Training for decades,are you still re-inventing the wheel in the gym?

[Tony Delk]

I have

Been lifting for at least 20 years and still coming up with new routines, theories every couple of months. Part of me feels like just consistently working out is all anybody needs, no matter their goals. Still, I can't get past the idea of finding some new, improved magical combination of exercises

 

[JR Ewing]

Been training for ~ 29 years. I changed my routine dramatically several times over the first decade - from an abbreviated 3 times a week full body routine at first; to a 4 day a week split that divided the body in half and hit everything twice a week for several years; and then to experimenting with several different more advanced routines for a while before settling in to the current routine I have used for ~ 20 years now.

I have not done this routine exactly the same all of these years though. It has evolved gradually over the years, and I do slightly alter things every 2-4 weeks. Rep schemes, numbers of sets, rest periods, exercise selection to some degree, etc may vary slightly every 2-4 weeks. But the basic routine hasn't changed much in 20 years - 4 days a week, 2 on / 1 off, 1-2 bodyparts a day, one hour or less on the weights each session, etc.

 

[gunslinger]

I have been training for 25 years and have done pretty much the same thing as JR. I have done all the exercises, played with higher reps, lower reps, days on, days off, splits, drop set, pyramid, reverse pyramid, etc.

I found the exercises, rep range and training days that seem to work best for me years ago. I have had to tweak it a bit over the years due to injuries. For instance because of my blown shoulders I can no longer do flat or incline barbell work, so it's dumbells only for me. Every once in awhile I'll do a little something to mix it up such as 21's or down the rack curls. But this is maybe once every 6-8 weeks.

 

[BrotherIron]

Been training for a long time....

I always think about ways to keep pushing myself. As I've gotten older I've realized that I need to take care of my joints while still pushing the limits of my body to keep hitting PR's. I'm not a bber so for me the bottom line is staying healthy, injury free while increasing the pounds on the bar.

 

[shortz]

16 years here and if there is one thing I have discovered over the years it's that I no longer sweat the little details. Adjust volume and intensity with adaptation, make sure to do solid compound movements, and the rest will be taken care of in the kitchen.

 

[PillarofBalance]

As the science and practice evolves you should be open minded to trying to new things. Sometimes experimenting or just doing something totally different is a great way to keep it interesting.

Like shortz said though, compound movements, undulating intensities, people periodization and a diet suited to the goal will always take care of business.