No matter whether you are a runner, lifter or a group fitter; your body learns how to make any exercise easier. It does this by adapting to the demands of that exercise. This is a great thing, it means that you become fitter.
Become fit on all levels: cellular; neurologically; cardiovascular, all over your body improves its ability to perform that style of workout. This means if you continue to demand the exact same level of intensity from your body, it will require less energy to meet those demands.
When you switch up your workout: by changing the weight/ duration/ intensity/ time or by doing a completely new exercise, you shock the muscle into adapting in a new way. The body needs to be challenged to change, or it will not change.
How to change your workout? Start by asking what it is that you might like to achieve from your workout: is it to get faster? Then why not alternate days of long runs, with interval running; sprint sessions, and perhaps some hill work.
Is it to get stronger? Why not change the number of reps/ the weight/ the rest period duration?
Basically, the body will take about 4-6 weeks to adjust to a new program. It will be faster however if you are training that particular workout more often: e.g. if you do a particular run 3 times a week verses that run just one time per week.
The bottom line is that to progress you must continue to challenge the body. If you do not change anything, nothing changes!
Ways to switch it up:
Reverse your program (do the last exercise first)
Pick a new exercise style to try one time per week
Add weight/ change the tempo/ increase or decrease the rest periods
Superset (have no rest and do the next exercise immediately afterwards)
Now make those changes because the only thing that doesn't change is change!
If you like what you read, I do have a series of eBooks you can find here. I have designed these to inform and educate with real no-nonsense information about how to live a sustainably healthy life long term. It is the tool kit and knowledge that you need to make your own informed decisions for long-term health.
Also, I have other posts about fitness you might want to check out: here are some great exercises you can do, things to consider in your exercise regime, and how to fight off tiredness by exercising as a parent.
Thank you for reading.
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