REASON #1
Her Fitness: Many of these exercises post aren’t necessarily movements that need to be included in one’s routine. Most of them represent unique challenges that also happen to expose a variety of weaknesses. Compensation patterns, imbalances, energy leaks, and dysfunctional movement patterns. With that said, most of these exercises have a variety of benefits that when periodically. Implemented into one’s routine can actually help correct and address these aforementioned issues. However, focusing on mastering the basics particularly with eccentric isometrics is the true. key to successfully completing these unique and advanced movements. Including some degree of variety in your program simply allows the lifter to repeatedly test. themselves with various movements that both expose and address various underlying weaknesses.
REASON #2 (Her Fitness)
One of the easiest ways to hit a plateau in your training is to keep chasing heavier and heavier weights. Unfortunately, this is often exactly what occurs when minimal exercise variety is presented and progressive overload is over emphasized. In fact, I’ve seen this occur numerous times in my 16+ years of training regardless of whether linear or undulating periodization models are used. When the lifter feels overly compelled to reach higher numbers at all costs. Simply because their training routine calls for an increase in load (i.e. beat your previous best) inevitably form breaks down.
Once form deteriorates the lifter is no longer adequately stimulating their muscles to produce significant strength or growth as the reps are simply demonstrating their strength with poor form rather than building it. This is a surefire recipe for stagnation not to mention injury. Performing basic compound movements using subtle modifications (i.e. slight variety) allows the lifter to perform the same exercises that build functional strength and size however they’re less compelled to target PR’s since they have less of a benchmark to compare their numbers to.
REASON #3 (HER FITNESS)
Over the years of training I’ve noticed a very unique trend in just about every athlete in that they actually have a more difficult time breaking bad habits on basic foundational barbell lifts. In fact, this issue has become so prevalent that I’ve given it its own title “dysfunctional specificity of movement transferability” or DSMT. Here’s why DSMT likely occurs.
When most individuals first begin lifting weights oftentimes in high school or early college years, they’re typically exposed to the barbell squat, bench press, deadlifts, cleans, and overhead barbell press. Unfortunately, these are also the same years where most technique aberrations are etched into their CNS likely due to a number of factors including poor coaching and instruction as well as ego and 1RM maxing not to mention the general nature of learning a new skill. Although these form aberrations often seep into just about every aspect of their movement including in the weight room, playing field, and everyday life, oftentimes their bad habits are most strongly linked to the specific lifts and activities they so frequently practiced with poor form. In other words, their movement aberrations are most closely tied and most specific to the exact exercises they learned those bad habits on. This describes DSMT in a nutshell.
Her Fitness: This is also why I periodically like to program unique variations into my athlete’s routines. Yes, they may have re-educated their CNS with proper form on the basic barbell lifts using the above process. However, old habits die hard and oftentimes trace elements will often remain for years if not decades after the movement aberration has been addressed. Performing unique variations periodically will help to ensure that these old forms of dysfunction stay at bay and never re-occur.
REASON #4
As previously alluded to, using subtle modifications of basic compound movements (i.e. grip, stance, loading or leverage adjustments) allows the lifter to focus more on form, technique, and the muscle mind connection rather than beating prior PR’s. Yes, you may not necessarily have more weight on the bar. However, your muscles are likely to think the stimulus is more than adequate to trigger functional strength and hypertrophy gains simply because proper activation and ample stimulation were achieved while focusing on locking in the new variation with textbook mechanics.
REASON #5
Her Fitness: Research shows that training to failure or close to failure i.e. muscle fatigue may be just as. If not more important than the actual load that’s used particularly when it comes to gaining size. Just because you’re not beating your prior numbers doesn’t mean you’re not stimulating hypertrophy. In fact, taking a unique movement that you’ve never performed (which in and of itself is likely to recruit new motor units) and taking it close to failure with controlled reps is just as. If not more likely to stimulate hypertrophy than chasing heavier loads on traditional lifts with lousy form.
REASON #6 (Her Fitness)
Yes, progression within reason is still very important particularly for strength athletes such as powerlifters. However, forcing the issue is never optimal as this simply sets the individual up for injuries and joint trauma. Programming low to moderate levels of variety while also employing eccentric isometrics helps minimize this potential issue.
REASON #7
When it comes to mastering movement, the name of the game is frequency of practice. Essentially the more you practice a movement pattern such as a squat, the more you’ll master it. Programming in low to moderate levels of variety allows the athlete to train the basic movement patterns more frequently. Without running into the issue of over training the same exact exercise. Particularly in natural lifters due to more frequent spikes in protein synthesis.
REASON #8
Besides frequency of practice, research in the field of motor learning shows. A high level of mental engagement is critical for movement mastery or skill acquisition. When you perform the same movements week after week with little. If any variety you’re much more likely to train on “autopilot” as you’ve become somewhat accustomed to the subtle. Cues and activation patterns associated with that movement. In other words it’s second nature.
Her Fitness: Unfortunately, this also means there’s little if any improvement in mastering the exercise or movement pattern any further due to minimal levels of mental engagement. When you implement new or unique movements, the lifter is required to use greater focus and mental concentration which inevitably enhances movement mastery, neural grooving, and skill acquisition associated with that particular movement pattern.
REASON #9 (Her Fitness)
Similar to the above point, performing only one or two variations of an exercise won’t get you very far in terms of mastering that movement pattern. For instance performing only back squats might get you more efficient at back squats but won’t likely help you master the squat pattern as a whole. Simply, you might become somewhat more efficient at the exercise but in terms of mastering the foundational elements of that entire movement pattern (i.e. the basic squat) pattern, you’ll need some variety in order to force your body to apply the basic neural blueprints of that movement pattern to other variations.
This is why after several months of training a client I can literally throw nearly any. And all variations at them and they’ll be able to successfully complete those exercises. That’s because they’ve become efficient at applying the neural. Blueprints associated with that movement pattern to a number of variations not just one or two exercises. In other words if you want to master a single exercise then performing. That exercise will likely suffice although it won’t be optimal. If you want to master a movement pattern you’ll need to practice and perform. A number of variations within that pattern.
REASON #10
When it comes to strength progression. Increasing the load and or reps are only 2 of many ways to make progress.
In fact, one of the most effective ways to gain strength and size is to become more efficient at technique by improving your body mechanics. Using low to moderate levels of variety with eccentric isometrics allows the athlete to focus more so on form, technique, and intramuscular tension rather than chasing numbers, which oftentimes does very little for overall progress other than to stall it.
REASON #11
Performing new exercises and unique moves oftentimes exposes and addresses issues that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. For instance I recently had an athlete perform a single arm front curled eccentric isometric. Dumbbell squat jump during their workout. A fairly simple yet unique variation. Immediately we noticed a slight weakness on the left side not . So much on the jump phase but during the landing. Essentially this showed that force absorption and deceleration capabilities throughout the entire. Left side of the lumbopelvic hip complex needed improving. Simply, performing several sets of that exercise and programming. It 1-2x per week for the next several weeks was all that was needed to address this issue. Had it not been for the implementation of periodic unique exercises we may have never discovered. Such a small yet significant weakness.
Check out A CASE FOR EXERCISE VARIETY: 10 REASONS(PART-2)
Sports bras Bras Bra Mesh Sports bra Sport Wear Sizes Workout Tops Comfortable Wicking Strappy Racerback. Sport bras Activewear Crop top Moisture wicking Outerwear Underwire Bralette Chafing Push up Cup size Sport bra Capri Impact sports Underwire bra Hoodies Racer back Cup sizes Under armour Racerback sports bra Heatgear Underwire sports bra Racerback