Ah the gym, the promised land, the church of the 21st century. The gym is where most people go religiously. A good gym session can release endorphins to make you happy it can allow you to eat the food you like, which makes you happy and it can make you run faster and lift heavier things which tend to make you happier too. In short, more gym equals more happiness. However, so many people who start going to the gym give up because they don’t get the results they want. These people are often working hard but not working smart. With that in mind we want to share the top five workout mistakes you must avoid.
Too much cardio
If you decide you want to run a marathon you will likely be running between three to five times a week. This will make you a faster runner but it may not make you lose as much weight as you think. If you join the gym to lose weight and become addicted to spin classes you may start doing them every day and become increasingly frustrated that you still can’t lose those last “ten pounds”. This may be because you are doing too much cardio.
Studies have shown that if you do a lot of cardio your body gets used to it and you no longer lose weight as the body reacts by storing food as fat to survive this cardio onslaught. One or two cardio sessions a week combined with one or two weight sessions is far more ideal for weight loss.
Don’t forget to warm-up
We have all been there, you arrive at the gym late and you only have 45 minutes to complete your workout. If you do a warm-up and warm-down that may cut your workout time to 30 minutes. You feel you need the full 45 so decide to cut out the warm-up today. This is a massive error. The warm-up is probably the most important part of your exercise program as it will allow you to do more without risk of injury.
Change your program regularly
When you start at the gym you will likely find a program that you love however after a while your body will become used to the routine and those gains that you so cherish will start to decrease. You should change your program every six weeks to ensure you are introducing new exercises and keeping the body guessing.
Focus on the core but let the core work for you
There is a lot of debate on how important core exercises are. Some people argue that time spent on the core is time wasted while to others it is the most important area to work on because a weak core means a weak everything. In a strange way, both are correct. Your core is incredibly important and it is a muscle that must be worked. This does not mean you should do a full core session once a week. It does mean that the moment you step inside the gym you should activate your core and that you should try and do full-body exercises like squats and deadlifts that will work your core while working other muscles. A core set is also a great set to have as part of your warm-up routine for a maximum of five minutes.
Work in the gym and the kitchen
To achieve your goals you need to not only do smart things in the gym but in the kitchen as well. They say that 90% of abs are created in the kitchen. While the work you do in the gym is incredibly important it is far more important that you eat right. A nutritionist is a great way to manage your goals but the best place to start is by cutting out sugary, fatty foods, and having a balanced diet.
