10 Most Unusual Ways To Change Your Workout Routine

From time to time, we become demotivated to exercise, regardless if we train for a sport, fitness, hobby, or aesthetics. To overcome this, we may take prolonged breaks, but sometimes a change is better than a rest – we introduce to you 10 of the most unusual ways to change your workout routine.

Use Music As A Counter, Instead Of Sets And Reps 

Rather than counting the number of sets and reps you exercise, try switching it up by substituting your count with music. This may include:

• Holding a static pose for the duration of a song – a typical example is holding the plank.
  
  
• Decreasing intensity during one verse and increasing it for the chorus – an example is jogging for the verses and sprinting each time the hook is on.
  
  
• When a song maintains a tempo throughout, you can match your rhythm to its pace – for example, punching a boxing bag in time with the song, similar to using a metronome.

The only constraint to this is owning a decent pair of headphones or earpods.

Using music as a counter is a great way to shock our muscles, by using the element of unexpectancy. Sometimes we get into autopilot when counting reps and sets, so we never push our boundaries. But, not knowing the length of a song trains our mind to go beyond known territory – you’ll be surprised at how capable your body really is!

It’s best to refrain from counting the seconds or listening to songs you’re very familiar with; otherwise, it defeats the purpose. The aim is to push your body without even knowing you’re doing so.

Exercise Whatever Machine Is Free, Rather Than Planning Your Next Move 

As opposed to using a strict workout plan and knowing everything you will train, freestyle it. Go into the gym, and, after your warm-up, jump onto whatever machine is vacant. 

The benefits of this include:

• You don’t know what muscle group you will exercise – shocking your body, increasing hypertrophy. 
  
  
• You spend no time waiting around for equipment, allowing you to maintain a high intensity throughout.
  
  
• You try machines that you have never used before. This is great for motivation when you’re exhausted of repeatedly doing the same exercise.

When every machine is in use, try exercising floorwork such as handstands, push-ups, or sit-ups.

It’s your choice whether you perform a fixed number of sets and reps, but since you’re freestyling, why not go the full way? Use the machine until you tire said muscle group, and then move on to the next.

Give A New Activity A Try

Dance, wrestling, or an obstacle course are all examples of body-demanding activities that can be substituted for going to the gym. They all engage different parts of your brain, which is motivating as you constantly feel like there is something new to learn. 

It’s easy to get bored of a workout plan. Finding highly engaging activities is a great alternative to keeping fit and healthy, but also training the brain.

It’s best to alternate between a range of activities to prevent getting disinterested quickly. 

In case you do one to try either dance, wrestling, or an obstacle course, here’s some more detail on why they engage your brain more than a typical workout plan.

Activity	How It Prevents Boredom	What Component Of Fitness Is Used
Wrestling	Requires a constant state of focus and problem-solving to maneuver out of sticky situations.	Strength, Flexibility and Mobility
Dance	Uses the right-hand side of the brain (creativity) to make a routine look aesthetically pleasing.	Balance, Flexibility, Strength And Muscle Endurance
Obstacle Course	Demands you to be analytical and agile enough to tackle barriers.	Strength, Flexibility, and Mobility

All of these activities work for you to become physically fit and strong – plus, you’re more likely to have fun. While a traditional workout plan will get you fit and strong, too, it gets tedious without adding some spice to it!

Train With, Or With A New, Partner

You may not be bored of exercise; you could just be bored of your training buddy (or working out by yourself). 

Working out doesn’t have to be serious; you can have a laugh as well as a productive gym session. So, if you train with someone who drains energy out of you, they could be taking the fun away from exercise.

Now, some people love training by themselves – and if that’s how you prefer to train, carry on doing so. But, if you want a new training partner, try to look for someone who is:

• Motivating. At challenging times, your partner must want to push you to achieve, for example, a PB.
  
  
• Positive. Partners must be able to bounce off one another to encourage belief in themselves.
  
  
• Funny. If they don’t make you laugh, why are you with them? Exercise should be fun, so consider a new one if your partner is always moody, pessimistic, or dull. 
  
  
• At a similar fitness level. If you are training with them, it’s essential you can keep up with each other; it’s always good to have one more experienced than the other to give advice and technique improvements.

