Muscle confusion myth....

[T40ORA]

Is it a myth? What is the latest thinking?

[bobmcgod]

Is what a myth?

[marcosgt]

Yes - Undoubtedly.

M.

[mattikake]

Muscles get confused? Sounds like myth to me!

[Bolognese]

This thread has confused my brain muscle. Does that count?

[T40ORA]

Is the brain a muscle? I'm confused!

OK,

Theory 1; mix up workouts significantly to 'confuse' the muscles, else you will plateau out.
Theory 2: the above is a myth,and consistency is all although being flexible in the gaps between training is important to allow proper healing.

Any ideas?

[gtdc]

Seems to work well with people who do P90X.

[T40ORA]

gtdc said:

Seems to work well with people who do P90X.

That was what prompted the question. I saw an advert, looked on the web. But then how much of the benefit is simply from working all muscle groups properly, being motivated, and working to capacity? With good CV too.

[gtdc]

www.p90xukusers.co.uk should help

[goldblum]

gtdc said:

www.p90xukusers.co.uk should help

This?

Look,of course it works,it only bloody says so on the website.

[gtdc]

As in it's full of people actually doing the thing rather than all the US sales guff.

[goldblum]

And that.Yes.

[GranderTransit]

I think you are equally right and wrong at the same time.

Wrong, you don't confuse muscles. They are very very simple things.

Right, in order for your training not to plateau you should 'shock', or more correctly overload, the body.

Does that mean P90 or whatever it is called is right? Well some of the results show that it works. But any training programme that you follow and WORK HARD AT will illicit results. But to get better results you also need to train smart.

Depending on what text you are reading you get a different answer to which model of periodization and planning works best.

[gtdc]

GranderTransit said:

But any training programme that you follow and WORK HARD AT will illicit results.

There's no getting away from that.

[Hoofy]

Not knocking P90X, Insanity, Davina's post-birth workout etc but I think the only thing they really give you is motivation. Otherwise, they're just keeping dust off your DVD shelf.

Still, if any of those DVDs give you the motivation you need, then they're worth their weight in gold.

[GranderTransit]

gtdc said:

There's no getting away from that.

But most people seem to think it is the work out that is getting them the results. They will get better results with superior programming, not advertising

[T40ORA]

My thought is that it is the motivation and just having a good, varied programme in general that works. But the original question was simply about the concept of muscle confusion.

When I started training (BAWLA stylee) almost 30 years ago, consistency but with a good mix of exercises/disciplines was the thing to do. Then the concept of changing your workout every 6 - 8 weeks to 'shock' the body became prevalent.

Now it looks like that idea has been extended to 'confusing' the muscles.

What worked for me, into my thirties when I had the time to devote to fitness, exercise and enjoyment, was to do a mix of heavy (for me) weights, running and karate training usually 6 days per week. To me that was just working fast and slow twitch fibres, keeping flexible, good cardio training and burning fat. Simples.

Maybe the above workouts (god, I wish I had the time and lack of injuries to do it all again) are confusing the muscles?

[goldblum]

You can't confuse a muscle any more than spot reduce fat.

Work a muscle properly and hypertrophy will occur but it will very quickly get used to the training and cease to grow which is why adaptation is 'forced': change your routine and make the muscle respond. 'Confuse' in this context is just shyte advertising bullcrap.