How often should I change exercises in my workout?
I often get this question from clients: Should I be doing different exercises every week? Should I start with the same exercise I did last week? Well, here’s your answer:
The goal every time we train is to get stronger (see: progressive overload). Regardless of your fitness goals, this should be your focus when it comes to weight training. So, in order to know if we are getting stronger, we must track our weight and/or reps. You don’t necessarily have to do this on EVERY single exercise, but I would definitely recommend tracking it on compound lifts at minimum. So….
In order to track your progress, you must do the same exercise at least for a couple of weeks. If you are continuing to see an increase in strength, then continue to start with that exercise weekly. Once this stalls for a week or two, then start with a different exercise. Chances are, once you start tracking your lifts, you’ll progress very quickly for a couple of weeks. Most beginners don’t actually know what they are capable of, because they haven’t pushed the limits. Tracking your progress will ensure that you are aiming to improve each session. So!
In a nutshell, keep doing the same exercises until you are no longer seeing improvement. Then it’s time to switch exercises, and repeat the process. For information on building a workout/exercise routine, check out this article. Tracking your lifts will totally change your training I promise! Now go forth and conquer!