Purchase New Fitness Gear

A temporary fix to feeling unmotivated is to buy yourself some goodies. New gym wear, smart watches, equipment, or gym bags can reignite the fire in you. It’s always exciting using/wearing new fitness gear as it creates changes in your routine – which you may have got bored of. 

Upgrading your fitness kit occasionally is normal; however, it isn’t the healthiest method for motivation. It costs money and only stimulates you until it becomes the norm and you’re on the hunt for new fitness gear again. 

A less costly alternative to purchasing new fitness gear is to change it:

Layer-Up: If you work out in tight shorts and vests, try loosening the clothing and covering more skin. The thrill of sweating extra and being more comfortable may be something you have never experienced before. This makes it a great change to a workout plan.

Layer-Down: Alternatively, if you wear hoodies and joggers, cut them down to shorter clothes that fit tighter. You’ll notice the cold air tickle your body hair and your skin breathe air. These new feelings help shun boredom.

Join A New Gym

How about you completely change your environment? A new gym has new faces, scenery, and equipment that can help to change your workout plan. You may be able to try exercises you could never do before, try a range of facilities (such as a spa) and meet new people. 

You won’t be able to do this as frequently as the other tips because there will only be a limited amount of gyms in your local area. So, only resort to joining a new gym if all else fails to motivate you.

Make Small Adjustments To Your Workout Plan

Changes don’t have to be extravagant if you want to experiment with new workout plans. Sometimes a minor variation is all you need to feel a big change in your exercise. Here are some examples:

• Swap standing chest fly to sitting.
• Wear a weighted vest during calisthenics. 
• Play around with the reps and sets you do each exercise. 

Remember when you first began exercise? It was all new to you, so it felt so exciting. Well, minor alterations can bring new life into each exercise – making you feel fresh and thrilled to go to the gym again!

Start Creating Friendly Competitions

Nothing excites us more than a friendly competition. They put purpose into why we train, which is hugely motivating. Even if you don’t change your workout plan, introducing an element of (light-hearted) rivalry ensures we stick to our routine and destroy any boredom we previously felt.

Some competitions you and some mates can participate in are: 

• Who can dead-hang on a bar the longest.
• Who can complete the Royal Fitness test.
• Who can do the most push-ups in one sitting.

Make sure you match the competition appropriately, i.e, there isn’t always a predictable winner. Not only does it make the win feel sweeter, but it encourages you to train harder when you lose – as you know you won’t ever be too far behind.

Remember, don’t take it too seriously! 

Introduce A Minimalist Workout Plan

Have you ever watched Creed II? There is a training montage of him exercising in the desert with a ripped t-shirt, rubber tire, pair of boxing gloves, and an axe (even with all his riches). If you’re tired of your workout plan, maybe a complete reset is due. Just like Creed.

Rather than adding new exercises, machines, or partners to compensate for your boredom, try to minimize everything and see how well you can exercise. For example:

• Go into the forest with a pen-knife and some trainers. Use your creativity and strength to build your own equipment and make do with the resources around you.
  
  
• Make the most out of your household items by seeing if you can break a sweat using items that weren’t intended to be used for exercise.
  
  
• Look at your local environment. Does snow, lakes, sand, or grass surround you? Think about how you can use as little equipment as possible to create the most significant impact. Click here to learn how to weight train in a remote location.

Sometimes less is better. Having every machine and dumbbell to be used whenever can become overwhelming and, over time, dull. So, a minimalistic workout plan forces you to think outside the box and appreciate what you have a lot more. 

Give Fartlek Training A Go

Our last tip is to try a new, less-known called Fartlek Training. In Swedish, Fartlek means ‘speed-play,’ varying intensities and speeds. However, you determine the speed by picking a deciding factor. For example:

• When you see a red car, you run faster but slow down as soon as you see a blue car.
• Every 10-minute period, you increase your pace until you’re at a sprint.
• Every time you hear a bird sing, you must alter your intensity.

As you can see, you can alter the workout so one will never be the same as the other. As a result, your workout plan is constantly changing, helping it feel refreshing. 

While fartlek is widely considered a running training method, there is no reason you can’t implement it into other forms of exercise, such as circuits, HITT, or calisthenics.

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