Variety produces better results

Once you've found a sport you enjoy, you might be tempted to do the same workout over and over again. You feel like you're getting stronger, and you're actually doing pretty well. But be careful! If you follow the same routine for too long, you'll eventually stop making progress. This applies to fitness and strength training as well as endurance sports like running or cycling. In this blog post, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies in Alkmaar, explains why variety is so important if you want to keep achieving results.

Law of Diminishing Returns

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

Variety is the magic word

It can be incredibly demotivating. You're exercising to get fitter, better, or stronger, and standing still feels like going backward, especially when you're trying so hard. Fortunately, this is easy to break. Variety—also known in sports as periodization—is the key. By varying your training in terms of frequency, intensity, and duration, you'll continue to make progress. By alternating between different training phases according to a well-structured training plan, you'll get the most out of your workouts. If you're working toward a specific goal, such a plan will help you peak at the right time.

Different phases

At Happy Bodies, you'll work with the Milon circle and your own personal lifestyle coach. During your intake, the innovative Milonizer scans your body using biometric markers. This ensures that all equipment is automatically configured correctly for every workout, even if you have any physical complaints. Our programs are also structured in phases, adding variety and constantly challenging your body. This ensures that the workout remains enjoyable and you make continuous progress.