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. 

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Honoured to have inherited this 40+ year old teak HK Mook Yan Jong with one piece guava leg.

Wasn't properly maintained and needs a lot of work to remove the shellac, sealant, and other chemical layers on it that have yellowed and affected the wood drying out the surface layer causing some fraying in parts of the trunk and the tracks.
As well as filling and treating some of the small fissures in the trunk.

Will be restoring it to breathe new life into its new home becoming a beautiful piece once again.
Hope to make its original owner of those many decades proud as he looks down from above.

Step by step photos of the restoration work will be posted.

#mookyanjong #woodendummy #vingtsun #wingchun #vingtsuntoronto #wingchuntoronto #vingtsunkungfu #wingchunkungfu #vingtsuncanada #wingchuncanada #martialarts
S3VT Open Studio Wing Chun Sessions starting Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm!
We'll be hosting a 3hr open training environment for all Ving Tsun/Wing Chun practitioners to exchange and build community, knowledge, and skills.
Sessions will then be every first and third Tuesday of the month.

Each session will be limited attendance so be sure to register your spot at:
e: makecontact@s3vt.com
p: 6479662496
$10 Drop-In Fee

#wingchun #vingtsun #training #communitybuilding #wingchunmeetup
Spending the spring, summer, and fall working the Ving Tsun Gwun and making sure the group is proficient in the Lok Dim Boon Gwun form, concepts, mechanics, drills, and applications. 

We spent a good portion of last night exploring how the pole translates to strength and conditioning, and unified coordination that applies to empty hand applications.

Will share some vids and pics from our next sessions.

Photo credit: @s3vtnorth 

#TEAMS3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT
#wslvtworldwide #wslvtcanada #wingchun #vingtsun #wingchuntoronto #vingtsuntoronto #wingchunkungfu #vingtsunkungfu #martialarts #fightingarts #trainer #communitybuilding #Toronto #Canada
Real To Reel // Laap Sau Practical Application 

From the WSLVT Chi Sau Workshop this week as part of our Weekly GTA Wing Chun Meetup on Tuesday, June 18th 2024.

Throughout this evening we worked fundamental Lin Siu Dai Da actions through Chi Sau and then their practical applications.
Here we work Laap Sau to ward off and spread away the interfering action as well as employing Je Lik (borrowing force) to exploit aggression and momentum.

Feed your mind.
Fuel your fist.

#TEAMS3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT 
#vingtsun #wingchun #vingtsuntoronto #wingchuntoronto #vingtsuncanada #wingchuncanada #Toronto #Canada #wingchunmeetup #communitybuilding #martialarts #fightingarts #skills #coach #trainer
One of the greatest gifts that #WSLVT has given has been of community.
Within our own immediate community, friends, and family around the world. 

Humbled, honoured, and proud of the great character and skill of #TEAMS3VT

#S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT #WSLVTCANADA 
#Toronto #vingtsun #wingchun #vingtsuncanada #wingchuncanada #martialarts #fightingarts #communitybuilding #family
Real To Reel // Laap Da (Chi Sau Training)

From the WSLVT Chi Sau Workshop this week as part of our Weekly GTA Wing Chun Meetup on Tuesday, June 18th 2024.
Drilling the fudamenal action of Laap Da from concept, to construct, to fundamental application. 
Breaking it down to its simple components.

We covered several of the fundamental Lin Siu Dai Da actions tying them all together for practical, dynamic application.

Feed your mind.
Fuel your fist.

#TEAMS3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT 
#vingtsun #wingchun #vingtsuntoronto #wingchuntoronto #vingtsuncanada #wingchuncanada #Toronto #Canada #wingchunmeetup #communitybuilding #martialarts #fightingarts #skills #coach #trainer
Real To Reel // Paak Da (Chi Sau Training)

From the WSLVT Chi Sau Workshop this week as part of our Weekly GTA Wing Chun Meetup on Tuesday, June 18th 2024.
Drilling the fudamenal action of Paak Da from concept, to construct, to fundamental application. 
Breaking it down to its simple components.

We covered several of the fundamental Lin Siu Dai Da actions tying them all together for practical, dynamic application.

Feed your mind.
Fuel your fist.

#TEAMS3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT 
#vingtsun #wingchun #vingtsuntoronto #wingchuntoronto #vingtsuncanada #wingchuncanada #Toronto #Canada #wingchunmeetup #communitybuilding #martialarts #fightingarts #skills #coach #trainer
Real To Reel // Taan Da

From the WSLVT Chi Sau Workshop this week as part of our Weekly GTA Wing Chun Meetup on Tuesday, June 18th 2024.
Drilling the fudamenal actions of Taan Da from concept, to construct, to fundamental application. 

We covered several of the fundamental Lin Siu Dai Da actions tying them all together for practical, dynamic application.

Feed your mind.
Fuel your fist.

#TEAMS3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT 
#vingtsun #wingchun #vingtsuntoronto #wingchuntoronto #vingtsuncanada #wingchuncanada #Toronto #Canada #wingchunmeetup #communitybuilding #martialarts #fightingarts #skills #coach #trainer
Thank you to everyone that attended and  participated in lasts night's Chi Sau Workshop as part of our Weekly GTA Wing Chun Meetup.
An honour to share knowledge and skillsets.

Great work and people.

#TEAMS3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT
#vingtsun #wingchun #martialarts #fightingarts #communitybuilding #Toronto #GTA
We're excited to kick off weekly classes in Barrie, Ontario with Coach Sam Tran of S3VT North : System / Science / Skills Ving Tsun this Sunday, June 9th at 9:30am!

Sam is an incredibly skilled and knowledgeable WSLVT practitioner that approaches training and teaching with passion, conviction, and attention to individual needs and details.

There's been some great interest so be sure to enroll at:
s3vtnorth@gmail.com

Address:
Peggy Hill Team Community Centre - Activity Room 1
171 Mapleton Ave
Barrie, ON, Canada

#TEAMS3VT #S3VT #S3VTWSLVT #WSLVT 
#vingtsun #wingchun #martialarts #fightingarts #barrie #canada