Too much variation a bad thing?

JohnMatrix · 02-Jun-06, 01:45 PM

I was wondering if people think that varying your excercises a lot is a bad thing?

For example I work out 4 days a week and one of my days is chest and triceps. Each time I always try and avoid doing the same excercises I did the previous week and do something different.

My question is, will this reduce my gains?

The reason I ask is that the amount of weight I can use does not seem to be increasing very quickly this way. A couple years back I was benching all the time and the amount I could do grew quickly. Now I am varying my chest excercises the weight I can do in each excercise is not increasing by much.

Should I set certain excercises and stick to them for a few weeks?

Dins_PR · 02-Jun-06, 02:11 PM

Yes, I think you should stick with a workout for a few weeks then change out some exercises. You want to train your muscles for a certain exercise like the flat BB bench, you'll make gains on that, then start doing DB bench, the first workout or two will feel strange because it's a different movement but you'll soon start making gains on that. You want to keep your workouts fresh but not too fresh so you are constantly having to reteach your muscles how to do the movement.

ebon00 · 03-Jun-06, 02:15 PM

Unless you're doing full-body workouts 3 or more times a week you should never do different exercises at each workout. One reason your weights aren't going up is that your neuromuscular pathways aren't being allowed to get better at the movements because you're not working any particular movement enough. So, for split routines (which I personally don't like) you should stick to a certain workout for a decent number of weeks before trying something new.

**Firehawk** · 03-Jun-06, 03:20 PM

I find that by the 3rd week my body is well adapted to the exercise. I like to change my exercises after 2-3 weeks at the most. My core lift gets changed weekly, but that's a long discussion

.

abarlament · 03-Jun-06, 03:20 PM

ebon00's back. In the past few months a bunch of old-school guys have come back.

Maxgain · 03-Jun-06, 05:30 PM

Id typically stick bout 8 weeks progression takes time

JohnMatrix · 04-Jun-06, 06:52 AM

thanks for the advice guys

I had the feeling that might be the case

I got into varying excercises so much as before I was completely the opposite and got stuck doing the same old stuff week in week out and obviously i hit a plateau.

Guess I took it to the other exteme this time! Gonna make a plan n prob stick to it for 2-3 weeks now, see how it goes

04-Jun-06, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMatrix

Guess I took it to the other exteme this time!

lol Common problem amonst weight lifters.

Dan C · 05-Jun-06, 08:08 AM

It depends on what your goals are. If you are looking to increase your bench, than you should limit the number of exercises you do and stick to the program for 4-6 weeks. [If you can't make gains for at least 4 weeks in cycle that's a good indicator you're doing something wrong.]

If you are looking for an all-around, lasting strength, then rotate different exercises within your program.

FMJae · 05-Jun-06, 11:10 PM

Stick with the same routine until your body gets used to it. Then change the routine around by doing different exercises to "shock" your body.

Vas85 · 06-Jun-06, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehawk

I find that by the 3rd week my body is well adapted to the exercise. I like to change my exercises after 2-3 weeks at the most. My core lift gets changed weekly, but that's a long discussion

.

Oh My God, i'm speechless, my lifts change like every 6months? 1 year... even then i'm still doing most of the core lifts ive been doing since.

I think the key isn't variation, but adding weight to your lifts.. thats what counts.

I dont see how somebody can lift a maximum weight for 6reps (on their last set for each exercise) if they are constantly varying.. makes it hard to keep track of where you are at.

But you are a powerlifted Firehawk, i dont know....

Dan C · 06-Jun-06, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FMJae

Stick with the same routine until your body gets used to it. Then change the routine around by doing different exercises to "shock" your body.

This is typical "gym knowledge" but it doesn't really tell the original poster anything and could actually be detrimental if the person starts changing routines too much. At what point is the body "used to it"? One, two, three bad workouts in a row? Is it the program that isn't working, recovery factors, or the exercises themselves?

**Firehawk** · 06-Jun-06, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vas85

Oh My God, i'm speechless, my lifts change like every 6months? 1 year... even then i'm still doing most of the core lifts ive been doing since.

I think the key isn't variation, but adding weight to your lifts.. thats what counts.

I dont see how somebody can lift a maximum weight for 6reps (on their last set for each exercise) if they are constantly varying.. makes it hard to keep track of where you are at.

But you are a powerlifted Firehawk, i dont know....

Even when i was not into powerlifting, a routine for more than 4 weeks would get old and stale and I would slow progress. That doesn't mean if you keep plugging and chugging, you won't make a rep gain herea nd there, but to me that is pretty slow progress. Have you ever gone backwards on your lifts?

On my core lifts, i still do them, i just do a variation every 1-2 weeks, followed by special exercises that i do for about 3 weeks and then rotate one in or out. If i happen to make progress on one for a longer period of time, then i stick with it but as soon as the progress slows (doesn't mean stop) i change something.

A flat bench press to the chest is not the same as a 2-board bench press, or a floor press. A bench press with bands is another movement, a bench press with a board and a band is another movement. A bench press with a band and chain hanging on it is not the same as all the others. Just another way to train that's all.

Of course, diet is also a huge variable in this equation of many variables...

Dan C · 06-Jun-06, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehawk

Even when i was not into powerlifting, a routine for more than 4 weeks would get old and stale and I would slow progress. That doesn't mean if you keep plugging and chugging, you won't make a rep gain herea nd there, but to me that is pretty slow progress. Have you ever gone backwards on your lifts?

On my core lifts, i still do them, i just do a variation every 1-2 weeks, followed by special exercises that i do for about 3 weeks and then rotate one in or out. If i happen to make progress on one for a longer period of time, then i stick with it but as soon as the progress slows (doesn't mean stop) i change something.

So you're changing your routine before you're even finished gaining on it? It sounds as if as soon as the going gets tough (progress begins to slow), you're bailing.

**Firehawk** · 06-Jun-06, 12:00 PM

It be workin...when the progress slows, i change it, the progress speeds up, and all is good. Where is the problem? The gains continue constantly. I have continued to make gains even while cutting the entire time.

Westside baby...

The westside principle about max effort seems to work just like they say. I did not believe it at first, but since I've been doing routines like Westside advocates, their theory about not maxing out on the same exact lift for longer than 3 weeks seems to hold true. I went away from doing speed work and turned to doing higher reps for a few weeks, in which i would max out at about 6 reps for a heavy Dumbbell. I made progress for 3 weeks and on the 4th week i lost 2 reps. Westside theory said that would happen and sho nuff it did.

Not that i am taking westside as gospel, but so far what i"ve found in my own training has held up.