Mistake Number 6:  Not Enough Variety

Face it:  most exercise is boring, repetitive stuff.  Lift, hold, release, and then repeat over and over and over again.  Mind numbing.  Little wonder most people find it so hard to stick to a fitness routine.

If you’ve been doing the exact same exercise routine for so long that you don’t even have to think about it anymore, then you’re guilty of making this exercise mistake.

But getting bored with your exercise routine is only part of the problem.  If your routine never changes, your body quickly gets used to performing the same routine over and over again.  End result?  You stop improving.  Before long, you start noticing that even though you’re “exercising” as much as usual, you’re not losing any weight or getting any more fit.  You’ve hit a plateau.  Your body has “memorized” the routine and has optimized itself so that it expends the least amount of energy completing it.

Another problem is that constantly doing a routine that never changes can lead to injury as the exact same muscles get worked in exactly the same way every single time you exercise.

Change Up Your Routine

The obvious answer to these issues is to change up your routine.  Some ways to accomplish this include:

• Vary the exercises. If you’ve never done Yoga or boxing or any of the Martial Arts, try incorporating some of those moves into your routine.  Try adding body-weight exercises or kettle-bells instead of using weight-machines all the time.  Add in some “old school” exercises like push-ups and pull-ups.  Exercise on a balance board or Bosu ball.  In general, finding several different ways to work the same muscle groups will significantly improve the effectiveness of your workout in addition to making it much more fun and interesting.
• Vary the sequence. Instead of starting at the same machine in the gym every single time, try doing your exercises in a different sequence.  If you always start your routine doing bicep-curls, try starting with back exercises first.  Do your routine in reverse and then change it up again the next time.  Keep your body guessing as to what exercise is coming up next so that it never gets the chance to “optimize” the routine and reduce the amount of work your muscles do.  You’ll find yourself burning a lot more calories.
• Vary the intensity. Change the speed and intensity of your routine at frequent intervals.  Without sacrificing form or safety, speed up – or slow down – your routine periodically.  Alternate between heavier and lighter weights than you normally lift.  Again, keep your body guessing as to what’s coming up next.

They say that variety is the spice of life.  It’s also the key to effective workouts.  Variety keeps you from getting bored with your routine in addition to significantly increasing the efficiency of your workouts.  The only way to keep improving is to keep changing your routine in some way.

Give it a try.  You’ll see results right away!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: exercise, routine, workout, weight loss, fitness, variety, weight lifting, gym

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There are routines for:

• “6-Pak Abs”
• “Ripped Abs”
• “Killer Abs”
• “Ultimate Abs”
• “Contour Abs”
• “Sexy Abs”

…and a whole host of others.

And Oh My God, the EQUIPMENT and GIZMO’s!!  There are:

• Ab Belts
• Ab Toners
• Ab Conditioners
• Ab Flex
• Ab Chairs
• Ab Rockets

I even found an electronic gizmo that stimulates your abs so that they tense up in response to an electric current.  In short, there’s no shortage of ab routines and equipment designed to tone your midsection.

But my question is more basic.  Are the abs really that important?  Let’s start there.

Anatomy of the “Abs”

The abdominal muscles, or “abs,” are a series of muscles that surround the abdominal area.  As you can see from the diagram, these typically include:

• Rectus Abdominus. This is the muscle that develops  a “6-pak” look and is the one primarily worked when you do crunches.  It’s responsible for flexing the spine although it doesn’t actually attach to any vertebrae.  It also tilts the pelvis and protects the stomach and intestines.
• Internal and External Obliques. These muscles stretch around the side of the body and are what allow you to rotate or twist your body.  They also help to protect the abdominal organs.
• Serratus Anterior. You’ll find some disagreement whether this muscle is part of the abdominal group.  My NESTA manual lists it as part of the shoulder girdle.  However, it’s location is such that any ab movement usually triggers this muscle as well.
• Transverse Abdominus. Arguably the most important in terms of movement, this muscle connects directly to the pelvis on all sides as well as to the spine making it the biggest stabilizer of the spine.  It wraps around the core of the body like a corset helping to maintain vertebrae alignment.  This muscle is the first to fire, or contract, with ANY movement of the body.  Since this muscle plays such a significant role in any movement of the body, it’s important that it be properly strengthened and that strength maintained.

What you quickly find when studying even a little anatomy is that the abdominal muscles are essential to almost all body movements:  standing or sitting up straight, bending, stooping, balancing, or twisting.  They also help support the work of the back muscles.  Their “core” role in movement is the main reason they’re called “core” muscles.

So the first part of my question, “are abs really that important?” is a big “Absolutely!”

Which brings up my follow up question:  “What’s the best way to strength the abs?”

Best Ab Routines

You’ll find no shortage of exercises and fitness routines to work your abs.  Which are the “best?”  In my opinion, whatever routine you enjoy and stick with is the “best” one for you.  Someone else might find a different routine they enjoy better.  It doesn’t really matter – what matters is that you pick one and stick to it.

All routines work the abs in more-or-less the same way so there’s usually very little difference between the effectiveness of one routine over another.  Whether you work the abs with a crunch done on the floor or by using an “Ab Rocket,” the important thing is to work the abs.  If you have a phobia about doing crunches on the bare floor and would rather sit on a “Ab Chair,” then go right ahead.  What’s critical is the consistency of the load on the muscle, not the particular “gizmo” you happen to be using.

For those of you that absolutely need a routine to follow, here are two I found that I think are worthwhile (again, don’t get hung up on one routine over another – just do something!):

(Britney Spears Abs Routine. Find more fitness videos at diet.com Exercise like Britney Spears with this workout celebrity personal trainers have prescribed for the mother of two. This quick and easy ab routine will have your core and stomach looking flat and toned in no time. Fit fitness into your daily routine for best results. Check Out Diet.com Video! Diet.com: www.diet.com Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com Go behind the scenes w/ Sarah’s Blog- www.diet.com Twitter …)

Six Pack Abs Workout: Quick Abs Routine with NO Equipment

(www.undergroundwellness.com Want six-pack abs? First, you need to eat right! But you can also add these exercises to your routine and feel the burn! Anna Renderer of http takes me through a grueling abdominal circuit. Contact sean@undergroundwellness.com for your FREE consultation. Personal Training with Sean available at Fit Athletic San Diego: fitathletic.com www.undergroundwellness.com)

How Often Should You Work Your Abs?

You’ll find fitness trainers split on how often you should work your abs.  Some will tell you that since most of the abs muscles are not thick muscles like biceps, you can do your ab routine every single day.  Others will tell you to alternate days just like any other muscle.  Personally, I’m in the second camp.  I believe that even though your ab muscles are not as thick as some of the other muscles in your body, they’re still muscles.  They still tire and need time to rebuild.  Therefore, my advice is to do your ab routine on alternating days.

Don’t Forget the Back Muscles…

Lastly, don’t forget that the stronger you make your abs, the easier it is to strain your back muscles (the antagonist muscles).  You’ve got to keep both groups in balance.  A good exercise program will include back exercises as well as ab strengthening exercises on alternate days.

…Or The Diet

Keep in mind that no one is going to see your “6-pak abs” if they’re covered under a layer of body fat so proper diet and nutrition is also critical to your fitness routine.  You can’t exercise away bad eating habits or poor food choices.  ‘Nuff said.

Conclusion

The abdominal muscles are core to most of your body’s movements and should therefore be core to your exercise routine.  Pick a routine that appeals to you.  Whether it appeals to you because of the jazzy equipment or the celebrity endorsement doesn’t really matter.  What matters is that you pick something you’ll actually do consistently.

All that’s left then is that you do it!

Hiram
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: abs, abdominal, exercise, fitness, health, crunch, routine, 6-pak, flexing, muscle, health

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Well, I’ve got the answer and as it turns out, the cure to this problem is pretty simple.  If you pay attention to this one principle, your workouts will be much more effective and you’ll begin to notice significant changes in your physique within 3-4 weeks.

