By Amanda MacMillan, Outside

When it comes to working out, most of us have no shortage of options. Most cities now have countless boutique fitness studios with services like ClassPass to let you sample as many workouts as you can squeeze into a month.

Group-training gyms like CrossFit introduce new workouts daily, with very little repetition in routine. And if you happen to do most of your exercising outside, the options are unlimited.

But like all good things, it is possible to have too much exercise, or at least too many options. Though it’s true, having variety in your training can help prevent injuries and provide your body with what’s known as “muscle confusion,” which keeps you from hitting an eventual plateau as your body adapts to the same physical stresses day after day.

But according to exercise physiologist and personal trainer Tom Holland, constantly changing your workouts may not actually be the smartest way to train because without consistency, it’s harder to make daily exercise a habit—and harder to make measurable progress in strength or skill.

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