Deciphering Muscle Confusion – The Latest Workout Trend

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There is a saying in the fitness community that the best workout for you is the one that you’re not doing. The reason this is true is because your body adapts and then your progress will cease. You may be finding this true just two weeks into your New Year’s workout routine. Perhaps you may even be getting bored with your workouts as well.

Enter muscle confusion, one of the trends that has been hanging around over the last few years. There are many infomercial based programs, personal training studios and gyms that are offering this type of workout.

By challenging your body with constant changing movements, you are technically pushing it toward progress as it has to work harder to respond. This type of exercise does not limit your results as your body is constantly being introduced to something new. By mixing up your routines, your body never really gets a chance to adapt such as in typical workouts.

Does this sound familiar? “On Monday Wednesday and Friday, I do the elliptical for 30 minutes and then on Tuesday and Thursday, I do a few bicep curls and squats. I have been doing this routine for about a year.”

The above is something I typically hear from potential clients who are frustrated that they are not getting enough results from their workouts. While the format in typical muscle confusion is typically alternating strength and aerobics, it also applies to different muscle groups and different types of aerobic activities.

For example, here is sample week of muscle confusion workout routines:

Day 1
You want to work out your larger muscle groups such as your quads, chest, back or hamstrings.

Day 2
You want to do 45 minutes of intense aerobics and yes you can use the elliptical, but here is the catch: no book reading or chatting while on the elliptical. You want to work towards the higher end of your heart rate zone for most of this workout.

Day 3
Here is where you want to pick another large muscle group to work, different from what you did on day one.

Day 4
Here is where you want to do an intense mind/body workout such as Pilates or yoga. Pilates matwork and reformer training are ideal for this type of activity.
You want this to be an integrated workout where you are working the core. A Power yoga class is also ideal for this type of mind/body strength type of conditioning.

Day 5
Enter aerobic activity again, only do something different than you did on day two.
This is where I like to implement some type of outdoor leisure activity such as hiking or biking.

Day 6
I like to do a variety of stretches, holding each one for at least 30 seconds to release all of the muscle tension from my prior workouts. A gentle yoga class such as yin yoga is also great for this day. This is where you hold each pose for about five minutes and really stretch and release lactic acid. I also like to do stretches on the Pilates reformer.

Day 7
Rest--you deserve it.

Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her fiance, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

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