Changing workouts

[swoleramon]

So many people tell me I need to change workouts every 8-12 weeks or I will stagnate. All I want to know is what causes this stagnation?

[MC]

You don't need to change routines that frequently. It is oft-repeated nonsense.

[leefarley]

i change workouts every week and curl in the squat rack .ONLY JOKING

[BendtheBar]

The fear of adaptation often stems from the natural slowing of gains. People panic, thinking they aren't doing something right, or that something is broken. They then pick up a Weider mag and it tells them they can bomb, blitz and blast their bodies into amazing spurts of new growth! They then read about some magical workout plan that guarantees to re-ignite gains.

This combination leads most lifters to believe that gains don't have to slow over time, and fools most into believing they are doing something wrong. To combat this you need to monitor your gains over time, using numbers, measurements, etc. THIS is the REAL story.

There is certainly a need to evolve training based on needs and weaknesses, but there is no need to randomly jump from program to program when gains are occurring, and occurring at a normal and natural rate.

Be patient, find a workout system you like, ride it like a horse right into the sunset, make adjustments as needed. In all things, monitor progress. "Guessing" is the enemy.

[Fazc]

Just get strong. The rest is details.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Fazc

Just get strong. The rest is details.

Quote of the year.

[ricka182]

IMO, changing workouts, or the idea of frequent changes comes from boredom. After 3 months of a near daily routine, some people get bored and complacent. They get lazy with their lifts, and are more just going through the motions, versus actually getting a good session in. So they change, and as they change the body responds differently. So of course, the change is the reason. Not really.. the reason is the mental change that one must take on when running something new. A new challenge brings new dedication, and therefore no more complacency. And boom, results, "just start pouring in"..

When in fact, all it takes is a single, simple will to do one thing.. as mention by Fazc. Get Strong.

[Beverly McD]

Keep the routine. Change the intensity.
Don't do the same amount of weight, reps and sets week after week.