If you constantly vary everything, you’re really working on nothing.

Exercise shouldn’t be complicated. If you constantly vary everything, you’re really working on nothing.
There are a number of functional life movements that all movements should be built around, that interact with each other. Sprinkle in some supporting exercises to provide balance, resilience & well-rounded health. This is the way to go. Most training should be based around foundational movement patterns including:

• Push
• Pull
• Press
• Hinge
• Squat
• Carry
• Rotate
• Cardiovascular Fitness

Most training should be based around foundational movements – push, pull, press, hinge, squat, carry and rotate (+cardiovascular fitness) form the functional movement we need for being optimal. I know many people call a range of things “functional”, and it really comes down to, if you need that skill for your own function, then it becomes “functional.” While “snatches” have often been called functional training, the only people that should call this functional are Olympic Weightlifters. Who else would choose to lift something overhead in this way? Outside of the sport. It’s possibly the hardest way to functionally get something overhead. I’m not recommending lifting a child or put the crockery back this way.

Add in “task variance”, although have enough movement consistency, by programming similar actions. If you have specific goals & want progress, yet are performing a totally new workout each time, you’re not doing it right. Sure, it might be fun, but progress requires progressive overload which requires repetition.

If you constantly vary everything, you end up working on nothing.

Sweating and working hard is a byproduct, an outcome, but sweaty for the sake of sweaty isn’t a goal… This is why I’d rarely recommend burpees, It’s not a “bad” exercise. No movement is inherently bad, just ask if it’s useful and necessary & is the person prepared? There are many better ways to achieve the same or better benefits. A burpee is now typically used as a way to get sweaty for the sake of it. It’s an advanced exercise masquerading as fitness.

If you want to be a better human, consider the goal, what’s functional, get involved in repeated activity that focusses on overload and you enjoy.

If you liked this, check out some of our other articles: