I work with team sports and there is a demand for variety. Using Squats as an example I include them in all phases of training and the variety is included by altering intensity with manipulation of reps and sets.
Other individuals change exercises every 3-6 weeks. What I would like to know is what exercises have a positive transfer to key movement patterns or do we need to keep key movements in all our programmes for enhancement of sports performance.
Or do some of you feel that Squats for example are not absolutely critical and a variety of exercises will suffice?
I think you have the right approach. Keep to a small pool of exercises and provide variation through volume, intensity, frequency and density. If movement pattern in a new exercise differs significantly a conditioning risk occurs when it is introduced.
I agree with Poilquin’s contention that the higher the level of the athlete the more frequently the stimulus must change to obtain optimum strength progress. The magnitude of that variation however need only be small (2%).