by gomynt | #myntfit |
Your commitment to working out on a regular basis is truly
commendable, but in order to keep your 2015 fitness goals past
Valentine’s Days (the day of love is also the day when most Americas
give up on their resolutions) there are some pitfalls you’ll want to
avoid.
I’ve personally been guilty of #2, #3, and #7—basically all of
them—plenty of times. You certainly don’t want to spend a lot of time
working out, only to realize down the road that you’ve been making some
pretty big mistakes.
Take a look at the 7 most common workout mistakes and how you can correct them.
mistake #1: training too long with a lack of intensity
Maybe you work out for two hours at a time, yet you’re still the same
weight and/or body build weeks later. Why do you think that is? Well,
working out too long can backfire. You’re body needs time to recover
between sessions. Going past 55 minutes per workout can lead to adrenal
fatigue and reduce performance.
How do you know you are over excising and not allowing your body
enough time to recover? Here are some 7 symptoms to pay attention to:
- Exercise leaves you exhausted instead of energized
- You get sick easily (or it takes forever to get over a cold)
- You have the blues
- You’re unable to sleep or you can’t seem to get enough sleep
- You have ”heavy” legs
- You have a short fuse
- You’re regularly sore for days at a time
Try this instead: Keep your workout period under an
hour and start turning up the intensity. Just because you are moving and
doing something athletic doesn’t mean you’re burning loads of calories.
For a hardcore body and some weight loss, you’ve got to increase the
intensity of your workouts. As you continue to tweak your intensity
level, you’ll certainly notice a difference over time.
mistake #2: not performing exercises properly
Do you realize that there are a lot of people at the gym who do not use
the exercise equipment properly? They may be using the wrong techniques
or doing too few or too many reps. If you are not performing exercises
properly, you’re more apt to suffer an injury and you are less likely to
get your desired results. This also goes for exercises you do on your
own or ones that you do with an exercise machine.
A great solution is to ask the gym staff if they have a professional
around to teach you how to use the various equipment the correct way. If
you’re working out at home doing various techniques, consider doing a
YouTube search on your exercises to be sure you are doing them right.
For example, squats have long been criticized for being destructive to
your knees, but
when done properly, squats actually improve
knee stability and strengthen connective tissue. Using the right
techniques, squat exercises should engage your thighs, knees, core,
back, and muscle fibers throughout your legs and buttocks all the way
down to your ankles and feet.
mistake #3: keeping the same workout routine
It’s easy to get into the same workout routine, but if your goal is
to lose weight and build muscle, you must switch up your routine
sometimes in order to see the changes you really want. When you keep
doing the same exercises week after week, you’ll end up hitting a
plateau and you won’t continue to experience the changes you have been.
To combat this, simply change up your routine every so often by changing
the type of exercises you do, the duration, the number of reps, etc.,
so that you experience a variety of workouts. This way, you’ll get
better results down the road.
mistake #4: making unrealistic goals
One of the most common workout mistakes is setting goals that just
aren’t reasonable. It is important to set goals that you can achieve
because if you set goals that will be extremely difficult or
unattainable, you set yourself up for disappointment. Set your goals
based on how much time you have to commit to working out, your age, your
lifestyle.
For example, if you want to train for a marathon, yet you only have a
small amount of time you can train each week, you’re going to suffer
some disappointment when start gun fires on race day. Likewise, if you
want to lose 30 pounds in a month, yet you can’t commit to rigorous
exercise 5 days a week, the goal may be unrealistic. Do your best to set
attainable goals. Setting milestones are a great idea as well, as then
you have shorter goals that are easier to meet than the ultimate goal.
Word of advice: Treat yourself to something
delightful when you accomplish a milestone, like a night at the movies
or that special pair of boots you’ve been eyeing. Rewarding yourself
will solidify your success.
mistake #5: not having a plan when you enter the gym
If you don’t have a workout plan, you’re sort of like a sail boat
without sails. You’re just floating on the water not really getting far.
It’s easy to get into the habit of showing up at the gym and working
out mindlessly. But, if you want a great body or if you want to lose a
certain amount of weight, it’s best if you create a workout plan. If
this is something that you cannot do on your own, feel free to do some
research online or hire a professional trainer. There are plenty of
workout programs to choose from and by following a plan, you’re more apt
to get the results that you’re looking for.
mistake #6: skipping the warm-up
You may be able to get away without stretching when doing low impact
type of workouts, but if you run, sprint, or do any other high intensity
workout then stretching is an absolute MUST. Stretching loosens up your
muscles and gets your body ready for your workout. It also decreases
your chances of injury. You certainly don’t want to skip stretching and
warming up only to pull a muscle. Additionally, stretching after a
workout will help you to experience less soreness.
mistake #7: comparing yourself with others
This may be the hardest one to avoid. Regardless of who you are, you
can look around and find someone stronger, leaner, and more athletic.
And, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to be better than every other
person and to keep comparing yourself with others, but this will only
lead to self-destruction. In short, you will never feel satisfied with
your progress and you won’t appreciate your accomplishments.
Instead of focusing on others, you should set goals so you are
competing against yourself. Keep track of how long it takes you to run 5
miles or how many reps you can do with a 25 pound weight and then try
to beat that number the following week or increase the weight you use.
Keep track of and keep assessing your efforts, but the point is you
should try to beat your previous best with every session.
As you hone in on beating your best, you will actually find yourself
doing things that you could have never imagined. Your confidence and
ability to preserver will also increase. You’ll keep getting up. You’ll
keep going. Plus, you will learn something pretty special:
When you compete against yourself, everyone will want to help you.
Working out is a wonderful way to get and stay in shape. As you
commit to a lifestyle that includes workouts, keep these common workout
mistakes in mind so that you can avoid them.
Jeremy Hawkins gomynt
http://jeremyhawkins.net http://myntforyou.com
