Train smarter, not harder — Building resilient tissue
Week 2 of the Move Better Christmas Challenge is here!
Why variety beats volume when it comes to building strong, resilient tissue.
By Roxy – Remedial Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer - Move Better with Roxy, Bowen Hills
When you feel tight, stiff, overworked or sore, the instinct is usually to stretch more, train harder, or add more volume.
But here’s the truth your body wants you to hear:
More isn’t always better.
Better is better.
Your muscles, joints and connective tissue don’t just respond to how much you do — they respond to what kind of input you give them. And that’s exactly why this week of the Move Better Christmas Challenge is all about variety over volume.
Our body adapts to what you repeat most!
If you only squat, you get great at squatting.
If you only run forward, you get great at running forward.
If you only hinge, you get great at hinging.
But here’s the catch:
Your hips, spine and tissues don’t just need strength, they need options.
They need: rotation, lateral movement, stability under different loads, changes in tempo and in direction, variability in tension.
Without these, tissue capacity becomes one-dimensional. And when capacity becomes limited, pain creeps in.
Most “tightness” isn’t actually a short muscle. It’s a protective response.
Your body senses:
repetition without variation
too much load in one direction
lack of stability in another
tissues that aren’t adapting
joints that aren’t moving well
So it creates tension to stabilise you.
When you change: direction, angle, tempo, load, unilateral vs bilateral, stability demand, your tissues receive new, safe, purposeful input.
This teaches them to adapt, not panic.
This is where real resilience comes from, not just lifting heavier or doing more reps, but giving your tissues a broader menu of experiences.
Not sure where to start? Check my Instagram or my YT playlist for some examples of exercises you can try!
I shared a few options on both platforms.
How often?
Pick one or two options and introduce them into your current training program.
How many reps?
Move slow enough to actually notice what’s happening.
If you want numbers: up to 10 reps of each drill, once a day is plenty.
✨ Want to go in the draw for a FREE 45-minute massage?
👉Try one or two of the exercises in the carousel
👉 Tag @movebetterwithroxy
👉 Use #MoveBetterChristmasChallenge
Here are all the details you need to know.
Each week, I will be sending an email and posting a reel or a carousel to my Instagram with some helpful content, stretches and mobility drills for you to try.
Simply:
Read the email and try the drills
Post a picture of you doing them (or share the reel of me doing them) to your story.
You are in the draw
Each tag = an entry to win a 45-minute remedial massage.