7 Ways to Add Variety to Your Workout
Get-Fit Guy has new ways to break through the exercise plateau by adding excitement and variety to your workouts so your body doesn’t get used to the same old routine.
Recently, in the episode , you learned about how to inject your workouts with fresh and new ideas to keep you motivated for exercise. In this article, you’re going to learn how to add even more variety to your workout, with 7 ways to keep your body from plateauing and getting used to the same old exercise routine.
#1: Mix Up Free Weights and Weight Machines
Most gyms have circuit areas. These are typically special sections of the weight training are where multiple /health-fitness/exercise/how-to-use-weight-lifting-machines are lined up in a row, and each machine works a specific body part.
However, there is no reason that you need to limit yourself to simply using the exercise machines in the circuit. For example, you can bring free weights (such as dumbbells) into the circuit area and do dumbbell raises before you do the machine shoulder press, or do dumbbell squats as an alternative to using the leg press.
By mixing up free weights and weight machines, you can ensure that you also have the choice of skipping any machines that aggravate an /health-fitness/exercise/how-to-get-rid-of-injuries-fast, or just don’t seem to fit your body right.
#2: Use Cardio Boosts
During my weight training routines, I’ll often use a “recovery period” between weight training sets to hop on a bicycle, elliptical trainer, stairmaster, or rowing machine and do 30 seconds to 2 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise.
In the episode /health-fitness/mens-health/which-workout-burns-the-most-fat, you learned that injecting these type of cardio boost in between weight training exercises is a great way to turn a weight training routine into an intense calorie and fat burning workout.
You can do cardio boosts after specific exercises, in between sets, or at the end of a circuit.
#3: Pre-or-Post-Exhaust
If you usually do a spin class, Pilates routine, or yoga at the gym, you can show up early and do a workout that pre-exhausts your muscles and throws an exercise curveball at your body. For example, you can do a series of squats and lunges before your spin class to make riding the bicycle just a little bit harder or more demanding. Or, you could do a full body weight training workout that works all your muscles except your stomach and low back before you go into a Pilates class.
In the same way, you can finish a class by doing a little extra in the gym. For example, if you do Zumba or step aerobics, you could follow it up and work a different energy system of your body with some heavier weight training using overhead presses or squats.
#4: Use a Trainer
There’s no rule that you have to regularly use a for weeks, months, or years. You can actually hire a trainer to work with you for just one session, and this is a great way to learn new exercises or a brand new way of working out.
Simply tell your trainer or potential trainer that you want a bit of variety in your routine, and you’d like them to put together a tough workout for you to learn, with a series of exercises that are new to your body. If you can’t afford a trainer, try dropping into a group training session or “Boot Camp” style workout to pick up new exercise moves, and also get the motivation and direction that you may need to exercise a little bit harder or differently.
#5: Use Extra Resistance
You can do your normal workout routine, but add extra resistance by wearing a weight vest, or using ankle or wrist weights. While you shouldn’t necessarily do a run on a treadmill with these weights, since it may increase joint strain and risk of injury, you can certainly do lower-impact workouts such as weight training, stair climbing, hiking, or calisthenics with extra weights.
Even the simple act of donning a weight vest can increase your metabolism by a few hundred extra calories per hour. So if you’re looking for an extra calorie-burning boost, this can be a perfect way to get it.
#6: Try Compounded Exercises
Another option for increasing variety in your workouts is to finish each weight training set that you do with some kind of powerful, athletic movement. For example, you can finish up a series of squats with 5-10 vertical jumps. Or, you can follow up the bench press with a medicine ball chest throw, the shoulder press with a medicine ball overhead throw, or the lateral lunge with side-to-side hopping. This is not only great for extra calorie-burning and variety, but can also put a big boost of athletic-style training into your workout routine.
#7: Do Mini-Circuits
For a full body workout, you can take each body part and split it into mini-circuits. For example, do a mini-circuit for your chest by doing standing cable chest press, lying stability ball chest press and push-ups, 3-5 times through as a circuit with minimal rest. You could then move on to your back by doing single arm dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns and assisted pull-ups, again 3-5 times through as a circuit with minimal rest. By stringing together multiple body parts in a series of mini-circuits, you can significantly increase lean muscle gain, and keep yourself from getting bored with one big long workout.
If you have more questions about ways to add workout variety, or your own tips about how to get more workout variety, share them in Comments or on the https://www.facebook.com/getfitguy
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About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.
