| I often get clients coming in who have been exercising | | | | your medium and light days for building tendon and |
| with machine circuit training and are frustrated with the | | | | ligament strength as well as muscle endurance. At the |
| lack of results. What happens too often is we repeat | | | | end of your six-week cycle, take 2 - 4 days off and |
| the same exercise routine for a particular body part or | | | | allow your body to rest. This prevents overtraining and |
| muscle group until the muscles adapt. As a rule of | | | | will help your body with improved performance when |
| thumb, I always change my exercise routine every | | | | you start up again. The cycling approach will be |
| month to keep it progressive and making gains. Every | | | | particularly effective for preventing injuries to muscle |
| once in a while I will do a "special" workout. I'll do all my | | | | groups and connective tissue down the road. |
| favorite exercises and not the ones I've designed into | | | | Your goal will determine the number of reps you |
| a specific fitness training program. I do this because it is | | | | typically use. Different numbers of reps serve different |
| beneficial to mix up exercises and equipment on | | | | purposes. First, know what your goals are in your |
| occasion. If you keep repeating the same things and | | | | training. What are you trying to accomplish? The |
| have done so over time, you have done a good job at | | | | standards are as follows: for strength train at 6 to 8 |
| maintaining your fitness level and muscles. You | | | | reps; endurance at 15 to 20 reps; toning at 10 to 15 |
| certainly have not challenged them and will not get | | | | reps; mass and size 6 to 20 reps. |
| them to make any gains. Even if you exercise for | | | | There are also other factors to training in addition to |
| maintenance, I still recommend changing up your | | | | reps. The number of sets is how many times you do |
| exercise routine. | | | | the exercise with rest in between. Intensity is the level |
| Another way to vary your fitness routine is by | | | | of difficulty in performing the exercise usually stated in |
| changing from exercise machines to free weights / | | | | a percentage of a 1 to 10 rep maximum. Rest, is the |
| dumbbells or visa versa. For cardio exercise, move | | | | amount of time you wait until you do another set. All of |
| from the treadmill to the stepper, elliptical or bike. With | | | | these factors are controlled variables in an exercise |
| cardio workouts, I like interval training because it does | | | | program. Knowing your fitness goals will help you or |
| just that, it varies the workout each time. Instead of | | | | your trainer determine what the best mix is for you in |
| always walking on the treadmill at the same speed | | | | designing your exercise program. For more information |
| and incline or grade, change up your speed and | | | | and tips on exercise, go to |
| increase your grade. This will keep your exercise | | | | Linda Geyer, entrepreneur, speaker and author has |
| dynamic and prevent boredom. More importantly it will | | | | spent her entire career in health related businesses |
| challenge your muscles, heart, and lunges to work at | | | | helping clients and audiences make health a priority. |
| different levels. | | | | She is Founder and CEO of Vitality Management and |
| There are many ways to change your exercise | | | | owner of Peak Physique Fitness Training in Michigan. |
| routine. Be creative. Try creating a simple six-week | | | | Linda inspires, motivates and educates on health |
| training cycle in which you alternate between heavy, | | | | prevention through exercise, healthy eating and positive |
| medium and light training sessions for each body part. | | | | attitude. |
| Each time you try a heavy day, push your limit, leaving | | | | |