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.
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:
Mobility
Squat
Hinge
Upper Push
Upper Pull
Core
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.
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.
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.
Coach Milligan 