Most of us know out bodies fairly well. We know what time we need to eat, and what foods help our bodies to operation most efficiently. In the gym, many of us follow instinctive training as well. We enter the gym with an approximate idea of what movements we plan to use that day. For instance, if it’s chest day, we have a basic idea before entering the gym that we’ll probably start with two pressing movements (bench press or incline dumbbell presses perhaps). These will be followed by one or two machine presses, then some cable or dumbbell work for the pectoral-shoulder tie-ins. The ability to train instinctively comes from years of training, and developing a good understanding of what exercises the body needs to grow each muscle group. Here are a few additional tips for more successful instinctive training.

Play with volume

If you’ve been using the same instinctive training principles for years now, it’s very likely you’ve found a comfort zone when it comes to volume. You may hit 12 sets for a body part and just ‘know’ that it’s time to go home. Or, you may go overboard with sets, completing too many, consistently, for years. Scaling up or down might lead to better results.

Keep it interesting

If you lived in the same place for several years, you may have also been attending the same gym for several years. That means you’ve been using the same machines, benches, weights, and training systems and environments for years. You may find that a new gym might deliver new motivation, or new machines which you can use to expand your instinctive training.

Experiment with time of day

If you’ve always trained in the afternoon (and your schedule allows it) try training in the morning or late at night. You may notice you have energy levels, or new machines available at the new time of day. Mix it up! Anything to keep the body guessing during your traditional instinctive training will lead to new results!

Use occasional shakeups

If you’ve always trained with the same basic layout for instinctive training (chest day, followed by back day, shoulders day, arm day, then leg day), it might be time to shake up that routine. Switch to a 2 day a week routine, or change up body part order or grouping. Sometimes a training rut can develop from using the same weekly layout for years.

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