Shock Your Body With Periodized Training

Frustrating fitness plateaus occur when that amazing body of yours adapts to your workout. In order to keep making gains, you must shake up your routine with new cardio and strength training challenges. If variety is the spice of life, then periodized training is the secret gym spice to deliver more gains with similar effort.

Periodization -- changing your training program in a planned and progressive manner -- is a purposeful way to keep you from knocking around in a deep fitness rut. Research has shown periodized weight training can deliver significantly more muscle and less fat than a same 'ole, non-periodized program. It works for cardio, too.

As you embark on your annual January fitness resolution, plan differently this time. To get you thinking within the periodization box, Outside magazine offers one simple way to periodize your resistance workout to keep your body guessing and excited -- like the new relationship you'll soon begin after you kiss that hot guy or girl at midnight. Gotta think positive, right?:

• Plan three-week phases where you perform three sets of 8-12 reps for the first three weeks, followed by four sets of 4-6 reps for the next three weeks. Don't make the second phase a cakewalk, add weights accordingly. Ultimately you'll increase muscular strength/endurance and up your metabolism.
  

To learn more about periodization, check out this article over at American Council on Exercise.