Ok so here is a continuation of the blog post on training variation. First I will expand on what you read in the blog post and then I will get into some different variables that you must utilize.

Most people do not understand the importance of variety in their training regimen. We are not just talking about switching up a couple exercises every so often to help “switch things up”. We are talking about varying everything there is to vary in a workout. First off is the exercises, no two workouts should ever consist of the exact same exercises that your last workout had. Switching up your exercises with every workout will not only help your workouts stay interesting but it will also keep your progress moving forward. There is however, a base that you do not want to drift too far from. Ex: Everyone should include variations of the best exercises, like: squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and even a form of bench press. These basic four categories are the most productive style of exercises for burning fat, gaining muscle, and teaching the body how to perform daily tasks correctly. Although it takes your body the longest out of all the variables in training to adapt to and become stagnant with, it is still important to utilize all different types of exercises. Ex: Instead of performing the bench press like most guys do every Monday, try performing a more functional and multi dimensional exercise like the basic push-up. Not only does the push-up build your chest muscles, but it also develops shoulder stability, core strength, and burns a ton of calories. Next I am going to cover the even more important variables of training you must vary daily.
            The most important thing that must be varied in your workouts is your reps and sets. Your total reps and sets in one workout is the total volume. This is what most people become adapted to, and their results come to a screeching halt. Still, many people will try to tell you that they vary their reps and sets enough, switching them up every four weeks (usually decreasing reps and increasing sets every month, which is called linear periodization, this method is used by many inferior American trainers, and is not the way to go) . Long before that your body becomes accustomed to the sets and reps. Throw this mix into your workout and let us know how it works out. On Monday try and perform four sets of five reps. Then on Wednesday perform two sets of fifteen reps. Finally on Friday, perform three sets of ten reps. The whole morale of the story is to keep changing your workouts to keep the intensity high and your body progressing. Performing low reps like five, your body uses all fast twitch muscles to move the weight, when using fast twitch muscle fibers your body burns a lot more calories. With performing sets of low reps for one workout and then higher reps for another, it gives your muscles the best chance to grow by increasing the density of the muscle fibers and also the number. So not only is that great for weight loss (the more muscle mass, the higher your metabolism), but it is also a must for guys who want to gain the most amount of muscle they can.
            The next big variable that should be changed frequently, but not as frequent as the sets and reps, is the tempo of the exercise. The tempo of the exercise is the speed at which each rep is performed. Tempo is usually described like this for example: 4-2-1. The four stands for the eccentric phase of the lift, or the time it takes to lower the bar to your chest in a bench press, the two stands for the pause between the eccentric and concentric portion of the lift, like when the bar is just above your chest before pressing it upwards. The last number stands for the time it takes to perform the concentric portion of the lift, the actual lifting phase, like pressing the bar away from your chest when bench pressing. This last phase should always be performed as explosively as you can. Try experimenting with the tempo listed above every other week or one week out of the month.
            The last variable that I will cover in this article is using different equipment. I am not talking about just using machines or free weights. Never should you use machines, machines artificially stabilize your body, which will falsely teach your body how to stabilize its own joints. I am talking about using medicine balls, super bands, sand bags, kettle bells, dumbbells, barbells, and any other miscellaneous objects. Using different types of equipment like that will help not only keep intensity up but it also keeps your body adjusting to different types of resistance. Using different types of resistance will help you burst through plateaus and sticking points in your progress. Shoot for using a different type of tool other than the traditional dumbbell and barbell for one of your weekly workouts.