Muscle Confusion: Myth and Science

Maybe you’ve reached a plateau in your workout. Or maybe your fitness goals seem to stay just out of reach. You’ve heard about “muscle confusion” and think that might be the answer to your problem.

Jeff Monaco, director of education for Gold’s Gym, sees people get that idea all the time. But the phrase “muscle confusion” leads to a lot of, well, confusion. Before you do anything, he says, you need to understand what muscle confusion really is, and what it could mean for you.

Clarity on muscle confusion

When you train, your body adapts, Monaco says — to lifting weights or doing cardio or any kind of training. Your body is a highly adaptable machine, and through repeating the same movements, it will start hitting plateaus and you’ll stop seeing results. People think that’s when you need muscle confusion.

But the idea behind muscle confusion is that you change your training at certain intervals to avoid plateaus.

The term “muscle confusion” first became popular with branded workouts that offered different ways to stay out of a rut by constantly changing your routine. It was used to sell the idea of constantly changing your workout to confuse the muscles and avoid plateaus.

The importance of rest

Another way people incorrectly apply the concept of muscle confusion is by simply intensifying their existing workout. When they hit a plateau, they’ll up the weight or duration to get more results. Bad move, Monaco says. When you do that, you could again be denying the rest that your muscles need to grow.

“Rest is a vital component to training,” he says. “It often gets overlooked.” Rest is key to exercise success. Always listen to your body. The period of rest after exercise is when your body is getting stronger and your cardiovascular system is improving.

“We coach our trainers to perform an assessment about how the clients are feeling today versus previous workouts,” Monaco says. Simple check-ins like “How are you feeling today?” or “Did you rest after the last workout?” actually are important steps to take to maximize your progress. If someone is still sore, trainers will work on flexibility and mobility training instead of pushing the fatigued muscles.a

The need for assessment

Monaco sees a lot of people who are stuck in the same routine. “They just want to come in and do the treadmill at the same speed every day,” he says. He’ll ask about their results and their targets. After talking with him, they’re in a better position to reach their goals.

He has seen how different people’s goals can be, and how much they crave variety. But you don’t need to rely on muscle confusion for that — just change your workouts.

“Generally, one or two changes can yield great results over time,” Monaco says. “For each type of training, resistance or cardio, pick one or two variables to change in your training program periodically instead of just changing everything or randomly selecting a different workout each day.”

Changing one or two variables allows for better monitoring of your training program to understand what works and what doesn’t. When you change multiple variables constantly, evaluating your progress is difficult.

The more conditioned you are, the sooner you hit plateaus because your body is already closer to its full potential. Check your heart rate, while resting and during exercise, to get a good indicator of how your body is doing. “The range for a healthy resting heart rate varies but is around 60 to 80 beats per minute,” Monaco says. 

Why you need a personal dietary approach

It can be hard to work out with so many distractions and difficulties keeping us from the gym. When we are able to work out, focusing on the exercise and blocking out distractions can be even harder. Too often, we power through a workout and check it off the list without thinking about how to improve mental health. So how do we bust through the distractions to get the most out of our workouts? Expert say without a mindful approach to a workout, we risk poor results or even injury. Mindfulness includes paying attention to how you’re breathing – and to an extent – even controlling it. Breathing exercises improve your mental health, too. Use these three easy-to-remember techniques to maximize your breathing before, during and after you exercise. Before: Set a Clear Intention Set an intention for your workout, given the time and space you have available. Example intentions could be to make sure you’re breathing during stressful moments or to savor your rest periods by being fully present in your breath. If you only have 30 minutes, position your workout accordingly and set the intention clearly. Revisit that intention regularly throughout your workout. Take a moment before you begin to check in with your body through breathwork. Focus on your inhale and see where the breath moves easily in your body. “Are you tensing in certain areas?” asks Tory. “Then you might be tight there. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and apply that to your workout.” If you want to improve mental health, it begins with paying attention. During: Use Your Breath as a Guide Be aware of your breath as you exercise. If your inhales and exhales shorten and quicken, that is a response to the work your body is doing. “If you’re bracing or holding your breath, you may be overexerting yourself,” says Tory. Using your breath correctly will reduce stress, help guide your workout and improve mental health. If you’re working out with a partner, you can use the you-go-I-go technique. “As your partner exercises, you can recover with intentional breathing, slowing down your heart rate. With partner exercises, synchronize your movements and your breaths,” Tory. “This will accentuate and strengthen the emotional connection between you.” After: Recover with Rhythmic Breathing Speed up recovery by incorporating breathing exercises with your stretching routine. “Focus on the areas that you stressed during the workout,” says Tory, “Breathe into the stretch and open up that tissue.” The goal is to get to a relaxed state, returning to rhythmic nasal breathing as soon as possible. By sealing your lips and focusing on breathing through your nostrils, your body will get the cue to relax through the rhythm of repetition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFO9hBtLVec&feature=emb_logo Consistency is more important than perfection. If you want to improve mental health, you don’t have to make drastic changes to your entire routine, just start incorporating mindfulness and breathwork into your existing routine.  “ The smaller the change, the more sustainable it will be. Don’t tell yourself you will be mindful at every minute of your workout. You’re going to get distracted. Just keep coming back to your breath. John Doe Tweet Now that it’s in your toolkit, you can return to mindful breathing any time as another way build on your fitness, both physical and mental. So just breathe.

