The Perfect Blend: Repetition and Variety ⚒️

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I. Forging Iron ⚒️

A strong and resilient body is built through two key elements: lots of repetition and a touch of variety.

But most of us, including myself, have a bad habit of flipping that around by incorporating too much variety and not enough repetition...

if that sounds a bit confusing, let me explain.

"Variety" can mean changing the exercises we do, the weights we lift, the routines we follow; it's all the changes we can make.

Having variety in your exercise routine is important for a few reasons. Firstly, it helps fight off boredom. Doing the same routine over and over can get a bit monotonous. Secondly, it helps prevent overuse injuries from repetitive movements. Lastly, doing the same thing repeatedly eventually leads to diminishing returns. To keep making progress, we need to introduce some changes.

However, too much variety can bring its own set of problems. It may feel fun and exciting if you constantly switch exercises every week or only stick to a program briefly before changing things up, but it lacks repetition. It feels like progress, yet it's not. This is what we call "random acts of variety."

Making changes just for the sake of it is generally not a good idea.

A programme needs a certain level of repetition. We need to repeat an exercise over and over so our bodies can adapt to the stimulus, which ultimately helps us get fitter, faster, and stronger. It's like forging iron. We need to repeatedly heat and hammer the iron to get the desired results. One strike of the hammer simply won't cut it.

So, how do we find the right balance between repetition and variety? It's what we call "specialised variety."

If random acts of variety are doing squats for a few weeks, then switching to kettlebell swings for the next few weeks, and then lunges in the following weeks, while they are all good leg exercises, the changes are arbitrary. You might feel like you've had a good workout after each session, but you won't see any measurable improvements because you keep changing things before your body has a chance to adapt.

On the other hand, "specialised variety" is about introducing changes subtly. Let's say you want to strengthen your legs, so you choose one movement, like the goblet squat. For the first few weeks, you perform sets of ten to build confidence in the exercise. In the next few weeks, you add a 2-second pause at the bottom to ensure you have mastered the squat. After a few weeks, when that becomes easier, you switch to a heavier kettlebell but decrease the reps to five to focus on building strength.

Do you notice the difference? We still emphasise repetition with the goblet squat but also introduce a touch of variety. However, it serves a specific goal; each change has a purpose.

So, if you want to develop a strong and resilient body, incorporate plenty of repetition and sprinkle in a little variety when needed.

II. Hip & T-spine

A quick and simple warm-up drill to get those hips, shoulders and t-spine moving, ready to rumble for a training session.

Check it out here...

III. Quote to Ponder

"Consistency trumps intensity; Everytime." Mark Reifkind

P.S. I'm sure Mark wasn't the first to say this, but I heard it from him first. 🤗

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P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, share it with a friend.

Thanks,

Jamie