So I've come back to training after a while and I want to check up on this:
So I re-intro'd myself to weight training with standard 8-12 rep ranges * 3 sets per exercise. I've made sure to get those compound movements into my routine and to work the larger groups with more sets than the smaller.
Coming to the time when I want to switch to confuse my muscles. Will it be sufficient to just totally change my set and rep ranges and swap from a 3 day to a 4 day split? Or is it important I swap exercises e.g.
Change from weighted press ups to dips or elevated press ups
Change from Lunges to Squats etc
So really is it a case of the more variation I can throw in the better, or would it be sufficient and maybe safer to just change sets/reps/days?
Will
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Thread: Changing up routines
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03-15-2010, 08:29 AM #1
- Join Date: Mar 2010
- Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 44
- Posts: 285
- Rep Power: 255
Changing up routines
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03-15-2010, 08:58 AM #2
(This is the Female Section, FYI, but we're still happy to give you advice, as it's essentially the same on this point. )
I think people get hung up on "Muscle Confusion" too much. To me, as long as you're getting a progressive stimulus, you're doing fine. Whether that's doing 35 lbs instead of 30 lbs or getting 9 reps instead of 8.
Doing three sets of 6 at 50 lbs for a particular exercise for 6 weeks isn't necessarily going to get you anywhere. But if you progress the weight to 55 lbs or add another set, or get 7 reps, IMO, that's sufficient.
Number of split days (for me) is about recovery. If you can do a full body program 3 x week and get completely recovered between workouts, do that for as long as you can. Then move to a 2 day split (upper/lower, push/pull etc) once your recovery is insufficient, move on to a 3 day split (chest/tris/shoulders, back/bis, legs or what have you)
As for exercise selection, I tend to swap things out when a)I get REALLY bored to the point that I'm dreading an exercise or b)A particular exercise has stalled and I'm not making any further progression. I rarely make wholesale changes to my split these days, because I've found a schedule that I like and seems to work for me. Instead, I'll swap BB bench press for DB chest press or Arnold press for military press, etc.-
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03-15-2010, 09:28 AM #3
- Join Date: Mar 2010
- Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 44
- Posts: 285
- Rep Power: 255
Apologise ladies! Silly me (However secretly I suspect you get more sensible advice from women, but don't tell the guys I said so!)
Thanks for the advice, it makes perfect sense, just don't like to think I'm letting the grass grow under my feet.
Thanks again! (I feel like the drunk guy who makes a wrong turn when heading to the rest rooms!)
Will
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03-15-2010, 09:29 AM #4
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03-15-2010, 10:43 AM #5
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