how long is a workout routine good for?

gareth · 09-21-2004, 08:55 AM

There is no shortage of routines -- but how long can they be used. Some guys tell me I should change the routine completely at least every month, others say if you keep increasing the weight, or changing the exercise order a routine is good until you hit a plateau. Advice appreciated THank you

Spitfire · 09-21-2004, 09:04 AM

There is no real definative answer to this.
IMO You need to change thing up each and every week at least a little, to work all fibers in each muscle.

DeadBolt · 09-21-2004, 09:38 AM

Yes there is no set in stone rule to changing your routine and there are so many ways of doing it its all personal preference. Many will say make a routine and stick to it for 4-6 weeks before changing it. That is because they say the body doesn't fully adjust to it right away so you can get away with 4-6 weeks of the same workout.

Many will say every week or every 2 weeks. I don't feel that is very accurate b/c if you keep switching things without adjusting slightly you never put up any potential weight, you are always going a little light to keep form or go to heavy and the lift does nothing. I'm refering to major changes here thogh, not minor ones as spitfire had mentioned.

Then you have pre set routines that are cyclical,meaning the body never truely adjusts b/c of the way the program is designed(p/rr/s).

I am a p/rr/s groupie so there is no question to my routine, I know what has to be done and I know its working. Before I use to use p/rr/s I would keep at a routine for maybe 6 weeks or so and if I felt my body adjusting to fast I would make changes accordingly.

BulkMeUp · 09-21-2004, 09:40 AM

Personally, i stick to a routine until i hit a plateau. Why fix whats not broke?

What i do change during that routine, whenever i feel i am ready, are the weights.

**CowPimp** · 09-21-2004, 10:04 AM

I say change it at a minimum of 12 weeks. I like having two or three separately planned weekly workouts which I rotate between. That way I don't really worry about changing it, a la P-RR-S.

LAM · 09-21-2004, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BulkMeUp

Personally, i stick to a routine until i hit a plateau. Why fix whats not broke?

exactly...there is no reason to change your routine just because it has been X number of days, weeks, months...

**CowPimp** · 09-21-2004, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAM

exactly...there is no reason to change your routine just because it has been X number of days, weeks, months...

Sure there is: so that you don't hit a plateau in the first place. It takes a few weeks until you realize you aren't gaining any more. I like to avoid any time where I make no gains if possible.

I know that a set time period for everyone isn't really the best way to express when one's routine should be changed. There are way too many variables. I just recommend 12 weeks as a guideline. Make it more or less depending on how fast your body adapts to a routine. However, if you prefer to do the same routine for as long as you can, then by all means stick with it until you reach a plateau.

LAM · 09-21-2004, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Sure there is: so that you don't hit a plateau in the first place. It takes a few weeks until you realize you aren't gaining any more. I like to avoid any time where I make no gains if possible.

I know that a set time period for everyone isn't really the best way to express when one's routine should be changed. There are way too many variables. I just recommend 12 weeks as a guideline. Make it more or less depending on how fast your body adapts to a routine. However, if you prefer to do the same routine for as long as you can, then by all means stick with it until you reach a plateau.

your muscles don't know the difference between a db curl and a bb curl..it comes down the the diet (increasing cals as LBM increases) using progressive resistance and periodization....

and regardless of how ofter you change your routine you will always hit a plateau. that is the way the body works. you are still new to resistance training. when you have 15-20+ years under you belt you will understand...

**Mudge** · 09-21-2004, 12:27 PM

Mine doesn't change much these days. If I want to try something new then I try it, otherwise I dont look at changing anything unless I'm having issues.

DeadBolt · 09-21-2004, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAM

your muscles don't know the difference between a db curl and a bb curl

Doesn't it come down to recruiting different muscle fibers with db curls and bb curls? With a BB curl your hands never move in a set but during a DB curl you can change the angle of your wrist recruiting slightly different muscle fibers. I honestly have no clue about this its just something I've heard many people duscuss. Is this true or false?

**CowPimp** · 09-21-2004, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAM

your muscles don't know the difference between a db curl and a bb curl..it comes down the the diet (increasing cals as LBM increases) using progressive resistance and periodization....

and regardless of how ofter you change your routine you will always hit a plateau. that is the way the body works. you are still new to resistance training. when you have 15-20+ years under you belt you will understand...

It's not that hard of a concept for me to understand right now. I can admit when I'm wrong. I'm not planning on arguing with you, because my knowledge and experience of all things bodybuilding related does not compare to yours.

Let me retract my previous statements and just say that I prefer to change my routine frequently. If nothing else, it keeps me from getting bored. As well, because of the fact that I only have a couple years of resistance training under my belt, there are a lot of training protocols that I still want to try.

