The Study
The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men
This study is like a fair test where people were randomly split into two workout groups — one with the same exercises every time, and one with random exercises. It shows that switching exercises might help people feel more motivated to keep working out, and that both groups got stronger and built similar amounts of muscle.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Some people do the same workout every time, others change it up. This study checked if changing exercises randomly makes people more excited to work out and if it helps build muscle and strength.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 554 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Changing workouts didn’t make muscles grow more, but it did make people want to keep training more.
- 2Both groups gained about 0.12–0.18 cm in leg muscle size and 10–12 kg in squat strength.
- 3The group that changed exercises felt much more motivated, while the fixed group felt slightly less motivated.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2019
Authors
Eneko Baz-Valle, B. Schoenfeld, J. Torres-Unda, J. Santos-Concejero, C. Balsalobre-Fernández
Related Content
Claims (5)
If gym guys use an app to switch up their workouts every time, they might enjoy training more — without losing gains in leg strength or muscle size.
If you're a guy who's already lifting weights, doing 4 workouts a week for 8 weeks will noticeably grow your thigh muscles — and it doesn’t matter whether you stick to the same routine or mix it up every time.
If gym guys switch up their workouts randomly every time, they stay more motivated over 8 weeks compared to doing the same routine every time.
If you're a guy who already lifts weights, doing 4 workouts a week for 8 weeks will make you way stronger—adding about 25 pounds to your squat and 10 pounds to your bench, whether you stick to the same routine or mix it up.
If you mix up your workouts for the same muscle, you’ll grow that muscle more evenly than if you always do the same exercise.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.