Be an Exercise Chameleon!

Why are we so afraid to change? Its the question I ask myself whenever I go to a “commercial gym”. What is a commercial gym, you might be asking? Its the gym you pay a monthly fee to use. I don’t do commercial gyms often but when I do, I always see the same thing. I bet you have seen this and if you haven’t you probably will at some point. Hell… the person I am going to describe might even be you! Here goes… I almost always see the same person doing the same workout they have been doing for months sometimes even years. This same person will inevitably complain about not seeing any results. I usually think “duh”… you are not going to see any results until you change your program and do something different. Why is that?

In case you didn’t know it, your body Will start to adjust to a workout the very first time you do it. This is why your workout actually starts to get easier unless you add more weight, more reps, or sets. I don’t care who you are, this is going to happen. This just doesn’t happen with the weight you lift, it can also happen with your diet. You may need to “tweak” your diet depending on caloric expenditure. You might try to rotate carbs, cutback on carbs, or even add more protein to your diet depending on what you are trying to accomplish. I guess you are getting the picture now, right?

Boooorinnnggg is what I call the same gym routine everyday! Mix it up a little bit. Did you know there aren’t just barbells and dumbells for exercise? You can use resistance bands, sandbags, and tractor tires. All of these methods are unconventional and require your body to adjust and in turn, you get better results. You don’t even have to use barbells or dumbells… what about bodyweight? Yup… those pushups you did in your high school gym class can help you shape a lean frame! There is so much which exists in the fitness world its ashame to waste it on a boring bench press and a barbell curl. I always change my routine and am always looking to challenge myself with something harder and the results are always good. Don’t be afraid to “switch your pitch up” every now and then. Have you changed your routine and got good results? I would like to hear about it. See you on the lean side….Dee

Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist