Effective Workout Advice: Random Routine

There are hundreds of different workout programs and routines people develop. Whether you follow a popular variation or have created a system that fits your free time and lifestyle, there is a way to make any routine more effective. The simple way is to randomize your routine.

That sounds a little backwards, doesn't it? How can a routine be random? Let's assume that someone has done the same routine for months on end. They work on their legs, then do some sets of crunches, and finish off with pull-ups and stretching. He / She does this exact regime three days a week with no variation, except in adding more weight, longer times, and higher numbers of sets and reps (as anyone who seeks true results should do to continue challenging themselves). To randomize the routine, one has to simply mix up the order of the individual exercises. Spend one day starting out on your tried-and-true setup. Then the next day start by doing pull-ups, working on legs, and then crunches followed by stretching.

It is hard to believe, especially for people who have gotten results from never straying from a workout route, that simple alterations in order adds more challenge to the routine. The body will perform better and certain results will happen faster if you add randomness to your routine. These minute changes keep the body on its toes and non-complacent even within a fixed exercise cycle. If the body doesn't realize there is a fixed system, no muscle groups will ever become dependent on that routine. In essence, randomizing your sets, reps, and order pushes your body to perform harder, and hence better, every time.

This goes equally well for other training, especially sports such as swimming. Doing your basics and warm-ups can become tedious and tend to not show results after long periods of time. Randomize the routine. Alternate aerobic and anaerobic sets, reps, and routines during the week. Simply because you randomize the order of your workouts does not mean you should sacrifice the routine that works for you. Still eat well and do stretches - vitally important for those not doing so - and try to consistently jumble the order of your exercises. The results will show and you will add more challenge without you or your body realizing it.

If you have become bored with your workout schedule, or do not feel that you are getting results, randomize your routine. Even small change is challenging, and you will fell a difference.