Whether you’re smashing goals with your personal training sessions, showing up for group classes, or making the most of your solo workouts at Hawthorn’s best gym — changing up your routine is one of those fitness fundamentals that often flies under the radar.
Let’s unpack why it’s important, how frequently you should switch things up, and how that helps you keep progressing.
Why Change Your Routine? It’s About Adaptation 🧠
Your body is smart and incredibly adaptable. When you first start a new programme, you’ll likely see rapid gains — but over time, your muscles and energy systems become more efficient at the movements you do regularly. This biological adaptation can lead to a plateau — where results slow or stop because your body no longer sees your workout as a challenge. Your muscles adapt, your nervous system gets used to the pattern, and the growth signals your body once responded to begin to fade.
How Often Should You Change Things Up? 📆
Changing your training load - weights/reps/sets/intensity
A key reason people hit plateaus is because the training load never increases. This is where progressive overload comes in — systematically increasing weight, reps, sets or intensity to continually challenge your body so it keeps adapting and improving. Research shows that when progressive overload is built into training over longer blocks (eg 10–12 weeks), it leads to significant improvements in strength and muscle size compared with static routines. In a controlled study where participants increased either weight lifted or repetitions across a 10-week cycle, both methods produced meaningful gains in strength and thigh muscle size, showing that systematic progression matters for long-term adaptation. In a similar study across 6 weeks, runners who progressively increased treadmill intensity improved their peak cardiovascular fitness significantly more than those who trained at constant intensity — showing that progressive overload also drives greater fitness gains, not just strength.
Progressive overload doesn’t mean you have to change everything every week — it means consistently pushing your training just beyond its current limits so your body continues to respond and improve.
Whether progression happens week to week or across months, the principle stays the same — your body adapts when it’s challenged. Repeating the same plan for too long will eventually stop delivering gains — whether you’re training strength, endurance, or for fat loss. Incremental change keeps your body guessing and growing.
Changing your routine - exercises/movements/approach
✔ Beginners (first 8–12 weeks):
When you’re new to training, consistency, learning and technique are your friends. Generally (there are exceptions) our trainers recommend you stick with a structured routine for about 8–12 weeks before making major changes — this gives your body time to adapt safely and effectively. Changing exercises too frequently can actually slow progress, as your body needs repeated exposure to a movement to build strength, coordination and confidence. Not to mention, you will start to understand what you enjoy more and what you enjoy less - an often underestimated aspect of training (you need to enjoy it!).
Within the first couple of months, you’ll likely start feeling stronger and more capable of increasing weight. So long as you do this slowly and strategically, it’s a great way to keep progressively overloading even while the exercises in your routine remain the same.
✔ Intermediate & Experienced Members:
For those who have been training for a while (there’s a lot of you!), subtle tweaks every 4–6 weeks keep progress going. This doesn’t always mean a total overhaul — even small changes like adjusting set schemes or introducing new lifts can spark fresh results - and also fresh interest!
Maybe it’s a bit like updating your playlist - something we routinely do at Visions! Initially a playlist of your favourite songs evokes a strong response and effectively does its job of making you feel motivated and upbeat. But over time, that impact lessens. It’s not to say those songs (a la exercises) won’t still be in your favourites list - but adding some new songs into the mix, or giving yourself an entire second or third playlist to add into your week? Well that’s a recipe for ongoing success. And when you bring the classics back in? They hit just as hard.
👉 The takeaway: Remember, even if a routine is still working well, tiny changes in movement, load, or order can be enough to stimulate adaptation.
Signs You Need a Change 🛎️
Not sure if the time is right? Here are some clear signals:
Your progress has stopped
You feel bored, you’re mentally checked out or less inspired to get to the gym
You’re experiencing recurring aches from repetitive movements
You’re no longer challenged by workouts
If that sounds familiar, it’s time for a refresh — but you don’t have to do it alone.
How Hawthorn’s Best Gym Helps You Out
At Visions, we believe smart programming is the key to long-term success — whether you’re working out solo, doing personal training or a regular group training attendee.
Here’s how we support you:
✅ Free Tailored Workout Programs – Kickstart a fresh plan designed for your goals by one of our team. While you can’t take this up weekly, we’ll happy refresh your routine every few months.
✅ Carefully Designed Group Training – We take time to write our classes with varied structures and movements that keep both your body and your motivation on track. You might not see it, but our team sit down together and discuss our group training contingent’s progress, performance and feedback before designing the next block of classes. We’re genuinely committed to seeing you progress.
✅ Personal Training – Whether your prefer side-by-side in-person PT or less direct but equally personalised online support, the guidance and oversight you receive when teaming up with one of our PTs ensures your routine evolves with your progress, and never goes stale.
👉 Looking for a fresh plan to match a new goal? Our Free Programs + Workout Coaching page can help.
👉 Want to learn more about our personal training offerings?
👉 Curious about Group Training at Visions? We’ve got fun, challenging classes for all levels here.
Final Takeaway
Your body adapts quickly — so your training should too. Progress comes from small, strategic increases in challenge and occasional refreshes to keep things stimulating. If you’re unsure when or how to change things up, our team at Visions is here to guide you every step of the way.
At Visions Fitness Centre — Hawthorn’s best gym — we’re here to help you make those changes confidently, safely and enjoyably.
Written By Pat | Owner
About the Author: Pat is the owner of Visions Fitness Centre, a staple of the Hawthorn community since 1984. Carrying on the legacy started by his father, Pat has spent decades fostering a "second home" environment. He is dedicated to maintaining the gym's independent spirit, ensuring every member is treated with a personalised, community-focused approach.