Keep your workout simple in the weight room

There’s a lot of hype about changing an exercise to target specific parts of a muscle, but there’s little science behind its effectiveness.

The internet is full of trainers showing off fancy variations of basic weight-training exercises. One-legged squats, bicep curls with multiple grip changes, pushups with varied hand and leg positions and lunges with jumps or twists are just some of ways exercises are changed in the name of improved results.

But do changes in grip or body position really make you stronger?

Admittedly, not all exercise variations are done with the promise of bigger, stronger muscles. Some modifications are designed to accommodate injury, sport-specific movements, limitations in range of motion or a specific piece of equipment. But there are lots of exercise variations designed more to gain Instagram followers than pack on muscle or build strength.

That’s not to say there’s no benefit to adding variety to your weight-training routine. Varying the speed, amount of weight/resistance and number of repetitions and sets are all effective ways to challenge a muscle or group of muscles. But, when it comes to modifying exercises that target the same muscle group, the jury is still out as to whether familiarity is more effective than variety.

Typically, the more complicated the exercise, the more likely the exerciser will have to decrease the amount of weight, number of repetitions or jeopardize technique to accommodate the added difficulty. And since overloading the targeted muscles is the No. 1 principle of strength training, decreasing the intensity of the set can diminish results.

When does variety go from being the spice of life to more trouble than it’s worth? It’s a question Brazilian researchers tackled by comparing the results of two nine-week strength training programs, one that maintained the same list of exercises for each muscle group and another that varied the exercises. The workout program was performed three times a week on non-consecutive days and included upper, lower and core body exercises. The study subjects, all males between 18 and 35 years with previous experience in the weight room, performed the same number of sets and repetitions (three sets of eight to 12 exercises with 90 to 120 seconds between exercises and sets).

The basic list of exercises (bench press, front lat pull down, bicep curl, tricep extension, leg press and lying leg curl) was repeated by Group 1 for the length of the study. Group 2 had a different list of exercises for each of the three weekly workout days (bench press to incline bench press and decline bench press, front lat pull down to back lat pull down and narrow grip lat pull down, bicep curl to preacher curl and incline dumbbell curl, tricep extension to cable seated triceps extension and triceps kickback pulley, leg press to half squat and hack squat machine, lying leg curl to seated leg curl and seated unilateral leg curl).

At the end of the nineweek study, there were no significant differences in strength gains between the two groups.

“From a practical point of view, our results suggest that maintaining or varying the exercises for the same muscle group throughout a resistance training program promotes similar adaptations to maximum dynamic strength,” the researchers said.

Given sticking with the same exercises offered similar results as changing them up, there’s something to be said for the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid), especially when it comes to strength training. Simple exercises are easily mastered, which makes experimenting with other ways to vary your workout routine a lot less complicated. Adding weight, varying the speed or directional plane (the path the weight travels) or making small adjustments in body position are all good options when done one at a time, but exercises that try to do too much offer too little return.

There’s a lot of hype about changing an exercise to target specific parts of a muscle, but there’s little science behind its effectiveness. Getting stronger is all about increasing the intensity of your workout in small progressive steps. So, while it’s tempting to try some of the exercises showcased by fitness influencers on social media, the benefits are questionable — especially if the overall intensity of your workout diminishes while you try and master the intricacies of the movement.

That said, learning new exercises and changing up your routine can keep your workout fresh. Just remember, the changes don’t need to be huge. Don’t venture too far out of your comfort zone, keeping in mind technique is king. An Instagram-worthy exercise done poorly isn’t just ineffective, it could lead to injury. Many a back, knee and shoulder has felt the effects of an ill-timed or poorly executed twist, swing or lift.

Keep your exercise selection simple, effective and challenging and leave the fancy variations to those who make a living by the number of likes and shares. For all of us expected to show up to work every morning, get the kids in and out their car seats and roll heavy garbage cans to the curb, the KISS Principle delivers more than enough strength.