If you’re like most people, then you want to get the most out of every workout. We all live such busy lives that’s it’s important to us to exercise as efficiently as possible and get the maximum results out of every training session. It’s because of this desire, that it’s no surprise that one of the most common questions asked at HASfit is what’s the best exercise?
But I’ll let you in on a little secret … there is no one “best workout.” My answer to this question has been the same for over 13 years. The best exercises are the ones that you’re not currently doing. Yes, that’s right. Variety is the key to continuously improving your fitness level without hitting plateaus. The question everyone should be asking should be how to change up your workout routine.
It’s easy for us to fall into ruts and repeat the same routine over and over again, but if you want to keep moving forward towards your goal then you’re going to need to change it up every 2-4 weeks.
Check out my top 6 ways to mix up your workout routine:
High Intensity Interval Training
H.I.I.T gets you more fit in less time, makes you smarter, and supercharges your metabolism. H.I.I.T. workouts usually include short bursts of intense exercise followed by short breaks to recover. These workouts generally use time rounds oppose to counting repetitions.
The routines can contain an unlimited variety of exercises including body weight training, Olympic lifting, plyometrics (jump training), weight training, and sprints. A Colorado State University study found that thanks to a boost in your metabolic rate, you can burn as many as 200 extra calories in the next 24 hours from only 150 seconds of intense exercise.
Check out HASfit’s HIIT Workouts
Mix up your sets x reps and load
It may sound difficult, but don’t let it intimidate you because it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Are you stuck in a routine where you do the typical 3 sets of 12 repetitions or 4 sets of 10 repetitions on every workout? This is overwhelmingly the biggest mistake I see in people who stopped seeing results.
Many are always looking for new and exciting exercises, but once they find those exercises they apply them with the same 3 x 12 or 4 x 10 formats. Most don’t realize that more important to changing up the actual exercises is changing the way in which they are applied. By mixing up the sets x reps the load (or weight/resistance) used gets changed accordingly, less reps means more weight and more reps mean less weight.
Here’s some ways to mix up your sets x reps and the effect they’ll have for your muscles. The more variety the better for a well rounded physique, but choose which are most important to you for your goals.
Power Development: Best for athletes or those seeking maximal athletic performance
6 x 3, 5 x 2, 4 x 3, 3 x 3, 3 x 1, 6 x 1, 10 x 1
Example routine: Max Effort Deadlifting Workout
Strength Development: Applicable for everyone. Creates strength which is the foundation of all muscle contractions and lean, toned muscle. (Does not create bulk in women)
4 x 6, 5 x 5, 6 x 4, 4 x 8
Example Routine: Total Body Strength Workout
Hypertrophy: Best used to increase muscle size.
4 x 8, 4 x 10, 4 x 12, 3 x 10, 3 x 12, 3 x 15, 2 x 15
Example Routine: Blasting Arm Workout
Endurance: Best used to increase muscular endurance and burn calories. Does not have an effect on “tone” or “mass.” When performed in excess, it can cause muscle atrophy.
1 x 20, 1 x 25, 1 x 30, 2 x 20, 2 x 25, 2 x 30, 3 x 20, 3 x 25, 3 x 30
Example Routine: Fat Demolition Workout
Lay Off the Machines
While machine training does have its place in any program, exclusively training on machines doesn’t challenge your muscles functionally. Machines take away the stability and balance function of exercise which can minimize the effectiveness. This results in less central nervous system firing and less calories burned per repetition.
Try using the dumbbell chest press instead of a machine chest press, barbell squats instead of smith machine squats, and lunges instead of leg extensions.
Bodyweight Training
Your body is a remarkable tool and with the right know-how it doesn’t require any additional equipment to get a good workout in. Unlike machine training, bodyweight training forces your body to train functionally (the way our bodies work in real life). They also require large amounts of stability, balance, and coordination to perform.
Consider this, a simple squat using only your bodyweight requires that your legs press 75% of your bodyweight. For a 200lb male, that equates to 150lbs.
Length of Workout
The length or duration of your workout is one of the easiest things to change up. If you take the exact same exercises, sets, and repetitions, but simply change the time you take to complete it then your body will recognize it as being a completely different workout.
Here’s a basic workout example:
Dumbbell Squats 3 x 12
Dumbbell Chest Press 3 x 12
Dumbbell Bent Over Row 3 x 12
This routine could be completed as a circuit with no rest or slowly with a 45 second break in between. All you have to do is adjust the weight accordingly, more weight for longer breaks and less weight for shorter breaks.
Interval Sprints
If you’re used to doing long bouts of cardio exercise like running, biking, or elliptical then interval sprints could be just what you need to shock your body. Interval sprints utilize shorts bursts of maximal effort with longer periods of lower effort.
Instead of biking for 60 minutes straight, you would perform intervals for a total of 20 minutes. In that 20 minutes you could do 20 sets of 15 seconds of maximum effort peddling x 45 seconds of lower effort peddling at a relaxed pace.
Here’s a sprint interval workout using different protocols for varying fitness levels.
Summary:
No matter what workouts you choose to do, the important thing is to mix it up. Changing up how the workout is put together is more important than changing the exercise itself. If you’ve been performing the same HASfit cardio kick boxing workout for the last six months, then it’s time to try a HIIT, body weight workout, or any of our 1,000+ routines.
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