For me the title statement can be applied to all parts of my life, so I am going to really narrow it down to just a few of my fitness experiences.

I think I was pretty fortunate early in my fitness “career.” The summer before I began high school (was 1986 that log ago?) I began doing Mantis Kung Fu, and because of this I met a number of people who “had a clue” about training. The other really memorable thing that happened that summer; I was introduced to Gene Weiss who ran a fitness Club in Euclid, OH. (Talk about sipping from a fire hose, this guy knew his shit! AND NO WISE CRACKS!) So on or around the same time I began to take “getting in shape” seriously, I was able to blend what I was learning about stretching, intent and form from martial arts, with the weight training techniques and exercise plans I was getting at Gene Weiss’s Raquettime. (The first real gym I went to) Who knew that some 20 years later, everything I was taught still would have significant value?

(also, about this time is when I read “The Bible” (Not the religious book) for the first time. That is, the 1st edition that was produced, eventually I also picked up the newer one. If you have not read this or do not own it BUY IT!)

That is enough of a light background, as I have learned a LOT over the last 20 or so years, and this is not the article I want to get into all of it. What I do want to get into is the need to keep things fresh and mixed up. It may sound obvious, but you can’t work “chest, arms and shoulders” every day. Though there are exercises you can do more frequently than others, you still need to be aware of what you are doing to yourself physically and mentally.

After a hard work out, you need time to recover. You need to rest the muscle groups you thrashed, and get enough sleep for them to heal. (I also like a good recovery drink, as I said before P90X Recovery or Endurox r4) If you keep hitting the same muscle groups over and over day in and day out, you will not see the gains you want, and will most likely be over training those muscles. Mix things up, cycle your exercises, it will help to keep you motivated and it will give you time to come back stronger.

The hardest part is the mental side of the equation. Let’s say you have a totally kick ass work out routine. One which is giving you great returns for a while. There, I said it, for a while. We all plateau, and this is both a physical and mental hump to get over. There are ways to reduce the plateau’s we all see in work outs, eat more, rest more, mix up your work out. But, getting past the mental side is sometimes far more difficult. And it may not even be a plateau you hit, it could be that you are just getting bored with what you are doing. (Boredom is my training nemisis) If this is not from a combination of over training (Physical) and boredom, (Mental) all you have to do is “mix it up” again, keep yourself motivated by switching things around. Attack those muscles differently. You could change the order you do your routines, or come up with completely different ones. (I used to like to change up the music I listened to, but lately I don’t even hear the music as I am working to damn hard!) Whatever works for you.  (I plan on addressing over training in a different article)

Change is good, it means we are growing and hopefully improving. Embrace it. Though things may work great for a while, eventually everything needs to be adjusted. Look to these times as opportunities to adjust things for the better. This will improve your intensity, motivation, and results.

So, what is or isn’t working for you? I love to hear new ideas!

-Rob