Half of the fun in working out is using your creativity to come up with the workouts in the first place. As long as you have the underlying principles in place, the methods that you choose to achieve your goals can be customized to fit your interests. 

Exercise Principles

Specificity:

Exercising in a certain way that produces the targeted outcome or replicates the desired movement pattern. If your goal is to increase upper body strength to be able to do a pull-up or get better at rock climbing then you need to focus on the muscle group that will help you achieve those goals!

Overload:

Creating an intensity or load that is greater than what you have already exposed your body to. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to lift 20 more pounds each week, but something needs to change to create a new stress that your body can adapt to. This can be in the form of shorter rest intervals, more weight, more reps, or creating more “time under tension” by slowing down the exercise.

Variation:

Changing a component of the exercise over time in order to promote continuous adaptation. Workouts do not need to change from week to week, but over time the body will need new stressors in order to adapt. It is common to see individuals progress through a workout plan for 4-6 weeks before they switch up some of their exercises.

Progression:

Increase in overload over a dedicated time period in an effort to promote adaptation. The previously mentioned concept of overload is often combined with progression in a term known as “progressive overload.” When people use this they are referring to the gradual increase that you make from week to week and month to month in order to achieve your goal in the most efficient, yet safe, manner. 

Putting it all Together

The combination of these four principles will start you on your journey to fitness success. The surplus of information on the internet can be overwhelming and make it seem like you need to have the most complex exercise plan in order to achieve your goals. In reality, it all comes back to these four principles. Stick to the basics and have fun with finding new ways to apply these principles into your workout plan!

Written by GUADS member Katie with contributions from https://www.verywellfit.com