Muscle Confusion And Physical Conditioning

"Muscle confusion" is a theory suggesting you enhance physical conditioning and performance during a particular sport, activity, or task by varying your routine. When you exercise, your body attempts to adapt to the stress you place on your muscles. If you do not change your workout program over the course of several months, you may reach a plateau. A plateau occurs when your body has adequately adapted to the routine and stops responding. Even effective exercise programs can cause you to hit a plateau eventually if you do not vary them. There are several key ways to "confuse" your muscles to prevent a plateau from occurring.

Changing Your Workout Routine

Proponents of muscle confusion say changing the exercises or the order of exercises can be sufficient to avoid muscle plateaus. If you perform a barbell bench press on a regular basis as a part of your routine, try using dumbbells instead. This will change the stress placed on your body and force it to respond even though you are exercising the same primary muscles. Changing exercise frequency can also help "confuse" your muscles. Rather than working out three times per week, try working out four times instead. The increase in volume may be enough to force your body to adapt.

Changing Your Workout Intensity

According to the muscle confusion theory, changing the intensity of your workout may significantly increase the stress placed on your muscles and can force them to adapt. Taking shorter rest intervals between sets can be enough to "confuse" your muscles as well as your cardiovascular system. This can enhance performance by training your body to work at a faster pace and an increased workload. Another way to change your workout intensity is by lifting heavier weights during a resistance training workout, or increasing your speed during a cardiovascular workout. For safety reasons, always make sure you keep your intensity level within your own physical limitations. Pushing yourself harder than your body can handle may lead to injury.

Changing the Number of Repetitions

Changing the number of repetitions you perform for a given exercise may be an effective way to "confuse" your muscles, according to the theory. If you are used to doing three sets of 10 repetitions for every exercise, try performing four or five sets of 12 to 15 repetitions, or one or two sets of six repetitions. Keeping your muscles "guessing" by not allowing them to adapt to a particular number of sets and repetitions helps them grow.

Changing Your Workout Time

The muscle confusion theory suggests that changing the time of day you work out can be enough to spur your muscles into growth. Your body not only adapts to the exercises, intensity, and repetitions of your workout program, but also to the time of day you work out. Your body has a circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a process that controls physical, mental and behavioral changes based on your wake-sleep cycle. If you normally work out in the mornings, try working out later in the day. Working out during different points in your circadian rhythm can "confuse" your muscles and "shock" them into growth, says the theory.