9/16/2016

WorkoutPlansBasedon'MuscleConfusion'Don'tWorkScienceofUs

August28,20168:00p.m.

MuscleConfusionIsMostlyaMyth
ByBradStulberg

Photo:HerbertGehr//TimeLifePictures/GettyImages
Recently,theresbeenasurgeinthepopularityofworkoutprogramslikeBodypump,P90x,andClassPass,all
ofwhicharebasedonmuscleconfusion,orthepremisethatconstantlyswitchingupyourworkoutroutine
i.e.,confusingyourmusclesisthepathwaytofitnessgains.Itsanenticingidea,asevidencedbythe
numbers:Since2004,P90xhassoldfivemillioncopies,andlastyearalone,ClassPassbroughtinover$60
millioninrevenue.Unfortunately,muscleconfusiondoesntwork.
Allthecrapyouhearaboutyourbodyneedingadifferentstimuluseachweekoranewworkoutofthedayis
garbage,saysBrettBartholomew,CSCS*D,directorofperformanceatUnbreakable,aLosAngelesgymthat
YahoocalledthemostelitegyminAmerica.Thenumberonereasonpeopledontgetresultsisthattheydont
havetheattentionspantostickwithsomething.(AttheCut,KathleenHouoncewrotethatClassPassislike
beinginanopenrelationshipwithexercise.)
Bartholomew,whocoachesastableofprofessionalathletes,includinglastyearsSuperBowlMVP,VonnMiller,
toldmethatthekeytogettingfitterliesinadheringtosomethingcalledprogressiveoverload.And,yearsof
exercisesciencesupporthisassertion.Citingincreasesinstrengthandmusclesize,theAmericanCollegeof
SportsMedicine(ACSM)publishedanofficialpositionpaperinfavorofprogressiveoverloadforresistance
traininginhealthyadults,anda2015studypublishedinthejournalFrontiersinPhysiologyfoundthatthebest
enduranceathletesintheworldfollowprogressiveoverloadsprinciples.
Unlikewithmuscleconfusion,inwhichexercisesconstantlyvaryandnotwodaysarealike,withprogressive
overloadyouworkaspecificmuscleorfunction(e.g.,yourbicepsorrunning)inaspecificmanner,
progressivelyaddingintensityand/ordurationovertime.Harddaysarefollowedbyeasydaysandprolonged
periodsofintensityarefollowedbyprolongedperiodsofrecovery.Repetitionandconsistencyarekey.Results
dontoccurovernightbutaftermonths,andevenyears,ofstickingtothesameroutine.
VernGambetta,aworldrenownedathleticdevelopmentcoachandfounderoftheGAINnetwork,hastrained
hundredsofeliteathletesincludingtheNewYorkMets,ChicagoBulls,andOlympians.Irecentlyaskedhim
aboutmuscleconfusion.Hisreply:Itsnonsense.
Eventhoughdecadesofexercisescienceandthemostpreeminentpractitionerssayitdoesntwork,programs
basedonmuscleconfusionremainpopularbecausedoingsomethingneweverydayisfarmoreexhilarating
thanthecomparativelyboringrealityofprogressiveoverload.
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9/16/2016

WorkoutPlansBasedon'MuscleConfusion'Don'tWorkScienceofUs

Thepsychologicaldrivetoseekwhatisnewandexcitingisaninnateonewhatsnewarethefitnessprograms
designedtopreyonthatimpulse.Today,everyonedesiresnoveltyandendlessstimulation,explains
Gambetta,Sorunningaroundandconstantlyswitchingwhatyouaredoingfromonedaytothenextisin
vogue.Anditstruethat,insomecases,thenotionofmuscleconfusionmayevenspawnsomequickresults,
especiallyforthosegoingfromdoingnothingtodoingsomething.Butifwhatyoureafterislongtermgrowthand
development?Itjustdoesntwork,Gambettasays.Physicaladaptationrequiresspecificityandpatience.

