How to Add Variety to Your Workouts and Avoid Burnout

If you’ve ever felt bored or stuck in your workout routine, you’re not alone. Repeating the same exercises in the same way can lead to burnout and a lack of motivation. Adding variety to your workouts not only keeps things interesting but also challenges your body in new ways, helping you stay engaged and make progress.

Key Takeaways

1. Keep things fresh: Adding variety to your workouts not only keeps things exciting but also helps you break through plateaus and stay motivated.
2. Mix up your routine to boost results: Trying new exercises challenges different muscle groups, improving overall strength and performance while keeping burnout at bay.
3. Stay consistent without getting bored: With the right variety, you’ll look forward to every workout, making it easier to stick to your fitness goals long-term.

Here are three of my favorite workout styles to spice up your routine and keep things fresh:

1. AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)

You can do various AMRAP workouts with your Multi Slider.

One of my go-to methods for adding variety is the AMRAP workout. AMRAP stands for “As Many Reps As Possible,” and it’s a great way to push yourself and test your limits.

How It Works: Set a time limit, usually between 5 and 15 minutes. Choose a few exercises, like Nordic curls, squats, and push-ups. For example, you might do 3 Nordic curls, 7 push-ups, and 10 squats. Once you start the timer, complete the circuit as many times as possible within the allotted time.

Why It’s Effective: AMRAP workouts are perfect for challenging yourself—you might surprise yourself with how many rounds you can complete! It becomes a game of trying to beat your “high score,” which can motivate you to push harder each time. It’s a great way to add intensity and break up the monotony of traditional sets and reps.

2. EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute)

Another favorite of mine is EMOM, which stands for “Every Minute on the Minute.” This workout style keeps you on a strict schedule, alternating between work and rest, which helps maintain intensity and focus.

You can do OMAM Nordic Curls at home with your NordBench

How It Works: Start a timer, and at the beginning of each minute, complete a set of an exercise, like 3 Nordic curls. If it takes you 20 seconds, you have the remaining 40 seconds to rest before the next set begins. Repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes. You can also alternate exercises; for example, do one movement on the even minutes and another on the odd minutes.

Why It’s Effective: EMOM workouts force you to rest, keeping your form sharp and intensity high. It’s a great way to manage fatigue while still getting a lot of work done. The structure helps keep you accountable, and it’s rewarding to push through the increasingly challenging rounds.

3. Chipper Workouts

The Chipper workout is another fun and effective way to add variety. The goal is to “chip away” at a set amount of reps until all the work is done.

How It Works: Choose a total number of reps for each exercise and work through them at your own pace. For example, you might have 25 Nordic curls, 50 squats, and 100 push-ups. Tackle the reps in chunks, switching between exercises as needed until all reps are complete. These workouts often last around 30 minutes.

Why It’s Effective: Chippers are perfect for those who enjoy a big challenge and like the feeling of chipping away at a large volume of work. It’s a satisfying way to get in a lot of reps and push your limits, making it feel like a game rather than a grind.

Try These Workout Styles to Keep Things Fresh!

Whether you’re feeling bored with your current routine or just want to switch things up, these workout styles can help add some fun and variety. I love to incorporate AMRAPs, EMOMs, and Chippers into my weekly programming to keep things interesting and challenging.

Give them a try, and let me know how they work for you. If you have any questions about how to add these to your workouts, drop a comment, and I’d be happy to help!