SAME BUT DIFFERENT

An approach to training that I adopt and find works well for the majority of people is the ‘same but different’ approach to exercise selection.Training and keeping healthy and active should be part of a life long pursuit of being the best version of yourself and sometimes people struggle to keep interested and motivated.Unfortunately the fitness industry is full of false promises, quick fixes, influencers and other charlatans out to make a quick buck at the expense of people needing genuine help.Real long lasting results are achieved through immersing yourself in the process for a lifetime. Not just a brief stint before your holiday and after Christmas.Fads and gimmicks will come and go, real results are a product of being consistent with the basics for months and years.If you look back at training programmes from people like Arnold, you will see that bodybuilders of the 70s and before that used exercises that still exist today.The basics – they have worked for years gone past and will continue to work for years in the future.I am a big believer in sticking to the basics and improving on these over a lifetime. However, we can adopt the ‘same but different’ approach to ensure our bodies don’t adapt too much, to prevent injury and to keep us interested.When I am designing a training programme for the general public with body composition or general health goals. I always make sure I cover the following 7 areas:

1. Mobility
2. Squat
3. Hinge
4. Upper Push
5. Upper Pull
6. Core
7. Conditioning

I pick appropriate exercises, sets and reps and intensity based on the individual or group I am working with. This is my template for training the majority of clients unless they have a more specific or specialised goal.The ‘same but different’ approach still follows this framework but will differ from each individual and will change every 3/4 weeks. This offers variety but the client still works on the basic movement patterns.For example, here is what a beginners exercise list may look like for points 1-7:

1. Full Body Mobility Routine
2. Bodyweight Step Up
3. Bodyweight Hip Thrust
4. Hand Elevated Press Up
5. Bodyweight Ring Rows
6. Plank
7. Walking

Whereas a more advanced trainer may have a routine that looks like this:

1. Full Body Mobility Routine
2. Back Squat
3. Fat Grip Deadlift
4. Weighted Dips
5. Pendlay Row
6. Hanging Knee Raise
7. Airdyne Sprints

Both workouts cover all the 7 points but the exercise selection are very different for the 2 different clients. Both clients will progress and both clients will have all the boxes ticked.I always like to change the exercise variations every few weeks but keeping the same 7 principles. As mentioned above, this will keep you interested, help keep you injury free and also stop the body adapting.Here are some examples of different exercise variations for points 2-7:2) BW Squat, Goblet Squat, Back Squat, Lunge, Prowler Push3) Hip Thrust, Trap Bar Deadlift, Sumo Deadlift, Hyperextension, Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift4) Press Up, Flat DB Press, Military Press, Dips, Incline Bench Press, Push Press5) BW Rows, 1 Arm Rows, Pulldowns, Pull Ups, Bent Over Row, Pendlay Rows6) Plank, Ab Crunch, Farmers Walk, Hanging Knee Raise, Side Plank, Russian Twist7) Walking, Running, Burpees, Ski-erg, Battle Ropes, Assault BikeI have given you 6 different options on each area. Pick one of the options and stick to it for a month, change it every month to another ‘same but different’ exercise and I’ve pretty much given you a template for 6 months of training.This article is only covering exercise choices. You then have countless other options for sets / reps strategies, rest time, training splits and frequencies etc that I will cover in another article.The ‘same but different’ approach is an excellent way to allow you to progress with the basic movement patterns whilst still keeping things fresh and interesting.Have a look at your current training routines and make sure the main bulk of the work is hitting the basics.Do this consistently well for months and years and you will be on track for long lasting, useful fitness results.