It’s hard enough to get to the gym. It can be difficult to get the motivation to go or to even find the time to get a workout in. So when you do decide to go, use these tips to make sure it’s a productive trip.
These are some of the most common mistakes people make that can harm your workout.
You’re Exercising Too Hard
“There’s no such thing as overtraining.” I’ve heard it countless times, but it’s not entirely true. The key here is that if you have a really hard workout, don’t follow it up the next day with another incredibly difficult workout. HIIT (high intensity interval training), for example, should only be done 2-3 times a week. And you should never do them back to back. If you want to get the most out of those sessions, take the time to recover.
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You’re Not Going Hard Enough
Like I said earlier, it can be difficult enough just to get to the gym. So you may tell yourself you did a great job just by stepping in the gym. And that’s true… Kind of. If you want to see positive changes in your health, you’ve got to strain your muscles. Relaxing while only walking a mile isn’t going to do much unless you’ve never walked a mile before. Shoot for at least 25 minutes of exercising. You need to get your heart rate up and your body moving.
You’re Distracted
If you’re going to bring your phone to the gym, that’s fine. But only use it for music. Don’t text other people or pick up phone calls. The more you can keep your heart rate up, the better. By texting and taking phone calls, you’re letting your heart rate drop too much.
If you’re using your phone for music, set your playlist ahead of time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve regretted not doing this. I’ll be working out and everything is going fine until “Ice, Ice Baby” comes on. Instant workout killer. Create a playlist that will keep you going for the duration of your workout.
Go at Your Own Pace
It’s fine to want to emulate other people and try to keep up with them – especially if you’re in a class. However, it’s important that you learn how to properly do an exercise before you try to keep up with the veterans of the class. Improperly doing an exercise can cause an injury. And if you get injured, you can’t exercise. Which brings me to my next point.
Consistency is Key
The more consistently you workout, the better off you’ll be. If you’re doing HIIT, walk the day after. Or go swimming. Try yoga. Do something that will still keep you active. You’ll be recovering and still working out at the same time.
By the way, it only takes two weeks before your muscles start to atrophy. But you’ll see much better results if you get in the gym 5 times a week.
Your Diet is Bad
There’s nothing that will ruin a good workout better than a bad diet. 80% of the physical changes you see are a result of your diet. You can’t outwork bad eating habits. As much as we’d like it to be as simple as calories in equals calories out, it’s not. Getting on a treadmill to work off that Snickers bar you just ate isn’t going to work.
I’m not saying you’ve got to have a perfect diet, but eating better is the best and easiest way to see the results you want.
You Only Do the Exercises You Like
Your body is made up of opposing muscle groups. In high school, my coach (thankfully) was looking out for me. I did a lot of squatting and my deadlift was comparatively weak. He told me I was banned from squatting for a month. The reason? My quads were too big compared to my hamstrings. If I kept it up, chances were incredibly good that I’d pull my hamstring.
You’ve got to address your weaknesses in the gym. That usually means doing exercises that make you uncomfortable. If you can only do 5 pounds, that’s fine. The point is that you’re actually finding your weaknesses and trying to strengthen them. Trust me, your body will appreciate it.
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