Variations to exercise programs are an integral part to maintaining a continued level of adaptation response. Although motor pattern development varies among people, generally it takes 7-12 exposures to the stress for adaptations to accommodate the physiological challenge. If the stress is simply a new movement the nervous system will begin learning immediately and with subsequent rehearsal develop a motor pattern through muscle synchronization. In most cases the body has adequate potential in the musculature for appropriate force management, it though needs to figure out how to access the motor units properly which comes from practice. Once the nervous system figures out the situation the demands are reduced. This is easily exemplified with the act of swimming. Asking a person relatively unfamiliar with fitness swimming to perform a 100 meter free stroke distance and they will likely have a high perceived exertion with the activity. But after repeat bouts over a one week period will likely consider it a relatively easy task to perform. This is not due to some newly developed muscle or exaggerated improvement in VO2 but rather an improvement in economy.
When considering adaptations there are three unique but intimately related environments to manage and each is related to system augmentation. The first to respond is always the nervous system. Changes in motor unit recruitment, firing rate and synchronicity accommodate immediate adjustments via assistance of the prorioceptors. Next the metabolic system migrates to the environment and soon better serves the activity allowing for longer and harder bouts. Lastly, the muscular system changes by adding protein and lengthening myofiliament chains when load and movement range demand it. The adaptations explain why, over the first two or three months of training, individuals see significant improvements but become stale in response to the program. Once the body adapts to a stress it will not continue to improve. Actually it may even burn less calories as its economy reduces the effort needed to perform the activity. This suggests modifications to the exercise are necessary for a new outcome. The common error at this point is simply adding resistance but this is a narrow thought process for new stress.
Depending on the desired response an exercise program may need to change in whole or in part. This means an exercise may be modified or swapped out for another, changes to the set and rest intervals may be needed, or additional stress may be added by requiring more musculature per activity. The first step is defining the desired outcome: larger muscles, weight management, more stability, faster speed or greater strength may all warrant unique adjustments to secure the appropriate response. The next step is identifying how current movements can be manipulated to better serve the intended purpose. Basic exercise theory at least supports the foundations or mechanism by which an exercise can be manipulated to serve a specific purpose. Therefore programming components must be viewed for dose stress appropriateness. For hypertrophy , the activity must isolate movements to ensure adequate time under tension with moderately heavy loading and short rest intervals at enough volume to promote anabolic hormone release. Strength requires synchronized joint action, high levels of stability, with near maximal loading of the largest muscle groups. Speed or power development suggests using rapid ballistic and plyometric based movements using varied loads over the appropriate energy systems (i.e., CP for power cleans, glycolytic pathway for rebounding). Whereas functional based training requires muscle synergy across unilateral and asymmetrical loaded environments with moderate to low loads to enhance stability, movement efficiency and range of motion. Exercises and programs therefore should reflect these programmatic conditions to ensure they better serve the desired outcome.
Consider the adjustments and variations employed in the work segment of the following workout.
| Strength | Power | Hypertrophy | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | High Pull | Romanian Deadlift | Suitcase deadlift (asymmetrical deadlit) |
| Front squat to press | Front squat to Push press | Front squat s/s seated DB press | DB Front squat to alternate press |
| Straight Bar Walking Lunges | Weighted Lunge Rebounds | Smith machine Split Squats | Front bar lunges with press |
| DB Bent-Over Row | Barbell Row | T-Bar Row | Front bar lunges with pressSplit stance cable one arm row |
| Incline Bench Press | Incline MB throws | Incline Bench s/s chest flyes | Single arm standing cable incline press |
| Pull-ups | Jump Pull-ups | Lat pull down | Physioball pull-ups |
| Weighted Dips | Plyo-push-ups | Close grip bench s/s bench dips | Bench push-ups to rotational reach |
Each exercise represents a change that becomes a new stress from the previous environment and these represent a minute few of many options. In addition, to the exercise selection sets and repetition schemes can be adjusted as well as the rest interval. These changes should be consistent with other changes so the desired affect is attained without too much stress being applied at one time. Changing an exercise, increasing the resistance and adding a dynamic component all at once would certainly be excessive. The body’s ability to adapt is based on physiological adjustments in several systems. Even when the stress is applied to the nervous system, inexperience requires some level of skill acquisition which explains why weekly changes are too aggressive. Sticking with an exercise or emphasis for three weeks is usually adequate for most personal training clients, athletes may progress faster but anytime progressions are accelerated beyond physical capabilities the only two outcomes are sloppy compensated movements or overtraining.
