Day 16 - Change Things Up

Also known as "periodization", this is the idea that you should not be doing the same things all the time. Even you runners out there that want to train for a race should not just run, but do other full body exercises.

When you do something, your body wants to do that particular thing as efficiently and effectively as possible so it strengthens you in those areas, also known as adaptation. Once you adapt to a program, your body stops changing and you hit a plateau.

This is very common for people who want to get fit so they decide to take up running. Well, they get out there and run 5km, 3 days a week and see great results the first few weeks, losing weight, etc. Then, all of a sudden as if someone hit a switch, they stop losing weight. This is because their body is used to running and is no longer changing. This is why full-body circuit routines are great, you can constantly swap out different moves and literally have an infinite number of exercise combinations to keep your body constantly guessing...and constantly changing!

On the other hand, if you are an athlete who wishes to improve a certain skill or attribute - leg explosiveness for example - repetition is the way to go. Sure, you still want to formulate a program around variation to improve over time, but you also need repetition to give your body or specific body part time to adapt and master a certain skill set. 

Quote of the day:

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."
~Vincent Van Gogh