48 Days body transformation with Jorge

It can be hard to work out with so many distractions and difficulties keeping us from the gym. When we are able to work out, focusing on the exercise and blocking out distractions can be even harder. Too often, we power through a workout and check it off the list without thinking about how to improve mental health. So how do we bust through the distractions to get the most out of our workouts? Expert say without a mindful approach to a workout, we risk poor results or even injury. Mindfulness includes paying attention to how you’re breathing – and to an extent – even controlling it. Breathing exercises improve your mental health, too. Use these three easy-to-remember techniques to maximize your breathing before, during and after you exercise. Before: Set a Clear Intention Set an intention for your workout, given the time and space you have available. Example intentions could be to make sure you’re breathing during stressful moments or to savor your rest periods by being fully present in your breath. If you only have 30 minutes, position your workout accordingly and set the intention clearly. Revisit that intention regularly throughout your workout. Take a moment before you begin to check in with your body through breathwork. Focus on your inhale and see where the breath moves easily in your body. “Are you tensing in certain areas?” asks Tory. “Then you might be tight there. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and apply that to your workout.” If you want to improve mental health, it begins with paying attention. During: Use Your Breath as a Guide Be aware of your breath as you exercise. If your inhales and exhales shorten and quicken, that is a response to the work your body is doing. “If you’re bracing or holding your breath, you may be overexerting yourself,” says Tory. Using your breath correctly will reduce stress, help guide your workout and improve mental health. If you’re working out with a partner, you can use the you-go-I-go technique. “As your partner exercises, you can recover with intentional breathing, slowing down your heart rate. With partner exercises, synchronize your movements and your breaths,” Tory. “This will accentuate and strengthen the emotional connection between you.” After: Recover with Rhythmic Breathing Speed up recovery by incorporating breathing exercises with your stretching routine. “Focus on the areas that you stressed during the workout,” says Tory, “Breathe into the stretch and open up that tissue.” The goal is to get to a relaxed state, returning to rhythmic nasal breathing as soon as possible. By sealing your lips and focusing on breathing through your nostrils, your body will get the cue to relax through the rhythm of repetition. Consistency is more important than perfection. If you want to improve mental health, you don’t have to make drastic changes to your entire routine, just start incorporating mindfulness and breathwork into your existing routine.  “ The smaller the change, the more sustainable it will be. Don’t tell yourself you will be mindful at every minute of your workout. You’re going to get distracted. Just keep coming back to your breath. John Doe Tweet Now that it’s in your toolkit, you can return to mindful breathing any time as another way build on your fitness, both physical and mental. So just breathe.

How to Eat for Better Emotional Health

Health experts warn that a lingering effect of the coronavirus pandemic could be a mental health crisis. While therapy and medications for stress and anxiety are often necessary, the foods you eat can also play a role in your well-being. An American Psychiatric Association poll released in March found that 36% of Americans felt the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic was having a serious impact on their mental health. People were most worried about their finances, the risk of themselves or a family member contracting the virus, and the possibility of becoming seriously ill or dying. The gut-brain connection The gut has been called the “second brain.” And we recognize the link between the two even if we don’t realize it: You may feel “butterflies in your stomach” when you’re nervous or “go with your gut” when you make an important decision. Naidoo said the two are connected physically and biochemically via the gut-brain axis, the complex communications network that links the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with intestinal functions. Foods that can hurt mental health Fried foods, processed foods, trans fats, nitrates and foods high in salt, saturated fat and refined sugars can worsen depression, anxiety and stress. “If you’re eating processed foods and fast foods every day, that’s basically making the bad gut bacteria thrive, and that’s when you start to run into problems with inflammation,” Naidoo explained. Too much caffeine and alcohol may also make you feel worse mentally but are usually OK in moderation. Drinking 400 mg per day or less of coffee shouldn’t have an impact on anxiety, Naidoo said. People respond to alcohol intake differently, but generally, four drinks a day for men and three for women is considered heavy drinking. How to start eating for your mental health To shift your diet with mental health in mind, Naidoo suggests starting small. Trying to change too much too fast can be overwhelming and diminish results. “Slow and steady change over time will start to build that healthy gut and basically start to build on the healthy nutrients that are good for your brain,” she said. Begin with a diet self-check. Write down what you ate over the past 24 to 48 hours, circle the foods that are unhealthy, and then decide on one simple change you can make. You don’t necessarily have to give up some of your favorite less-than-healthy foods, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFO9hBtLVec Taking steps to improve your diet for your mental health is especially important today, she said, as the effects of the pandemic will persist. Concerns over jobs, finances, food insecurity, gaps in children’s education and more will take a toll. “ A healthy diet can help mitigate or buffer one from these types of effects as it sets the stage for a beneficial gut microbiome and less inflammation, both of which are tied to mood, anxiety, depression and even sleep. John Doe Tweet Begin with a diet self-check. Write down what you ate over the past 24 to 48 hours, circle the foods that are unhealthy, and then decide on one simple change you can make. You don’t necessarily have to give up some of your favorite less-than-healthy foods, though.