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AftermyconversationswithBartholomewandGambetta,Ibegantothink:Mightourwaningpatienceand
incessantdesirefornoveltyinfitnessbeemblematicofalargerculturalphenomenon?
Earlierthisyear,theNewYorkTimesreportedonresearchconductedbythefirmForrestershowingthatin
2006,onlineshoppersexpectedwebpagestoloadinunderfourseconds.Threeyearslater,thatnumberwas
compressedtotwoseconds.By2012,Googleengineerslearnedthatinternetusersexpectsearchresultsto
loadwithinameretwofifthsofasecond,orabouthowlongittakestoblink.
AuthorNicholasCarr,whoselatestbook,TheShallows,exploresthefarreachingeffectsoftheinternet,toldthe
Times,Asourtechnologiesincreasetheintensityofstimulationandtheflowofnewthings,weadapttothat
pace.Webecomelesspatient.Whenmomentswithoutstimulationarise,westarttofeelpanickedanddont
knowwhattodowiththem,becausewevetrainedourselvestoexpectthisstimulation.
ArecentsurveyconductedbythePewResearchCentersInternetandAmericanLifeProjectfoundalikelyside
effectofourhyperconnectedworldistheexpectationforinstantgratification.Iwritesideeffectbecauseits
justthat.TheresnothinginherentlybadaboutexpedienttechnologyIrelyonit,andImjustasguiltyasthe
nextpersonofbecomingfrustratedwhenthehourglassonwhateverscreenIhappentobelookingatdoesnt
emptyfastenough.Butwhenweexpectthiskindofconstantstimulationandinstantgratificationinotherareas
ofourlives,itcanbecomeproblematic.
Theimportantstuffinlifedemandspatience.Relationships.Scientificdiscovery.Learning.Readingabook.
Thesethingstaketime,repetition,and,occasionally,canbewildlyboring.Manypeoplefailattheseendeavors
forthesamereasontheyfailatfitness:aninabilitytoresistwhatisnew,exciting,anddifferent.Althoughhewas
referringtofitness,whenBartholomewsaid[t]henumberonereasonpeopledontgetresultsisthattheydont
havetheattentionspantostickwithsomething,hecouldhavebeenspeakingaboutanythinginlife.
Understand:Sticktoitivenessisnoteasy,especiallyinouroneclickculture.Butwhatifthesamestrategies
Bartholomewuseswiththebestathletesintheworldcouldhelpkeepusoncourseandnotjustinourfitness
pursuits,butinotherareasofourlives?
Ipreachpurposeandprocess,Bartholomewsays.Purposemeansbeforemakingadecisionaskingyourself,
WhatutilityisthisgoingtoprovidewhyamIgoingtodothis?Andprocessisaboutamindset.Knowingthat
followingacertainsetofsteps,eveniftheyarentimmediatelygratifying,willleadtoenduringsatisfactionand
fulfillment.
Purposeandprocess.Itsnotonlyelegant,butitsefficacyissupportedbyscience.Researchershavefound
thatreflectingonyourpurposeincreaseswhatsocialscientistscallgoaldirectedness,oryourabilitytostick
withdistantgoals.A2015studypublishedintheProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesfoundthat
peoplewhoreflectontheirpurposeandcorevaluesaremorelikelytostickwithhardhealthbehaviorchanges,
likeexercisingmoreforsedentarypeople.And,asScienceofUshaspreviouslycoveredingreatdetail,
focusingontheprocessislinkedtolonglastingperformance,wellbeing,andfulfillment.

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Inthegym,andinlife,longtermgrowthdemandspatience,consistency,andmostofall,hardwork.Ifyouever
findyourselftemptedtodeviatefromwhatinthemomentmayseemlikeaboringworkoutprogramor,worse
yet,romanticpartnerorvocationalchallengepauseandreflectonyourpurposeandprocess.Becauserare
isitmaybe,patienceisstillavirtue.

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9/16/2016

WorkoutPlansBasedon'MuscleConfusion'Don'tWorkScienceofUs

BradStulbergisacolumnistforOutsideMagazine,wherehewritesabouthealthandthescienceofhuman
performance.FollowhimonTwitter@Bstulberg.

CONNECT:
2016,NewYorkMediaLLC.

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