Are you making these common gym mistakes? These errors seem to be the most popular mistakes, yet they can negatively affect your health, happiness, and weight-loss goals.
Make your gym experience better by avoiding these mistakes:
1. Skipping warm up and cool down. Warming up helps your muscles and joints prepare for the strenuous movements you’ll perform later in your workout. Build the habit of jogging, doing some jumping jacks, and stretching before a workout. This will prevent your muscles from being overwhelmed and help you prepare yourself mentally for your workout session.
2. Not following a definite programRather than just throwing random exercises together, it’s important to go to the gym with a plan. Set a weekly schedule that will allow you to target all your major muscle groups while balancing the other demands of your life. A sample program can include a chest workout on Monday, legs on Tuesday, and so on and so forth.
Following your workout schedule can be a bit tricky for many since a lot of unexpected events can occur in your life. If you couldn’t go to the gym for some reason, having a schedule will make it easier for you to adjust and address the muscle group you weren’t able to exercise.
3. Just doing cardio. If you don’t use the free weights area then you’re missing out.
Cardio is good for your overall fitness and can help your cardio vascular system (hearts and lungs etc), but it isn’t going to be much help if you want to tone the different parts of your body, lose weight or bulk up.
It’s going to do a really poor job at that even if you’re doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
4. Not using full range of movement. To get the most of your time in the gym it’s important to use the full range of motion that the exercise has. If doing that and keeping correct form means that you need to lower the amount of weight that you’re lifting then that can be a good thing.
5. Wearing jewelry. There is no need to show off your expensive rings or necklaces at the gym. Not only are you risking losing your jewelry or having it stolen, but you’re also making it more difficult to exercise.
· Rings can get caught up in equipment and make it harder to lift weights. Necklaces can also get tangled in equipment. They can even put your life at risk by creating a strangulation issue.
- Wearing inappropriate clothes. Find a balance between comfortable gym clothes and revealing outfits.
- You don’t want to wear clothes that are so baggy they make it more difficult to work out. On the other hand, extremely tight and revealing outfits can be distracting for others.
- You’ll get your best results with fabrics that are comfortable, but not too baggy, moisture-resistant, and can be washed easily.
7. Lifting the wrong weight. Heaviest isn’t always best. Lifting the wrong weight will compromise your technique and will tire you out quickly.
Before you increase the weight of your reps, you should know the workout by heart and perform it with a full range of motion. If you need some help or clarification, don’t be afraid to approach a trainer. You may save yourself from possible joint injuries and muscle tears.
Always remember this: It’s always better to use a lighter weight with the right form than to lift a heavier load poorly.
- Using perfume. Perfume isn’t necessary at the gym, and it can actually make you smell worse as you sweat. Also, various scents can set off others’ allergies. So it’s best to avoid wearing any perfume or scented body products.
- Eating a large meal right before you exercise. This can make you nauseous and affect your workout. It’s important to eat something beforehand because you’ll need the fuel. However, eat at least 30 minutes before going to the gym.
- Instead of eating a large meal, fill up on water and have a smaller meal or snack.
- Setting unrealistic goals. One of the biggest issues at the gym is setting goals that aren’t realistic. For example, if you haven’t run a marathon, then avoid setting this as a goal for your first workout in months.
- Push yourself, but understand your limitations. Overdoing it can lead to serious injuries that force you to stop working out.
- You may want to work with a partner or trainer to ensure your goals are realistic.
- Be aware that it can take time to achieve big goals. You can run a marathon with the proper training and effort. But the time, training, and effort must come first!
- Giving advice to strangers. Unless they specifically ask for your help, it’s better to avoid giving out advice or tips to strangers.
- Consider this: When you’re working out, would you enjoy getting a critique from a stranger?
- The same applies in reverse. Unless you see the other person is in danger or about to get injured, then avoid giving them tips. They may feel it’s not your place and the advice is unwelcome.
- Not following the gym rules. Each gym has its own set of rules. Before you even begin to work out, read the gym rules and learn them by heart. If the rules state you can’t use a machine for more than an hour, then follow them.
- You can risk losing your gym membership if you don’t pay attention to the rules.
Get more out of your gym workouts by eliminating common mistakes. These strategies will alert you to the most common errors, so avoid these and you’ll enjoy a more pleasing and beneficial fitness regimen.
