Getting Consistent Results while Working Out

     Hey Guys!

     I'm going to cut right to the chase and tell you that everyone who has practiced strength training ever has, at least once, stopped getting results from working out. This can be frustrating, but there are variables we can change that influence our progression.

     When we work out, our bodies adapt to the stress we place it under. The reason you stop seeing results is that your body has adapted to the stress; now you need to add a new stress in place of the old stress to continue developing.

     There are many ways we can change the parameters of our workout routines to promote growth. The variables I will discuss are Intensity (weight), Volume (sets and reps), frequency (how often you work out) and exercise variations (or cycling).

     Intensity is where most people get stuck. Some people use the same weight for weeks, even months, on end. The worst thing you can do is use the same weight over and over again. Your body has adapted to that intensity. You now have to add or drop weight. Do not be discouraged to drop weight if you have to. Your pride can keep you from getting stronger - don't let it.

    So you can either add or drop weight, but now you have to either lower or raise your volume. If you drop weight you should perform more sets and reps, and if you increase the weight you have to lower the amount of sets and reps you perform.

     Just those three variables alone will provide enough change from workout to workout to promote consistent results, but I have two more variables for you guys.

     Frequency, or how often you train a particular muscle (or muscle group) also influences your development. But the amount of stress you place upon your body will influence how often you can workout without overtraining. Beginners can easily train a muscle group twice a week, while intermediates and advanced lifters need more time to recover. After all, they handle much more stress than beginners.

     What intermediates and advanced lifters can do is train muscle groups twice a week and have one day focus on volume while the other focuses on intensity. One day you would use heavy weights, the other you would use light weights. This way you would not place as much stress on your body.

     Finally, you can add variety to your exercises. I'm not saying you have to perform completely different exercises. You can, but you can also make changes to the exercises you are currently doing. Every exercise has its variations. For example, instead of doing bench-press over and over you can do flat or incline dumbbell presses.

     You can even keep it simpler by only changing your positioning - hand position, stance, grip, etc. For example, you can perform side lateral raises with a straight arm or with your elbows slightly bent. This will allow you to train different muscle fibers and build fully developed muscles.

     I change at least one variable in my routine each time I work out. Some changes are more drastic than others, but each time I see results.

     So that's all folks. Until next time. If you have any questions or comments leave them in the comment section below.

     Get Stronger!
          -Nas