Is it Time to Make a Change

When people begin to make lifestyle changes, it normally happens with a goal in mind and I have pretty much heard them all, but three are very common: “I want to lose weight”, “I want to get stronger”, and “I want to get more defined.” After several months of doing the same program, consistently working, and seeing progress I am mystified every time I am asked “Should I change my program?” Everybody needs a little change every now and then, but constantly switching programs may be short-circuiting your progress.

Program hopping isn’t new, but it is being seen more and more with the increased publicity of fitness professionals and their revolutionary new training techniques. I blame Tony Horton for coining the term “muscle confusion” and helping generations of people believe they have to have constant variety to see progress. I blame Crossfit for popularizing the idea further with training programs that don’t demonstrate logical progression in any one particular aspect other than conditioning but attempt to train everything. There is benefit in these programs as it gets people off the couch and gets them active, and for many people struggling to get fit, that’s the biggest challenge to overcome. Think about it this way: for a plumber to be a great plumber they aren’t doing landscaping, cabinetry, painting, electrical, and plumbing; their doing plumbing. The training matches the goal and as long as the training is moving the plumber towards their goal, they continue doing it. Fitness is the same way.

I understand the “Grass is always greener” concept. I’ve been guilty of switching programs when I was still making progress and the result, slower and even stalled progress until I went back to what was working. The simple answer to “should I change programs?” is in two questions:

1. Have you changed your goal?
2. Are you still making progress towards your goal?

If you haven’t changed your goal and you’re still making progress, there isn’t a reason to change. Finding a program that allows for consistent progress is hard and if you have one that works, are you willing to make a change that could stop or even reverse your progress. If you’re bored with the current program, doing a few weeks of something new won’t destroy what you’ve done, but remember, it takes 8-12 weeks to see measurable progress. The only exception for seeing progress is with newer trainees, who have the potential to see progress every workout because of the adaptations the nervous system is making.

If you haven’t changed your goal and you’re progress has stalled, it may be time to consider a change. Sometimes you’ve reached the limit of the program and changing may get us going on the right path again. Sometimes we need a “reboot” of sorts, whether it’s backing the weights down by 10% or adding a little more to our daily diet. Remember, the body adapts to the imposed demands and eventually will reach homeostasis. In order to get passed that point, we will need to increase the intensity, volume, or nutrition in our program.

If you have changed your goal and this program doesn’t match the goal, it is time to change programs. There are no two ways about it. If the goal and the steps aren’t on the same path, the path has to change.

We all want to reach our goals fast, but fitness is not a sprint, it is a marathon that takes consistency and dedication. Everybody that trains for more than a few months will encounter a stall, but switching programs at the first sign of struggle is less than ideal when sometimes the stall can be attributed to poor sleep, poor diet, or life’s other stresses. Be patient, evaluate, and if it may be something other than the program, give it another week and then make a move.

Keep working hard and you can achieve those goals!