When should you change exercises? Introducing novel exercises into a training intervention should be done intelligently and with reason.
Making changes, “for the sake of it” generally leads to spinning your wheels and is deleterious to ones progress in the gym.
Just recently I changed an exercise variation. The exercise is for the most part still the same. Though, I altered the implement used to perform the exercise to drive more progress.
For context, it was the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press. I swapped to Incline Barbell Bench Press.
When Should You Change Exercises?
Here’s why I changed the exercise:
1. I couldn’t progress the DB Bench anymore. Even after several weeks of trying to add reps and/or weight.
2. I deloaded (performed approx. 50% of my usual work in the gym). Progress quickly stalled shortly post deload.
3. Most other factors are pretty good (diet, sleep, stress management).
4. The exercises percieved fatigue to stimulus ratio favoured fatigue. It was probably really stimulating but very hard to recover from.
Before changing an exercise, implement and consider some of the above.
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