So you’ve been working out and doing a good job getting yourself to the gym. But for some reason it just doesn’t seem like the results are coming that fast…or at least not as fast as they were when you first started. Why is that?
Why does it seem harder to build lean muscle, burn stubborn fat, and find the motivation to get your butt to the gym with the enthusiasm you had when you started out the new program with dreams of FINALLY looking the way you want to?
Usually, the answer lies in your workout itself. No, there’s nothing wrong with your workout, but there IS SOMETHING WRONG with the fact that you haven’t changed it in months let alone weeks!
The Muscle Confusion Principle
It’s a very common mistake that beginners make, and even seasoned gym veterans. They grow attached to the exercises that made them grow muscles in the beginning…all the while not realizing that those same exercises that were good to them could very quickly become nonproducers as the body adapts to become accustomed to them.
Remember, the body’s main goal is to prevent change of any kind. Muscle growth is a form of change. As a matter of fact, it’s a significant change that not only requires new tissue to be constructed, but then also fed and maintained day after day in order to make it stick around.
It’d be a helluva lot easier if you just never added the new bulk in the first place. So it goes without saying, the body will do everything in it’s power to prevent the appearance of new muscle.
So understanding that, you’re going to have to do some convincing here! Time to introduce MUSCLE CONFUSION to force the body to change! No choice here but to adapt the way you want it to….by adding pounds of new lean muscle steadily and consistently.
How Muscle Confusion Works…
Muscle confusion relies on never letting the body come to expect what it is you are trying to do to it with your workout. If for one second your muscles anticipate what you are attempting to do to them, they will actually adapt BEFORE you can do it. You see this all the time. Try to do the same exercises you’ve been doing each and every workout and it’s tough to generate that next day soreness you associate with progress.
On the other hand, mix in a new exercise or use a different one than you have in a long time and the muscle soreness the next day can go through the roof. Obviously you did something your body didn’t like, and in the case of building muscle…that’s a good thing!
So how can you confuse your muscles and how often should you do it? Well lets start with the end of that question. In my opinion I think you should aim to do SOMETHING (anything) different every workout. No two workouts should be the same.
Yes, you can do the same exercises….but either the intensity has to change, the rest time has to be shortened, the range of motion on the exercises has to vary, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE in order to make the workout something unique to your body that FORCES IT TO CHANGE. Remember, change is good. Change stimulates muscle growth (provided adequate rest and nutrition are in place).
How To Employ The Muscle Confusion Principle
As for how you can accomplish this, well I already named a few…but here are a few more. Swap exercises every time you workout, change the sequence of the exercises, change the rep scheme, change how you actually do the rep and throw in some one and a half reps, use different bars that you’re not accustomed to, switch out cables for tubing, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless…and so are your potential results if you decide to change something every time you train.
Remember, don’t rely on what feels good. When it comes to building muscle fast that’s the wrong way to go. Instead, rely on what feels NEW and you will be saying hello to a new you when you look in the mirror!
Stay strong,
Jeff
Want more information on muscle confusion or better yet, an entire 90 day workout program that has it done for you already to help you easily get maximum muscle growth and fat burning at the same time? Then head to /best-workout-program-for-men and see how Jeff Cavaliere’s AthLEAN-X Training System can keep your muscles guessing and the results coming!
Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS
Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.
