Is Your Resistance Training Hurting Or Helping?

When you think of resistance training, what types ofbecome mundane and down-right un-enjoyable after a
things come to mind? Probably many things: Cybex,while, and when you start to get bored, you start
Hammer Strength, machines, barbells, dumbbells,cutting corners and slacking: your body and your mind
medicine balls, stability balls, resistance bands, freeneed something new periodically; a new challenge, a
weights, the human body, etc. With so many choices,new experience. That's when the typical person will
how do you know what is right for you? To answerusually jump into defensive mode, sighting their workout
this question, I would have to assess you in person, so Ifrom high school football, or how a friend who happens
advise you to meet with a personal trainer who canto be a gym rat told them to do this forever; basically
help to determine what is right for you. What I canany defense they can muster to save themselves
answer, without knowing or seeing you, is howfrom ego-bruising. The bottom line is that the body likes
frequently you should change your workout.and needs change, it thrives on change. I will tell you
A lot of people in the weight room do not change upthe same thing I tell them: you should change your
their weight workouts ever. I have been in the gymworkout routine every 6 to 8 weeks.
atmosphere for many years now and have seen theDuring the 6 to 8 weeks of having someone on a
same guys come in and go through the same exactspecific program or routine, I try to encourage them to
workout day, after day, after day. It is not a wonderprogress as much as possible. Every succeeding
that I have had many of them seek me out frustratedworkout I develop is geared towards helping them to
because they are not progressing, sometimesadvance to a higher level; they may gripe and groan a
because they are even regressing. So I sit them downlittle, but they know it is for the better.
and ask them what their workouts consist of, and thenSo my advice to you is to get started with a workout,
proceed to tell them the following: the body adapts, wepush it for 6 to 8 weeks, and then find another
were built to adapt - that's how we as humans, likeworkout to do for the next 6 to 8 weeks etc..! You
any other species, learn to adjust and survive, evencan follow Rob on Just look for ExerciseMan; he talks
evolve. Not to mention that the same workout canabout diet, exercise, and over-all health.