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8 Biggest Strength Training Mistakes

I wanna help!

A while ago, I presented a free seminar for our members titled “The Eight Biggest Mistakes in Strength Training, Body Building and Power Lifting”.

I put this presentation together simply because pretty much every time I walk through the gym, I see training mistakes being made. Whether it be the lack of focus, overtraining, bad form, whatever, it kills me to see it and I want to do something about it. So I put together and presented the free seminar.

Unfortunately, the ones I see making most of the mistakes are the ones that didn’t show up! Typically, it’s the younger crowd making these mistakes. What’s more unfortunate is that the younger crowd has the enthusiasm and the discipline, but lack the expertise and experience. So, in hopes that some of them actually read our newsletters, here is the list of the eight most common mistakes that are made.

There simply isn’t enough room here to elaborate on them, so in the case that you would like a more detailed explanation of one or more of these mistakes and how to remedy them, reach out to us. Actually, I would love to offer this seminar again in the future if there is enough interest. I will count down the eight starting with the least important to what I believe is the most important and the most common mistake. Here they are:


 No. 8: Lack of Focus (turn off the phone, put the magazine away and stop socializing)

No. 7: Partners (can be good, can be bad)

No. 6: Poor Programme Design (order of exercises is very important)

No. 5: Redundant Exercises (stop wasting time and energy, learn how to choose exercises)

No. 4: Useless Exercises (stop doing exercises that won’t help get you to your goal)

No. 3: Improper Form (learn proper form or pay the consequences…..lack of gains)

No. 2: Overtraining (gains are actually made when resting)

No. 1: Not Doing the Negative Contraction (if you don’t know what a negative contraction is, and what it will do for you, I would highly suggest you find out!)
So there you have it in a nutshell. Avoid these mistakes and you are on your way to more, better and quicker results than you ever thought possible.

Good luck,
Gino

Dead Bug

The Dead Bug is a great exercise not only to improve core strength but also for learning how to keep a neutral spine which helps with a lot of other exercises you will do in the gym and in every day movements. The other great thing about this exercise is that you don’t need any equipment and can do it anywhere.

You begin on your back with your arms up in the air extended straight up towards the ceiling and your legs up with knees bent at 90-degree angles. Engage your core by pulling your belly button in towards your spine and having your lower back against the floor. While holding that contraction, slowly lower your opposite arm and leg down towards the floor without allowing your lower back to arch. Then return to the starting position and repeat on with the other arm and leg. Continue alternating back and forth until you have completed 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.

The contraction at your core that you are holding is providing trunk stability while your extremities are moving which is exactly what you want to be doing during many other exercises and movements. It’s also safe for the lower back since your back is supported by the floor.

Add this exercise to your routine and reap the rewards! It’s harder than it looks!