Spitfire · 09-22-2004, 08:33 AM

Im sorry but there is a big different in what fibers are affected due to hand possition and angle.

LAM · 09-22-2004, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Im sorry but there is a big different in what fibers are affected due to hand possition and angle.

a big difference ? a muscle either contracts or it doesn't...overloading the muscle by using progressive resistance is far more important then hand position and/or angles. muscles don't "know" angles...

Spitfire · 09-22-2004, 10:51 AM

Are you saying an incline bench and a decline bench affect the same exact fiber the same amount

Duncans Donuts · 09-22-2004, 02:14 PM

No but the same muscles are contracting to do both exercises. The weight will determine how many fibers are recruited.

I don't believe it is necessary to change the routine at all. Muscles don't adjusted to the exercises, they adjust to the weight and how well it can move that weight. I see no reason to supplement an exercise which offers less benefits for one that offers more simply because you're afraid of hitting a plateau. Mentally though, things get bored, so in that regard changing things up isn't a bad idea.

09-21-2004, 08:55 AM	#1
gareth Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 87	how long is a workout routine good for? There is no shortage of routines -- but how long can they be used. Some guys tell me I should change the routine completely at least every month, others say if you keep increasing the weight, or changing the exercise order a routine is good until you hit a plateau. Advice appreciated THank you
gareth Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 87

09-21-2004, 09:04 AM	#2
Spitfire Im hungry Elite Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,778 Photos: 2	There is no real definative answer to this. IMO You need to change thing up each and every week at least a little, to work all fibers in each muscle.
	Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. Abraham Lincoln I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson RIP

09-21-2004, 09:38 AM	#3
DeadBolt MP Minister of Pain! Elite Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ocean County NJ Posts: 7,342	Yes there is no set in stone rule to changing your routine and there are so many ways of doing it its all personal preference. Many will say make a routine and stick to it for 4-6 weeks before changing it. That is because they say the body doesn't fully adjust to it right away so you can get away with 4-6 weeks of the same workout. Many will say every week or every 2 weeks. I don't feel that is very accurate b/c if you keep switching things without adjusting slightly you never put up any potential weight, you are always going a little light to keep form or go to heavy and the lift does nothing. I'm refering to major changes here thogh, not minor ones as spitfire had mentioned. Then you have pre set routines that are cyclical,meaning the body never truely adjusts b/c of the way the program is designed(p/rr/s). I am a p/rr/s groupie so there is no question to my routine, I know what has to be done and I know its working. Before I use to use p/rr/s I would keep at a routine for maybe 6 weeks or so and if I felt my body adjusting to fast I would make changes accordingly.
	"Only in dictionaries does SUCCESS come before WORK." -Alfred K. Henderson ´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((((º>

09-21-2004, 10:04 AM	#5
CowPimp Fueled by Testosterone Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 15,428	I say change it at a minimum of 12 weeks. I like having two or three separately planned weekly workouts which I rotate between. That way I don't really worry about changing it, a la P-RR-S.
	The only time it's bad to feel the burn is when you're peeing... CowPimp Picks Up Heavy Shit MySpace YouTube Videos

09-21-2004, 12:27 PM	#9
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 23,073 Photos: 1	Mine doesn't change much these days. If I want to try something new then I try it, otherwise I dont look at changing anything unless I'm having issues.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

09-21-2004, 09:40 AM	#4
BulkMeUp ..is bulking up! Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cana-dah Posts: 5,317	Personally, i stick to a routine until i hit a plateau. Why fix whats not broke? What i do change during that routine, whenever i feel i am ready, are the weights.

09-22-2004, 08:33 AM	#12
Spitfire Im hungry Elite Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,778 Photos: 2	Im sorry but there is a big different in what fibers are affected due to hand possition and angle.
	Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. Abraham Lincoln I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson RIP

09-22-2004, 10:51 AM	#14
Spitfire Im hungry Elite Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,778 Photos: 2	Are you saying an incline bench and a decline bench affect the same exact fiber the same amount
	Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. Abraham Lincoln I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson RIP

09-22-2004, 02:14 PM	#15
Duncans Donuts Stay puffed, baby. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: CA Posts: 2,774 Photos: 2	No but the same muscles are contracting to do both exercises. The weight will determine how many fibers are recruited. I don't believe it is necessary to change the routine at all. Muscles don't adjusted to the exercises, they adjust to the weight and how well it can move that weight. I see no reason to supplement an exercise which offers less benefits for one that offers more simply because you're afraid of hitting a plateau. Mentally though, things get bored, so in that regard changing things up isn't a bad idea.
	"in the howling bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure."

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