Not Sure and Wondering “How Often Should I Change My Workout Routine?” Read This Blog to Know When Its Best to Change Your Workout
The workout has evolved, but some things remain the same, such as sticking to the basics, focusing on compound exercises, and one question: How often should I change my workout routine to get better results?
The reality is that there are many philosophies on this question. For instance, workouts usually last for 12 weeks, and many even believe that your muscles need to be confused often to get results. You’ll have many answers, but let’s put it in one line: one of the best times to change the workout is when you hit plateaus and stop getting noticeable results.
Now, how long it takes to reach plateaus differs from person to person. For instance, some can stick with the same workout routine for the whole year and can get results that benefit them, and others may need to make changes in their workout every 3 to 4 weeks.
Similarly, some workouts aren’t meant to be done long-term, and some are better for the long term. For example, if your workout routine is demanding on your CNS, a shorter duration is best, as it’ll not burn you out.
As you gain experience, you’ll understand when it’s best to change your workout routine. Nonetheless, below is a short answer to the question: “How often should I change my workout routine?”
- Stick with 8 to 12 weeks to build strength if you’re a complete beginner.
- Make some changes in your workout after 6 to 8 weeks if you’re intermediate.
- Change every 4 to 6 weeks if you’re an advanced lifter.
Now, following these above rules is not a compulsion. However, in most scenarios, people shift their workouts in this manner.
Several Factors Need to Be Considered at the Time of Changing Workout Routine
There’s no simple answer when it comes to changing workout routine as it depends upon factors such as:
- Training Goals
- Training Age
- Real Strength Level
- Skills Level of your Movement
Hence, you can’t judge whether your workout routine should change after a specific time. Everyone’s goals and requirements are different.
Strength & Performance
When it comes to strength training, reps are your friend as a lifter. Strength training is one type of process where you’re focused on building thick muscle fiber, efficient nervous system, and improved overall performance. Similarly, lifters also need to find a way to make a pattern that is good enough to improve their present strength level.
Usually, lifters who say they’re more interested in strength training talk about some of the handful of exercises such as deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, squats, and cleans. Hence, with such a limited number of exercises it creates opportunities to add time and volume to these big lifts and their variations as well. The best way to improve performance in strength training is to put more effort and practice into it. Accessory exercises have their place, but to benefit from such a program, you don’t need to shift your focus from the fundamental movements you’re looking to improve. And, for improvement overall, six weeks is more than enough.
Muscle Gains
For those who want to improve muscle mass, the process will be entirely different. The main focus will be to gain muscle size, and the secondary focus will be strength. Hence, hitting muscles from various angles and accepting your inefficiency is the best thing you can do to trigger changes aesthetically.
In other words, for a lean physique, you’ll need to be more focused on recruiting more motor units through muscles and burn more calories in each rep of a set you’re doing. No doubt, it doesn’t mean that you should switch your workout routine every week, but you’ll need to add variety as your main concern will not be about getting stronger.
Similarly, when you hit a plateau in your muscle gains, you’ll make specific tweaks to your workout program, which can usually be done after eight weeks.
How to Change Your Workout
By reading till here, we hope you’ve got the answer to your question: “How often should I change my workout routine?” Now, let’s see how you can change your workout by doing specific tweaks to your current workout that enhance your results before hopping into an entirely different workout routine.
Change in Tempo
You can make your exercise more challenging by using the same weight along with a small tweak of adding time under tension. In other words, in negative reps, slow down, and you’ll feel a huge difference, and it’ll become challenging to handle the same weight that you had been handling easily earlier. For instance, when lowering down your bicep curls, keep the movement slow, and you’ll feel the difference instantly. Similarly, you can change the tempo in all your exercises.
Same Exercise, Different Equipment & Alternatives
Simply because you need to bench press, deadlift, overhead press, or squats doesn’t mean you need to use a barbell all the time. You can make the change by adding a kettlebell, dumbbell, or even cables in certain exercises.
Similarly, you can even use alternate exercises. For example, if you want to use a 45-degree hack squats machine and the gym doesn’t have one, or you’ve used one many times, you can go for front squats as well.
Switching Exercises Order
It’s not a compulsion that you follow the exercise order in the same way. Instead, after 4 to 8 weeks, you can even change the order of your workout. For example, if you’re doing the first exercise as a flat bench press, then you can go for an incline bench press as well, which will help you focus more on your upper chest while lifting more weights.
Adding Techniques
You can add different techniques to your workout, like supersets, tri-sets, or even giant sets. These will challenge your body and add something new to your regular workout routine. Similarly, they will make your workout more interesting, as you won’t feel bored by following the same exercises repeatedly.
Changing Rest Time
Whether your goal is building muscle mass, sculpting your physique, or losing fat, the time you take to rest between sets plays a crucial role. For instance, to build strength, it’s best to take 2 to 3 minutes of rest time between sets, and to lose body fat, it’s best to keep your rest time as low as 30 to 45 seconds.
Hence, first, get clear about your overall goal for the workout, as it’s different for everyone, and make your resting period between sets accordingly. This will help regulate your heart rate accurately, and, coupled with significant compound movements, you’ll get effective results. Further, paying attention to your resting time also allows your central nervous system to recover fully between heavy sets, eventually giving better results in quality press or pull patterns.
Signs That It’s the Right Time to Change Your Workout Routine
Those who have read till here for them we believe they’ve got an answer to their question, “How often should I change my workout routine?” Hence, let’s understand some apparent signs by which you can tell you should change the workout you’re following presently.
No Physical Change
If you’ve been following the same routine for two months and made some progress, but now your body isn’t changing, it’s a clear sign you need to change your workout routine.
Struggle to Lift More Weights
If you’ve been using the same weights for a while, it might be time to adjust your workout variables to push past this plateau. Different training systems can help your body break out of its comfort zone by adding more difficulty to your usual exercises.
Getting Bored With Your Workout
This is crucial because it relates to your mindset. If you’re bored, you won’t have the drive or motivation to push your body to its limits. Every time you train, enter the gym with a positive attitude, focusing on your goals and expectations. Remember: where the mind goes, the body follows.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re still unsure and have the question, “How Often Should I Change My Workout Routine?” take a few minutes to define your goals in the weight room clearly. Knowing your objectives makes it easier to plan your training program.
If you’re uncertain about your training goals, start by building a baseline of strength. This doesn’t mean you need to become a powerlifter, but you should focus on lifting respectable weights with good form in significant exercises. Developing this strength foundation will benefit your entire training journey, making it easier to program for other goals and adjust your workout when necessary.
Remember, understanding your goals and having a solid strength base is key to effectively determining when and how to change your workout routine.
