Hi ho,

I wondered if we might talk about how one incorporates new moves and/or new routines into a workout or creates a whole new workout. For example, when you see a new routine in a magazine, do you drag the magazine to the gym? Make an outline? Take some sketches? Do you try it at home first? How do you avoid turning an initial workout into a 2-hour extravaganza that features poor form, misguided attempts, incorrect technique and others moves guaranteed to leave you tired, cranky and absolutely convinced that everyone else is watching you with a snicker (even though you know that that is absolutely not true )

Or, let me give you another scenario. You know you want to try lots of different things, so you go through you old workout notebooks and you say to yourself, OK self, I'm going to do a whole-body workout, and I want to do, say, quads, glutes, back, chest, and shoulders, and if I have time, I throw in some calf raises or a bicep curl. So you go to your various sources and you pick out the things you know how to do and you put something together. And it's OK. But the next time you go to the gym, you don't have the time to mess with "new and improved" and you fall back into your favorite workout that you can do with almost no thought (note: I did not say no concentration; I said no thought ) and before you know it, you're back in the same ol' same ol' drill.

Is it simply a question of reading, reading reading and incorporating every tip you stumble across so that eventually it all becomes second nature or are there more systematic ways of going about this?

Ah, I'm certainly no expert, and I do tend to fall back to what I know if I go to the gym without any extra time.

I read things all the time: fitness mags, fitness books (don't forget I work in a library so I have access to bunch - including the mags which get donated. I could care less if they're months old!) Then I try to fit the ones that I like into the workout I'm changing. FWIW, I don't change both UB and LB workouts at the same time - my brain couldn't handle it. Once I've got a new workout worked out, I put it in my little notebook (If it's something really new, I try to put a little description or diagram. I have a copier at home, so it's easy to do this) and try it out on a day when I've got extra time. Usually for me this is a Sat, and the bonus is that the gym isn't as busy. Sometimes I tweak it after that, sometimes not.

I don't have a long history here, but have had to change both my ubwo and lbwo after about 5 months of doing them. I scouted different sources to new exercises, online, magazines, books and then assembled my new exercises, photocopied them, and assembled them into my duotang pocket folder . (geek ) But I am interested to hear what others say bc I have not yet been successful coming up with a management plan for how to process all the mags that are accumulating. I won't give away my really good titles, so now they're in the corner providing good winter insulation on my exterior walls.

If I'm in a rush I'll stick to basics, let's say leg day I'll do squats or leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, lunges, then I'm outta there...4 sets of each 12,10,8,6 going heavier each time.... When I'm not in a rush I'll find a workout routine either in a magazine or print something that I've found on-line and I'll take it with me... I do have a book where I track the amount of weight I use, but I haven't used that binder in quite a while...

No help from here! Mine are keeping my bedside table from floating into space.

The most recent change I did was that I found a John Berardi workout, and since it was only 2 exercises per workout I exrx'd them before I went to the gym, then wrote how many reps etc I should be doing in them. I go to the gym at lunch, so I can refresh my memory and then head out the door being fairly confident what I'm about to do.

Before that I had a gym-plan from one of the staff at the gym, but it was too long and too hard to do on the same day as training and running So I left that one to the side. However she did demonstrate some stuff to me.

When I change up again, I think I'll search for a workout plan on the web - maybe take something from stumptuous or another John Berardi workout and figure out what I'm doing.

If I see some new moves that I like, I'll do them after my usual workout, like single OHDBP. I do them on shoulder day, but after I've done everything else. If I fancy doing some push-up exercises and variation I do them after I've done my chest workout. I do those one-legged squats on a bench after my usual workout on leg-day.

I'm not sure where I'm going next, but I'll probably find a workout and expand it somehow, or tailor it to myself.

Hi Robin,

I have been asking myself the same questions you have posted here. How do I organize all of this great information? And secondly, how can I be sure that I'm doing this right once I get there?

My current method of organizing it is online. The less paper I have to trip over at home the better. One of my favorite sites is www.trainwithmeonline. If I do find something from a book or magazine its just stored in my nightstand. I think Ilene's idea of a binder is a good one. I could section it off by bodypart or routine.

When I am attempting a new exercise I do like to try it out at home first. Mostly because I don't want to bring the mags or books to the gym with me. I also want to get a good feel for the movement of the exercise.

There are some things that I just can't test drive at home first. I think that once all my "parts" are in working order again (slammed knee is still recovering) I will hire a personal trainer through my gym and reveal my "list" of please show me these....

I do carry a small notebook with me where I record all of my lifting weights, exercises, and reps. If I am working around an injury I'll record that too. I've seen people with full 8x10 sheets of paper that outline their workouts as well. This would be nice if you had several workouts preprinted in a binder and you could laminate them, grab one, and go. Just a thought.

To get rid of some of my magazines I got some duo-tangs, ( not sure if everyone knows what they are, kinda like a small binder ) with some clear plastic sheets with 3 holes from Business Depot, I cut out all the workout pages from my magazines that interested me, the reason I put them between clear plastic sheets was because I didn't want all the page turning to tear the pages, ... I have a duo-tang for Legs, Chest & Triceps, Back & Biceps, Full body workouts.... I will pull out the page to write down information like the weight I used....

I keep 'good' magazines and give the rest to friend who aren't as ... um ... studious as I am. I've got a mag keeper in the entertainment center just for my magazines.

Once in a while I leaf through to find something I haven't tried in a while.

But, because I'm cheap and love love love the internet ... I come here and stumtuous and exrx ...