Anyone in the medical profession can tell you that the human body is extremely adaptable.  It will usually respond to any kind of physical demand or stress, like a warehouse worker lifting heavy crates for example, by building additional muscle as well as by learning how to use those muscles more efficiently.  Eventually, the warehouse worker can lift heavy crates all day long without tiring – and develops an impressive set of biceps to prove it.

However, when we try to get those same “warehouse worker arms” in the gym, the results are usually not the same, even with all the fancy machines.  Why not?  Well, the human body can adapt pretty quickly to any change in demand placed upon it but once it has adapted, it kind of takes it easy expending only enough energy to meet the new demand.  It’s like taking your car out on the highway.  When you’re just starting out and accelerating, your engine is working really hard.  But once you’ve reached highway speeds, the engine settles down to a more constant level.

So why can the warehouse worker build massive muscle just by doing his or her job (hope you appreciate the gender neutrality )and we can’t seem to do the same in the gym?  Mainly because of the way the warehouse worker’s job is structured, which in turn is related to how often and when their body is subjected to increased physical activity.  For example, they may be sweeping the warehouse first thing in the morning until the first truck comes in to be unloaded.  Then they’re working hard for a solid hour unloading the truck before going back to the office to complete the paperwork.  An hour later, another truck comes in, only this time, the crates are different sizes and weights.

The point is that a warehouse worker’s body does not know when it will be subjected to increased demands since the trucks come in at different times.    It also gets subjected to different loads since some trucks contain crates of breakfast cereal and others contain crates of auto brake pads.  Their body is being subjected to a variety of physical demands and therefore, has to build a “strength reserve” (in other words, more muscle) in order to be able to meet the wide range of demands.

On the other hand, when we go to the gym to do our “usual” workout, our body “knows” that we’re going to do 3 sets of 10 reps using 30 pound weights.  How predictable.  So of course the body only develops enough muscle to handle exactly 3 sets of 10 reps with 30 pounds.  Once it’s done that, there’s no reason to develop any more muscle.

Changing up your routine and subjecting your body to a variety of activities so that it continues to develop is the whole idea of the “FITT principle.”  Developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), FITT stands for:

• Frequency – how often you exercise, which includes how often you rest between exercise sessions.
• Intensity – how hard you exercise.
• Time – how long you exercise.
• Type – the type of exercise you choose to do.

If you consider a typical workout routine, most of us have unconsciously kept most, if not all, of these variables constant.  We tend to go through our workout without thinking – and that means we do exactly 10 minutes on the treadmill followed by exactly 10 reps on the leg curl machine set at the exact same weight we did the last time, followed by exactly … (yawn!)

So even though we finish our workout really tired, we really didn’t build any muscle or drop any fat.  Sure, we worked some cardio so the heart and lungs might have improved, but little else.  The real key to success is to change your “routine” so that it’s anything but routine.

You do that by taking any of the FITT variables and changing them from one routine to the next.  For example:

• Frequency – instead of doing 2 hard workouts a week, do 4 easy or medium ones; or instead of going in the evening, go in the morning.
• Intensity – vary the weight or resistance from one workout to another.
• Time – slow or increase your tempo when you workout.
• Type – change the type of exercises from one workout to another.  If you always do shoulders followed by arms, switch the order.

In other words, keep your body guessing as to what kind of activity you’re going to ask it to do on every workout.  Not only will you feel like you got a more intense workout (because you did), but your body will begin to change in exactly the way you want it to change:  more tone and muscle mass in the arms and legs in addition to dropping fat around the waist and thighs.

Although you can change any of the FITT variables from workout to workout, I’d recommend changing them from week to week.  For example, focus one week on strength with heavy weights, low reps, slow concentration tempo, and using compound exercises.  The following week, focus on power with lighter weights, high reps, faster tempo, and using isolation exercises.  The next week, focus on endurance.  After 4-6 weeks of this, increase the amount of weight on each exercise by 5-10 pounds and then repeat the entire cycle.

Just as your body starts getting used to one type of routine, bam!  Hit it with a different one!  Before long, you’ll not only have the body you want, you’ll have the gym “regulars” coming by asking how in the world you did it!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Coach (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: FITT, FITTR, ACSM, NESTA, exercise, weight lifting, weights, gym, routine, workout, physical, cardio

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