Do you need to change exercises every week?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2016-12-15

It is necessary. More precisely, it's not mandatory, but ideally, it is preferable. Now, let's delve into more detail. To help you better visualize everything, let’s define two things at the outset.

1. The training effect (whether you are gaining mass or losing fat) is nothing more than the body's adaptation to external stimuli (loads). When the body adapts, it is training. As soon as the body adapts, the training effect disappears. Thus, the more varied the load, the harder it becomes for the body to adapt, which results in a stronger and longer-lasting training effect.

2. Nowadays, there are about 200 different exercises in the gym. However, many exercises are very similar to one another. If we group all the analogues, we realize there are actually about 20-30 distinct exercises, while everything else consists of variations.

To make this clearer, it’s like in sex. There are only 4-5 positions. Everything else is just modifications of those positions.

So, now you understand that the more varied the load, the longer the effect lasts. This load can be diversified. Because out of 200 exercises, the average enthusiast uses about 20-30 exercises per week.

This means that if you change your exercises every week, your progress will be faster.

However, there is no need to change ALL exercises every week. It is sufficient to replace 1-2 exercises for each muscle group. For example, if you do 4 exercises for triceps in a week, replace only 1-2 of those exercises for triceps the following week. Then replace again the next week. And so on.

Moreover, to avoid drastically altering your training routine, it's better to swap in analogues. This means substituting with exercises that are similar in technique and movement to the original ones or have a comparable effect on the same muscles. Additionally, replacing an exercise also has a psychological effect. The more varied your workouts, the more interesting they become.

But why then are all my exercise complexes focused on one week?

Well, first of all, not all of them are. There are complexes from 3 different weeks. But the main reason is that creating complexes for 7-10 different weeks is simply a massive amount of work. It's also unrealistic to guess suitable analogues for everyone. For these purposes, there is an "analogue" button next to each exercise.

By the way, one more important note. The most significant difference in effectiveness between a repeating training week and a changing one is observed in experienced athletes. The more trained a person is, the more frequently they need to change exercises.

For beginners, there is no need for constant exercise variation at first, as their bodies are more receptive to loads, even if they are monotonous.

Conclusions

1. Workouts that change exercises weekly are more effective.

2. There is no need to change all exercises. It is sufficient to change 1-2 exercises for each muscle group every week.

3. It’s best to switch to exercises that are relatively close to the originals.

4. If you are a beginner, there is no need for constant exercise changes.