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Is Muscle Confusion Just Another Myth?
Fitness | October 24, 2016
I recently read an article on New York Magazine’s Science of Us page about the currently popular theory of “Muscle Confusion”. If you’re not familiar with the term, the idea of muscle confusion is to try and complete a very different kind of daily workout so your muscles are always “confused” and won’t ever plateau because they’re constantly being stimulated in a new way. The belief is that you’ll experience constant muscle and fitness growth and enjoy never growing bored. Think a spin class followed by hot yoga followed by Olympic lifting followed by a kickboxing class. Many people were introduced to the term and idea from the P90X DVD set and the popular Class Pass app.
The NY Mag article is aggressively against the theory of muscle confusion. Not only does the author, Brad Stulberg, think the idea of muscle confusion “doesn’t work”, but the article even quotes Brett Bartholomew, a LA gym owner as saying, ‘ “All the crap you hear about your body needing a different stimulus each week or a new ‘workout of the day’ is garbage” ‘. Then, further down in the article the author makes a bold statement, “Repetition and consistency are key. Results don’t occur overnight but after months, and even years, of sticking to the same routine”.
Consistency, yes. The exact same routine? I have to say I really can’t agree with the tone or the main arguments of this article. First off, and most importantly, moving your body is GOOD. Raising up your heart rate and building muscle every day will absolutely increase your fitness level, I don’t care how it’s done. Secondly, I’m not sure why the author of the article would think it’s a good idea to discourage people from exercising in a way they enjoy.
Now don’t get me wrong, the idea of muscle confusion is also a bit heavy handed. I don’t think it’s necessary to do an extremely different kind of workout every day to see results. And that’s really the problem with both ends of the argument. There’s no absolutely right or wrong way to get into good physical shape (unless it’s doing nothing OR something unsafe for yourself or others). Often different things work for different people. You have to discover what’s right for you.
I like to switch it up in the ZGYM. I definitely don’t preach muscle confusion but I think the variety of workouts in the ZGYM help to keep people interested and stick to my program. I also personally enjoy trying my best to master new skills, like handstands, pull-ups, and kettlebell techniques. I also don’t see what the problem is with a program like P90X. Even if P90X does work on the basis of the muscle confusion theory, it’s still a great collection of very effective workouts. And when people get excited about something and stick to it, that’s when you see fitness levels grow.
Here’s my bottom line on this subject: The most important thing you can do for your personal fitness is to commit to an active lifestyle, be consistent in how often you exercise, and move daily. I think it is beneficial to keep changing up your routine. But if repeating the same routine over and over is what makes you happy and committed to your workouts, then so be it!
What do you think about the theory of muscle confusion? Is it something you’ve heard of before? Do you believe in it? Are you more for sticking with the same routine for months or even years? What does your fitness routine look like and what have you found to be most effective for yourself personally? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Bodyweight only | Exercise Ball | Hand Weights | Jump Ropes | Kettlebells | Pull Up Bar | Resistance Bands | Sliding Discs
Private Member |
Love this post…you seem to have it all figured out…..now please tell us where that sexy bra is from?
Private Member |
sydney, nsw, australia
Great article! It’s an interesting topic. I like consistent variety if that makes sense. For example, if I have a muscles group or area of my body I know is weaker, I like to work the area on a weekly bases in a variety of different ways. There are always numerous ways to work one area of your body. Why do the same exercise over and over again to work your body? Unless you’re doing the same 30 different exercises consistently, limiting exercises just sounds boring to me. At the same time, like you, I also like to improve on specific things like handstands, tuck planches, pull ups, ring muscle ups, etc. However, these movements or holds incorporate various different muscles, some of which you may be stronger than others. For example, I have great shoulder mobility and strength to do handstands, but my hip flexors are really tight and my glutes and lower abs need to be strengthened more. Therefore, a combination of stretching and strengthening those areas of weakness and lack of mobility would benefit me in addition to just doing handstands all the time. Variety as well as consistency complement one another in order to reach your goals.
Private Member |
I fully agree that we should all do whatever motivates us to keep working out! I tend to gravitate towards workouts where I feel my time is well-spent…I get frustrated with workouts where there are too many breaks or where the structure of the workout means I’m not fully stressing my muscles all the way through.
Private Member |
Me too. I like to be wiped out.
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
I used to be stuck up for years thinking I need a routine, and if I could not attain it, I was discouraged and fell off the wagon.
