Muscle Confusion: snake oil/banal/legit?

[Lordmuppet]

1) So i've looked around the internet and tried to figure this out for myself but can't.

So either i don't understand what muscle confusion (as presented by the P90X crowd) is or it is just the basic idea about progression and adaption that has been around ... a while (i.e. adaptations in the body need to be stimulated by stuff that isn't easy for it in its current state).

If that is the case i don't understand why they don't just increase the weight progressively on free weight exercises.

2) on a related note i hear everywhere about the need for variety but never really understood that. Why wouldn't one just stay on a program till it stops working?

[JP]

like many of these things it is about how to stimulate the mind more than the body.

You are right about increasing weight with a given free weight movement - its called neuromuscular adaptation or some other bullshit, when your body gets more efficient in doing a movement. That coupled with some basic strength exercises can see your main lifts increase considerably.

thing about the muscle confusion is that it speaks to the common sense of people going to the gym. Every time you do something new, new volume, new movements, new intensity, speed etc you will feel it in your muscles, and thats satisfying. Whether or not thats efficient way of training is another story, but people often confuse being sore to having a great workout.

[baldy]

Going off on a P90X tangent, I read an article on it in the paper. From my understanding it involves intensive training for 1 hour 6 times a week and with a strict diet will transform your body.

Personally I think if you do any intense exercise for 1 hour 6 times a week and follow a decent diet you will be looking pretty good.