The Importance of Variety

By Ross Enamait - Published in 2004

www.rosstraining.com

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!

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.com

Mix it up, incorporate variety, and have fun.