Why the Best Workout Is the One You’re Not Doing
Find out why the best workout is the one you’re not doing—plus, discover what you can do about it.
Ben Greenfield
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Why the Best Workout Is the One You’re Not Doing
If you check out the title of a very recent study that looked into the best way to workout, then you may get a very good clue as to what the conclusion of the study was. Here’s what it was called: “Short-term effects of different loading schemes in fitness-related resistance training.” You’re about to learn exactly what this study found, why the best workout is the one you’re not doing, and what you can do about it.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the strength-building effects of four different loading schemes (aka workouts). Fifty fit and trained participants were randomly divided into four different sample groups, in which the subjects trained as follows:
- CL – constant load and constant volume of repetitions over six weeks. This means nothing really changed in terms of volume or intensity.
- IL – increases in load and decreasing volume of repetitions made every two weeks. This means weight went up, but reps went down every two weeks.
- DL – decreases in load and increasing volume of repetitions made every two weeks. This means weight went down but reps went up every two weeks.
- DCL – daily changing load and volume of repetitions. This means every day participants were thrown a curve ball, with both weight and reps changed around.
Rest periods were held constant between all groups, as were the exercises, which were all pretty straightforward resistance training exercises, such as horizontal leg presses, chest presses, butterflies, lat pulldowns, horizontal rows, dumbbell shoulder presses, cable triceps pushdowns, and dumbbell biceps curls, all performed over the full range of motion (ROM) in each workout.
So what did the researchers find?
It was pretty straightforward really. The DCL group (daily changing load and volume of repetitions) won hands down when it came to strength increases and reaping the benefits of resistance training. This is particularly powerful since these were trained individuals, in which it can be harder to induce strength increases.
I recommend you introduce new fitness moves or change up your workouts at least once a month.
It’s pretty easy to understand why this favorable adaptation to daily change ups in one’s workout occurred. In Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight, I describe the SAID principle of exercise. SAID stands for Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands, and this means that our bodies eventually adapt to the demands we place upon them.
So if you’re doing the same workout routine or the same exercises week after week, or month after month, your body becomes very efficient at those exercises or that routine. Thus, you no longer burn as many calories or get as good a fitness response from your efforts.
This is why I personally change up my routine every week, and I recommend you introduce new fitness moves or change up your workouts at least once a month to get the biggest bang for your workout buck. It’s also why I publish articles such as 5 New Fat Burning Exercises, in which you discover new moves that allow you to burn fat fast, challenge your metabolism, and keep your workouts exciting.
Let’s finish with an example of “changing things up”:
Monday: 4 sets of 8-10 reps of squat, dead lift, overhead press and dumbbell chest press
Tuesday: 3 sets of 15-20 reps of one leg squat, one leg dead lift, one arm overhead press and dumbbell one arm chest press
Wednesday: 2 sets of 3-5 reps of front squat, sumo dead lift, overhead dumbbell press and bench press
Thursday: Cardio, core and interval training
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Same as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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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.