How often do you change routines?

[tadpole25]

How many weeks do need to use the same exercise in order to test how effective it is for you? And when is it time to change things up?

[jademonkey]

I usually run a similar program for several months or longer, but it morphs as time goes on and I switch some exercises out, replace some, modify some, etc.

[PissChugger]

When it stops working. Duh

[MarkZB]

When it gets boring, usually every six month or so.

[kennycroxdale]

How many weeks do need to use the same exercise in order to test how effective it is for you? And when is it time to change things up?

Training Cycle Length

One of the primary determinates of how long to maintain a Training Cycle has to do with...

Training Age

This has to do with how long you have been training, not your chronological age.

Novice Lifter's adapt slowly. They can use the same training program for up to 12 weeks before it need to be changed.

Advanced Lifter adapt quickly. They need to change their program up around every 3 - 4 weeks.

The underlying reason for this has to do with...

The General Adaptation Syndrome

What that means is at some point in a Training Cycle, adaptation occurs. When adaptation takes place, progress stops.

Continuing to push it farther, once adaptation happens, eventually lead to OverTraining. Which take time to recovery from.

[coachcalande]

How many weeks do need to use the same exercise in order to test how effective it is for you? And when is it time to change things up?

My routine always has the following

Bench press
Incline press

* the change may be machine vs free weights, sets and reps and resistance used
*sometimes I’ll add flyes, incline flyes or pec deck

Seated rows
Lat pulldowns
Narrow lat pulldowns

* variety comes from different machines, sets, reps, order of exercise

Seated shoulder press
* barbell or db or machine, various sets, reps, poundages

Upright row
*machine or free weights, sets, reps, lbs

Side laterals, front laterals, rear laterals, time permitting…cable or free weights


In my opinion, those things above are the best choices for my torso day.


Legs always have:
Squats…free weights or machine
Front squaTs or leg press
Leg extensions, leg curls

Sometimes deadlifts…



Arms always have

Ez curls or barbell curls with an Olympic bar
Alt db curls or concentration curls or preachers.

Pushdowns are always my first triceps move
Skull crushers on a smith or free weights next


This is how I have trained most of my life. I’ll try other machines but these are the staple movements.