reading high level stuff like I was just posting. Just eat tons of meat, and keep those lifts going up. It should continue for 6 months to 2 years depending on how blessed you are genetically.

[liquorisquicker]

I don't really see how I could totally change my routine up completely... certain lifts are too important for me/ i enjoy too much to ever drop, and the main compound lifts must be done on different days, so a lot of it is set in stone. Incline bench, squat, deadlift, pullups, seated/barbell rows are always going to be there. I am, however, always (i.e., every 2-5 weeks) tweaking some aspect of my workout. That may mean changing from swiss ball crunches to hanging leg raises when I get bored of them, or adding tricep pushdowns to my chest day if I want to focus more. I also rcently started doing bicep curls on my back day, first time I've done curls since I was a noob.

edit: saw the post above me has some good info, so I'll back him up. If you're a novice lifter, as long as you eat well and work hard doing compound lifts, you're going to see gains. Don't switch it up for the sake of change. Changing up your routine comes as you advance in bodybuilding, when you start to learn how your body reacts to working out, and have a better idea of which parts of your body you need to focus on to maintain symmetry.