Once you find a sport you like, you may tend to do the same workout over and over again. You feel that you are getting stronger and things are actually going well. But watch out! If you train with the same routine for too long, at some point you will stop making progress. This applies to fitness and strength training as well as to endurance sports, such as running or cycling. In this blog, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies in Alkmaar, explains why variety is so important if you want to continue to achieve results.

Law of diminishing returns

Exercise is healthy, there is no doubt about that, and if you exercise regularly you become fitter and stronger. Yet there is a small catch. If you perform the same workout for too long, you will eventually reach a plateau. You're making very little progress. You then have to deal with the so-called law of diminishing returns: as you improve, your body responds less and less to the training stimuli you give your body. This applies to both strength training – your muscles grow less and less quickly – and to cardio training – you barely get faster, even though you train just as hard.

Variety is the magic word

Of course it can be very demotivating. You exercise to become fitter, better or stronger and standing still feels like going backwards, especially if you try so hard. Fortunately, this is easy to break. Variety – also known in sports as periodization – is the magic word. By varying your training in terms of frequency, intensity and duration, you will continue to make progress. By alternating different training phases according to a well-structured training schedule, you get the most out of your training. If you are working on a specific goal, such a schedule will help you peak at the right time.

Different phases

At Happy Bodies you work with the Milon circle and your own personal lifestyle coach. During the intake, the innovative Milonizer scans your body based on biometric markers. This way you can be sure that all equipment is automatically set correctly during every training session, even if you have physical complaints. But our programs are also made up of different phases, so you add variety and your body is challenged again and again. This ensures that the training remains fun and that you continuously make progress.

Knowing more?

Curious how you too get more energy by training twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach? Even if you have physical complaints? Then do the membership test and sign up for a free personal introductory meeting and tour of the club. Want to bet that you are immediately sold?