Have you ever wondered how often you really need to switch up your training to continue to make progress? We’ll we’re going to discuss a few things to consider below!
But first, as always, it depends on your goals! To be honest, this also depends on your personality and how quickly you get bored too, but we’ll chat about all of those things.
4-8 WEEKS
In general, I’d argue switching up your programming every 4-8 weeks depending on your goals, preferences, etc. would be ideal. This allows your body time to get used to the program, apply progressive overload to those muscles/movement patterns, and therefore make strength, mobility, and/or power improvements depending on the goal of that program.
12-16 WEEKS
You could honestly do up to 12-16 weeks (3-4 months) doing in the same program if you really wanted. The key with this is a progressing weight throughout the program as you get stronger to ensure progressive overload (note to Jessica: add link to progressive overload blog).
LESS THAN 4 WEEKS
If you switch up your training more often than every 4 weeks, it’s likely your body isn’t able to build a strength in the new movement patterns that you’re including in your workout. Therefore, you’re not really able to progressively overload your muscles as much as if you’re familiar with the exercise that you’re doing. This can slow down progress building strength.
MORE THAN 16 WEEKS
On the other hand, if you’re continuing to do the same exercises over and over, you might want to consider if you are neglecting a certain plane of movement, movement pattern, or muscle. When you lack a certain amount of variety in your training, you can predispose yourself to risk of injury. If you want more information on how to ensure balance in your training, you can check out this post here!
Granted, a good program is doing similar exercises over and over again making them progressively more challenging over time. This can be done with different variations of the same exercise, adding more weight, increasing the lever arm, and so many other options!
Let me know, how long do you prefer your programs to be before making some changes? 👇
If you want a program to follow, check out my programs here or if you’d prefer to work with me 1:1 with an individualized program and the ability to get more feedback to check form, you can find more info here.
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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
