Switching Your Workout Routine
Everyone knows that you need a workout routine for you to achieve your fitness goals. Eating the right amount of calories is the number one thing to do, but that only makes you slimmer or leaner. Without exercise, you will not be able to tone your muscles or strengthen them in any way.
And that’s why you have workouts. Workouts are a set of exercises that focus on specific fitness goals. Either a fitness app or a trainer can help create a program perfect for you. Nowadays, people just follow an app and pick the area they want to target. The app itself guides you to do certain sets of movements. Although this seems like a great way to save up from trainer expenses, it can also have its downsides. One downside is that people can easily change their workout routine.
Why You Should Not Change Your Workout Routine
So many people change their routine when they feel bored or when they don’t see any results. But workouts only work after a certain amount of time. Don’t expect them to work overnight or just after a week. In fact, there are workouts that only show results after 8 weeks or so. So patience and consistency are keys to any effective routine.
Here are some more reasons why you shouldn’t change your routine.
1. A different Workout Doesn’t Target The Same Muscles
There’s a reason why your workout is arranged like that. If you want to target your glutes, then most of your exercises will be to shape your glutes. But if you frequently change your workouts, there’s a high chance that you won’t be able to target the same muscle again unless you use a similar set of exercises. Think about it this way – you focus on muscle A this week and then you focus on muscle B next week. If you continue to that, you won’t be able to shape one muscle at all.
2. It Doesn’t Build Consistency
Consistency is a must if you want to achieve any fitness goal. Whether it’s to strengthen your muscles or to lose weight, you won’t be able to do so if you don’t do a workout repeatedly. Say, for example, you aim to lose weight. Dietitians and fitness trainers will recommend that you do cardiovascular exercises every day for at least two months for you to see results. While you will see that you’re losing a few points after a month, continuing your cardio will give better results.
3. It Can Have A Different Effect On Your Muscles
Have you ever heard of people complaining that they look bigger when they exercise? This is possible because some exercises affect muscles differently. For example, arm exercises can either tone your arms or make it look bigger. Of course, there are other factors that affect this. But if you want to look leaner, then you shouldn’t shake up your routine for a different one. If you’ve seen results in one routine, then keep doing that until you see that it doesn’t do you any good.
4. You’ll Need The Same Amount Of Time (Or More) To See Results
If your reasons for changing a routine is you want to see results, then don’t expect to have it when you change your routine. Again, a new routine takes time to work so if you keep changing it, then seeing results will definitely take longer than usual. Depending on how hard you work out and the number of times you do it, your muscles can show changes starting in two months. For some people who think this is a long time, then try complementing your workout with a changed diet. A diet focused on your fitness goal can help your body inch a lot closer to your goals.
Why You Should Change Your Workout Routine
Even if it’s not advisable to change your workout routine every time, this doesn’t mean that you won’t change it ever. There are still times that changing your weekly exercises actually produces better results. Here are five signs that will tell you that it’s time to shake up your routine a bit.
1. When It Doesn’t Work
Obviously, when your workout doesn’t work for you, it’s a sign that you have to change it. But make sure that you’ve tried to do the workout for a few weeks without fail in order to be sure that it doesn’t work. Also, check if you’ve set realistic goals during the course of a reasonable time. If you know that you’ve been fair to your workout and your expectations and it still doesn’t seem to work, then it’s time to change.
2. When Your Fitness Goals Change
A common reason why people change routines is if their fitness goals change. For example, you used to want to bulk up so that you can do better at weightlifting. But you realized that this isn’t the body type you want. When this happens, you should change your workout routine because you no longer have to focus on weightlifting. If you want to become leaner instead of bulkier, then a change to strength training and cardio will be applicable to you.
3. When It Becomes Too Easy
Trainers often say that you should push yourself to the limit when you work out. “If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not working,” they often say. And somehow, this is actually true. When you don’t feel a thing when you work out, then maybe the exercises are just too easy for you.
When you exercise, your goal is to stretch your muscles and to make sure they are forced to burn calories. You’ll know you’re using your muscles properly if after a few reps the targeted muscles start to hurt. Sometimes, all you need is to increase the number of reps you make.
4. When It’s Become Boring
One of the popular reasons why people want to change their workout is that they’re bored. Ideally, trainers will tell you to just motivate yourself so you get encouraged to do the workout. But you know when a workout doesn’t bring you any excitement. Who says workouts should be boring anyway? Again, if you actually tried to like your workout but it still doesn’t work, then it’s time to change. Make it more exciting so that you want to do it every single day.
If going to the gym isn’t your thing, then why not do sports? Most guys actually get into sports as a way to lose weight. And what’s great about sports is that they don’t feel like a chore. You won’t notice that you’ve spent hours playing an outdoor game and you also get to enjoy the company of other people.
5. When There Are Changes In Your Body
Contrary to the first sign mentioned above, you know it’s time to change your workout when your body can’t take the exercises. For example, there are people who have back problems that can’t handle certain stretches and movements. If that’s the case, then there’s no questioning about changing your workout.
Tips To Stay Motivated In Your Workout
If you feel bored doing your workout, then you’re not the only one. A lot of people get discouraged doing challenging exercises. Even the thought of going to the gym sounds like a tiring thing to do. So how do you get yourself motivated to get fit? Here are a few tips you can try.
1. Work Out With A Friend
One of the most effective ways to stay motivated is to have a friend work out with you. You’d think that this only works for women, but men actually get encouraged to exercise when they have their friends with them. One of the perks you get when you work out with friends is that you won’t notice the time flying. You won’t have to count down the seconds you have to watch to finish one exercise. Plus, you’ll get pushed to show that you’re fit in the gym.
2. Have A Specific Goal
You might have fitness goals in your mind, but they can be too idealistic that they don’t motivate you. Start small by being realistic about your goals. Losing a few pounds is still progress and you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it. At the end of the day, small progress is still a big change towards a healthier you.
3. Set A Specific Time Every Day
Just like your errands, setting a specific time every day for your workout helps you get psyched for it. It also helps lessen the excuses you have to make to skip gym day.
There are many reasons that will make you want to spice up your routine. One of them is boredom. But even if you’re tempted to change things, make sure that you are doing so for the right reasons. Don’t forget that for workouts to show results, you have to be consistent and patient with them. If you do, you can see results in as early as two months.
Sources:
- When, Why, How & How Often Should You Change Your Workout Routine, A Workout Routine
- 6 Signs It’s Time to Switch Your Workout Routine, Men’s Journal
