Common Workout Mistakes

Working out has many benefits, we all know this. But just because you are working out, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are reaping all of the benefits that you can. Here are a few of the most common mistakes that can impact your results and how much you are really getting from your workouts.

It’s Called a “Work”out

There is a reason the word “work” is in the name. It should be work. Going through the motions is technically still exercise, it’s movement and movement is exercise but if you want to get the most out of your workout time and see the greatest results to your health and fitness as possible, then you must put in some work. It doesn’t have to be to the point of being uncomfortable but you should be challenging yourself. That is how your body adapts. It must be placed under enough stress to have any real reason to adapt and change. Through strength training you achieve this by reaching muscle failure. That is the point at which you are no longer able to do the exercise with proper form at that resistance. The resistance should be enough to get you to that point in about 10 to 12 repetitions for most people. For cardio, get your heart rate up and keep it up for a prolonged period. Walking is great but try challenging yourself a bit more when you are ready to keep improving. Add incline or try intervals of jogging then walking.

Not Being Consistent

We have said this a million times but it is still one of the biggest mistakes that we see. You have to be consistent to see the real change happen. Weight loss or building strength doesn’t happen from one workout, it happens from repeated workouts over time. The longer the time the more benefits you will see. It is more beneficial to do 2 workouts a week, every week, forever then to do 5 workouts a week for a month then quit because you are having a hard time sticking to the demanding schedule. Everyone’s schedule is different so find a realistic cadence that works best for you and stick with it.

Not Resting Enough

On the other side of not being consistent is doing too much. We will see some people coming in everyday, doing the same full body workout each time. They think that they will get better results by doing the workout everyday. What they don’t realize is that strength training breaks muscle down and that your body needs time to rest and recover to build back up. If you keep repeating the same exercises on consecutive days, your body won’t have time to recover properly. This is called overtraining. The result can be injury, fatigue, plateauing or even a decrease in strength. Rest is your friend. If you are going to workout on consecutive days split up your strength training. Do lower body the first day then upper body the next. That way you are working out on consecutive days but still allowing enough rest for proper recovery.

Not Having a Plan

Doing random acts of activity when you hit the gym is ok. You are still exercising and possibly building some strength if you are following the advice above but it’s just not as effective. Having a plan that is balanced so you are hitting all of the major muscle groups and movements, that works for your schedule and routine and that you can build on will give you better results. Also, by having a plan, you already know what you are going to be doing before you get to the gym, so you don’t have to think about it and can get right at it. A lot of times when you have no plan and show up at the gym, you end up doing a half-hearted workout and then taking off early. A good plan ensures that you do a good workout each time you come. If you need any help getting a plan set up, you can schedule a personal training consultation to go over different options and have us create a program for you.