Until I decided there is no “workout police” that is going to nail me down if I can’t stick to a weekly pattern, I will do a “monthly” pattern to stick to my cycle, to my availability, to energy level of the day,etc..
it got me out of that rut.
Also I read from a trainer that it is good to switch up a routine every 8-12 weeks , but also have a complete full week rest every 12 weeks or so.
I really like this last idea, because I am right there at the moment. I was kicked off my routine due to health issues and still not figured out what I can or shoudln’t do in the future and not back on the saddle yet.
Muscle confusion is probably good for pro-athletes, olympic athlete I mean. They do all kinds of things. A pitcher doesn’t through balls hours-long every day!
Depends what people’s goal are, and most of time is esthetical rather than performance.
Private Member |
belgrade, serbia
I could never do the same routine over & over & over. The first time in my life i ever started working out was with Zuzka every day something new & different, hence why I’m actually sticking with it! & since I’m seeing results super fast & pretty much have a brand new body…id say spice it up!!
Who wants to eat the exact same food every single day??? You miss out on so many different minerals & vitamins n such… too many delicious things. like so many delicious bodyweight moves!! 😉
Private Member |
I believe our good friend Mr. Einstein said it best: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I have found that doing similar workouts day after day will only produce results until my body has adapted, and will only keep me motivated until the novelty factor wears off, so focusing on different aspects of fitness throughout the week (as your schedule encourages us to do) is vastly preferable for me in the long run. Our bodies need to be challenged in various ways to function optimally, and my brain definitely needs different stimuli to keep exercise boredom at bay 🙂
Private Member |
prague, czech republic
I think that everyone should find a workout that works for them and that they truly enjoy doing consistently. I think that especially women do workouts that they actually hate, because they want to look like someone else and their reasons are purely related to how their body looks and they rather torture themselves. I mean if someone loves biking, or zumba, or whatever, then stick with, have fun 🙂 my friends always ask me how I stay motivated to work out everyday with you Z. and I always say that because I enjoy it, I like to push myself and I am having fun. Yes, there are exercises that I suck at, but it’s a challenge for me. I don’t even stick to the schedules, because I just don’t feel the scheduled workout that day is the right one. Like yesterday I did one of summer shreds and it felt great and today I might do the new bodyweight workout or I will pick another one, maybe yesterday’s one, who knows 🙂 basically what I wanna say is….have fun with your workouts, enjoy them, have fun whatever it is, challenge yourself, don’t get intimidated and be open to trying new things 🙂
Have a great day everyone 🙂
Private Member |
caseyville, illinois
I love to pick different daily workouts from the zgym, but stick to my consistant practice of skills i am trying to improve or master such as in Black diamond 7 and Abs Inferno. Those i will do a few days a week and once mastered, progress with the moves or in the Abs inferno case, move on to the next. I am really noticing a difference with this consistency and love it! Such as yesterday was BD #7 and a Lifted butt #20. Today will my Inferno plus a 15 min Hiit, maybe the new one posted. And then at the end, i practice some KS flexibility.
Private Member |
usa
I totally agree with you Zuzka and with Kimm with the Einstein quote. I am sore each week from all the different workouts in the ZGYM. That makes me happy, keeps me motivated and keeps me coming back for more. I do have a habit of doing the same cardio in addition to these workouts. I used to run/walk daily then hurt my knee and changed my daily habit to cycling. It’s like a ritual that is a part of my day. But I know, as a former trainer, your body gets used to the same exact activity day after day. You gotta mix it up and surprise or wake up muscles that you don’t use regularly. Professional athletes mainly train the muscles needed for their sport but they also crosstrain to give those muscles a break and to prevent injury. (I’ve run lots of races including 3 half marathons and I have experienced over concentrating on just my running which resulted in injuries/setbacks.)
Private Member |
What works for me? ZGYM workouts! I do skip the lighter/easier ones. But I used to be one of those who would do some treadmill, some bike, and some weight for an hour or so, and I’m in the best shape now doing Z’s workouts. They keep me motivated. Some people need something different. I have some friends who NEED to go to a gym because if they stay home they will talk themselves out of workout out.
Since I had to skip all workouts that required use of my hands, recently (thumb inflammation issues 🙁 ), I realised working on my lower body hardcore made me lose a few of those “extra” pesky pounds, so I’m going to stick with those mostly. I also found my arms didn’t lose too much muscle if I pretend box. I might have to take up boxing, on the side. I do wish I could finally do an unassisted pull-up though. :-/
Anyway, different strokes for different folks; but I think Z’s workouts switch it up enough for me to stay motivated.