The Importance of Variety



By Ross Enamait - Published in 2004




Variety is defined as the quality or state of having different forms or types.
Variety is an important concept to apply to your strength and
conditioning program. An athlete who incorporates variety into his
routine, will have an advantage over the individual who limits himself
to one training style or apparatus.

Unfortunately, many trainers and athletes follow a narrow-minded
approach to fitness. These individuals select a sole training modality.
They reap the benefits of one training style, while ignoring, and often
discrediting, the effectiveness of all others.

Consider the common argument between bodyweight exercise and
weight training. One individual will boast superiority based on his
ability to perform 20 pull-ups and 100 pushups. Another individual will
claim superiority based on his ability to squat 500 pounds.

Who is the superior athlete?

To those expecting an
answer, unfortunately I cannot provide one. There is no correct answer.
An athlete is not defined by his ability to perform a certain number of
repetitions, or by how much weight he can lift. Athletes must be
evaluated and judged based on performance.

There is no
training device or system that serves as a panacea for strength and
conditioning. Too many individuals spend excessive amounts of time and
energy justifying their training system, while discrediting others.
These individuals would be better served by incorporating variety into
their training program.

Who is to say that bodyweight
exercise is superior to weight training, or vice versa? Who is to say
that kettlebells are superior to dumbbells, or vice versa? What about
sandbags, medicine balls, or clubbells? What about sport-specific skill
training?

We are all individuals, each with unique strengths,
weaknesses, goals, and objectives. No man or woman should preach the
absolute superiority of one particular training system, device, or
methodology.

I prefer (and recommend) a system that incorporates variety.
Regardless of your training goals and desires, you will be well served
with variety. I personally train with barbells, dumbbells, bodyweight
exercise, medicine balls, sandbags, sledgehammers, sprints, intervals,
and just about every other training device that you can think of. Each
tool and system can provide benefits if used correctly.

The athlete must incorporate variety into his program to
become complete. There is no single exercise or piece of equipment that
will create a complete athlete. It is unfortunate that so many
individuals fail to include variety into their exercise routine. These
individuals continue to train the same way, day after day, week after
week. Their results are limited due to the natural process of
habituation. As related to strength and conditioning, habituation is
defined as tolerance to the effects of a particular activity acquired
through continued use. When you train the same way all the time, your
body adapts and adjusts to the load that is placed against it.

In order for a muscle to increase in strength, the workload must be
greater than normal. By overloading the muscle, your body responds and
adapts by growing stronger. Once the body adapts, a new stimulus is
required to continue the reaction. If the workload does not
progressively increase, there will be no further gains in strength and
endurance.

By incorporating variety, you have many tools and systems available to
foster progression. Consider the martial artist who refuses to train
with weights. This individual boasts his ability to perform 500
bodyweight squats. This accomplishment is impressive, but what happens
when he attempts to squat with 300 pounds on his back? If this
individual has not squatted with heavy weights, there is a good chance
that he will be sent crashing to the floor, unable to handle the
weight.

What about the individual who routinely squats 300 pounds?
What happens when he attempts to perform a one-legged squat with his
non-working leg extended in front of his body? In most situations, this
individual will struggle to perform one repetition. He will lack the
balance, coordination, and flexibility to perform this movement.

Each of these individuals assumes they are “strong”, but
they are narrow-minded in their approach to strength and conditioning.
A complete athlete will train with a complete program. This individual
will be proficient with his own bodyweight, as well as added
resistance.

Today’s combative athlete must advance with the times. He
must not limit himself to one training system, completely ignoring all
others. Combat athletes should follow an integrated approach to
strength and conditioning. I often compare a complete training program
to a cooking recipe. There are several training “ingredients”
that must be included. The combat athlete must first focus on
developing and advancing his current skill set. Boxing, wrestling, and
MMA are skill sports. Without skill, the athlete will have no avenue to
deliver his strength and conditioning.

In addition to skill training, the athlete must incorporate
high intensity, anaerobic style conditioning. Common examples include
interval running, heavy bag training, along with non-weighted GPP
(General Physical Preparation). Common GPP exercises include burpees,
jumping jacks, split jumps, mountain climbers, pushups, and running in
place. Check out my article on Burpee Conditioning for a sample bodyweight conditioning routine.



Another important ingredient is strength training.
Combative athletes should incorporate variety into their
strength-training program by working with barbells, dumbbells,
sandbags, bodyweight exercise, and medicine balls.


Variety will expedite training results, while providing an avenue for continued progression.



How do you find time for each training device?


The answer is simple. You cannot work with each training
device during one session. Your workouts should be short, and intense.
I recommend incorporating variety into your training program every 3 to
6 weeks. Variety can come by way of altering exercise selection, adding
weight, modifying your repetition scheme, and/or training apparatus.
For example, you can develop a solid foundation by training with
weights and bodyweight exercise. Eventually, you can supplement your
workouts with sandbag lifting, medicine ball throws, and sledgehammer
swinging.


Using myself as an example, let’s look at a sample week (from 2004):

• Monday – Strength work with dumbbells, sandbag lifting, and bodyweight exercise
  
• Tuesday – Plyometric work with medicine ball, along with sledgehammer training
  
• Wednesday – Anaerobic conditioning, along with bodyweight exercise
  
• Thursday - Strength work with dumbbells, sandbags, and bodyweight exercise
  
• Friday - Plyometric work with medicine ball, along with sledgehammer training
  
• Saturday - Anaerobic conditioning, along with bodyweight exercise
  
• Sunday - Rest
  

On Monday and Thursday, I focus on strength training. I integrate
dumbbell training with sandbags and bodyweight exercise. I focus on
full body movements such as dumbbell swings, snatches, one-legged
squats, handstand pushups, and a variety of sandbag power lifts.

On Tuesday and Friday, I integrate a variety of medicine ball drills
with my sledgehammer work. The sledgehammer is an awesome strength and
conditioning tool that I highly recommend. I work through a variety of
conditioning drills by smashing the sledgehammer against a large truck
tire. If you need a tire to train with, you can usually find one for
free. Most tire shops will give away old tires that they would
otherwise pay to dispose.

Wednesday and Saturday are reserved for my most intense
anaerobic conditioning sessions. These days include intense interval
training on the track, hill sprints, sled dragging, and a variety of
other conditioning drills.

In addition to the above listed schedule, I train at the
boxing gym during the evening. The boxing workout includes skill
training, sparring, core training, and more conditioning drills.

As you can see, there is not one training style that I
single out over all others. Instead, I am able to reap the benefits of
an integrated training program. This program is my flavor of the month.
The program is constantly changing to prevent habituation. I continue
to attack and target the muscles from different angles, with different
movements. I recommend this approach to anyone who is serious about
their strength and conditioning work.

Be wary of those fitness “gurus” who recommend one training
device over all others. There is a good chance that the individual has
a financial interest in the “miracle” training tool or system. Do not
allow a one’s marketing speech to deter you from incorporating variety
into your training routine.


Mix it up, incorporate variety, and have fun.




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About the Author - Ross Enamait is an innovative athlete and
trainer, whose training style is among the most intense that you will
find. Ross is committed to excellence and advancements in high
performance conditioning and functional strength development. He has a
sincere interest in helping today's athlete in their quest for
greatness.

Ross has authored several training manuals, and is available for private training in the New England area. You may contact him directly at





ross@rosstraining.comhttp://www.rosstraining.com/articles/variety.html