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The relationship between intensity, complexity, variety, and progress
I was having a conversation in the gym recently about “switching things up” on occasion…and another time when I was talking with my friend, coach, and podcast co-host Zack, about this relationship between intensity, complexity, and variety.
The reason for revisiting a few key exercises over and over again is twofold:
- We sharpen the skillset we’re working on. Like riding a bike or playing a tough musical piece: practice makes progress.
- The second is that with improved technique and efficiency, we’re able to continue adding load and making progress towards our strength and muscle-building goals. Muscles respond well to increasing tension, so the more plates we can add, the greater the gains.
Of course, this can feel boring at times. But trust the process – every time we deadlift we’re teaching the body to leverage more weight faster, easier, and more efficiently. The long term result is greater strength and more muscle.
Too much variety can hinder this process: constant changing of exercises means a new learning curve. Because of the novelty of the exercise, we have to reduce the load and take our time.
This is where “mixing things up” can backfire on our long-term goals: they can create barriers, or rather make the process of gaining more muscle an uphill battle again. Put simply, variety would be like learning to ride a bike by walking on a treadmill; sure, they’re both good for cardio, but if you want to get good on a bike, you gotta ride the bike!
Consistency allows us to capitalize on intensity. The greater the intensity, the better the workout, and the greater the overall results.
Is there a world where consistency and variety co-exist? Of course! This might look different for some of us depending on factors like training age and experience, but at AVSC most of the time it looks like a slight tweak in a familiar exercise here or there, or a complete curveball when it comes to the warm-ups and the finishers (all those sandbag carries, arm farm, kettlebell swings, and rope skipping come into play).
Consistency > Intensity > Variety > Complexity
Show up. Keep it simple. Make it hard. Reap the benefits!
What do you think? If you have questions or want clarity, I’m happy to help! Shoot me an email because I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Andy Van Strength and Conditioning 