Importance of Variation

Over the last 10 weeks I have discussed a wide range of fitness topics from flat tummies to blood pressure (check www.edlumsden.com to catch up with any you've missed). Next week it will be your turn to ask any questions you might have. Simply send your questions to the courier and I will answer a selection of them over the following weeks.

Do you ever feel like you're doing the same workout over and over again but not getting anywhere? Your problem could be exactly that – the same workout over and over again . Variation is an essential part of a well constructed program. Remember that ‘getting fit' is the process of your body adapting to a level of exercise it is not used to. Here are a few examples of how variation can get you the results you want.

If you are trying to build muscle, bear in mind that most muscles work through a number of different motions and angles. If you want to build the chest, don't always press with a flat bench. Try incline or decline presses, fly/press supersets, cable crosses at different heights or upper/lower range presses. If this all sounds like another language, then you will need a fitness professional to go through these exercises with you.

The principle applies to weight loss too. To burn more calories, you must make your body work harder. Most trainers only ever change the intensity or duration of an exercise – but changing the exercise itself can be just as challenging. Even something as simple as swimming a different stroke every 3 lengths can start to burn more calories without necessarily having to swim faster or for longer.

Even marathon training should involve variation. Although you will often train at one set speed, this should be accompanied by interval training, relevant strength exercises, stretching and back exercises. This type of program will see you start to shave minutes off your times when you have become stack at a plateau.

Melanie's Diary Week Ten:

I am now enjoying my sessions and I look forward to each one in turn. As Ed mentions above each session is never the same but each week all of the exercises we do, whether they are cardio workouts or floor work, complement each other. We always try and do cardio and abs in one session and then work the other muscles in the other, but each time I feel as though I am able to push myself that little bit harder. I am now craving results and when I feel a difference in myself I am keen to keep pushing.