3 Ways to Tweak Your Workout Without Completely Changing It

Feel like you have plateaued? Don’t feel like you have to throw what you’ve been doing in the trash. Here are a few ways you can change things up just a little to make new gains.

1. Try a Different Variation of the Same Move.

Some people are scared to deviate to much from their tried and true workout. And that’s okay. After all, we are creatures of habit. Luckily, you don’t have to completely revamp your moves to confuse those muscles. Sometimes all it takes is a small change in each movement.

For example, say you are doing the following total body workout today:

• 2 minute jump rope warm up
• 3 sets of max push ups
• 3 one minute planks
• 3 sets of 20 squats
• 3 sets of 8-12 bicep curls
• 3 sets of max pull ups

Here’s an example of how you could do variations of the same moves without going too far outside the box:

• 2 minute squatting jump rope warm up (legs apart, knees bent)
• 3 sets of wide max push ups (put hands a little farther out)
• 3 one minute plank push ups (go from elbows to high plank repeatedly)
• 3 sets of 20 plie squats (feet wider apart with toes angled out)
• 3 sets of 8-12 hammer curls (dumbbells turned ninety degrees)
• 3 sets of max close grip pull ups (hands gripped almost together)

2. Make Your Move Harder

Sometimes moves can be tweaked to turn up the burn. For example, when you do push ups, you can put your feet on a stool to put more weight on your upper body. You can add weight to your squats to round out those muscles and burn that fat. You can mix sprints into your  daily run to bring your heart rate up higher than normal. You can…well, you get the idea.

3. Change Up the Reps

Using the tried and true 12, 10, 8 sets? Maybe it’s time to stray from that. You could reverse it and do your heaviest weight first with 8 reps, then go 10 and 12. Or you could go max weight 6-8 reps for 3 sets, increasing weight if you can complete more than 8 and decreasing if you can do more than 6.

Are you changing up your routine? Tell us how in the replies.