How Often Should I Change My Workout Routine?

In order to realize optimal benefits from your bodybuilding or muscle building program, a change in your workout routines is periodically required.

Muscle growth, or hypertrophy, relies on the principle of Progressive Overload. This is the process of progressively placing greater than normal demands on the musculature. Simply put, in order to increase muscle growth and strength, you must consistently lift more and make the muscles exert more effort than what they have adapted to.

I’m sure you’ve seen people at the gym that have been doing the same exercises on the same machines with the same weight, sets and reps. They don’t change a thing for ages and consequently neither does their physique. If you want to get the most out of your time spent in the gym, you’ve got to pay close attention to your body’s response. If your progress has come to a halt and you feel as if you’re just going through the motions, you may be long overdue for a change.

There are a number of ways to create progressive overload in your workout program. You don’t necessarily need a new routine every 4 to 6 or 6 to 8 weeks as long as you make a few changes to your existing program.

Increase Sets

If you’re currently doing 3 sets of each exercise, try 4. Simple enough.

Increase Weight

If you’ve been using the same weight on a particular exercise for a while, increase it slightly. Start by bumping the weight up by 5 or 10 percent and go from there.

Increase Reps

Instead of 8 reps, aim for 10 or even 12. Don’t stop just because you get to that particular number, stop because you’ve achieved failure. Obviously if you can do more than 12 reps, the weight needs to be increased.

Change Frequency

If you’re currently training each body part once per week, you may want to switch to a full body or a push/pull program a few times per week instead. Essentially you’ll be doing the same number of sets but you’ll be working the muscle groups more often. Likewise, if you normally train using a full body or push/pull program, try switching to working one specific body part per workout.

Increase Exercises

If your program consists of 4 different bicep exercises at 4 sets per exercise for example, try switching to 5 exercises or even 6 for 3 sets.

Increase Intensity

Pay close attention to how hard you’re working. You’ll get what you put into each workout so crank the tunes, find a great partner and work a little harder.

Change Rest Time

Decreasing rest time offers a huge metabolic advantage and ramps up the intensity big time. Try adding supersets for a shorter, yet super effective workout.

The human body is an exceptional machine and capable of adapting to almost anything we throw at it. This is great for survival but not so much for gaining muscle and looking great on the beach.You’ve heard that variety is the spice of life? Well, it’s also the key to a shredded physique!

About Shauna
	Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program".

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