The Most Common Fitness Mistakes
Guest blog post by Luke Douglas from ripped.me
You’re doing everything you can to make your body look heavenly, but it’s just not working. Why is that when you’ve been pushing yourself to the maximum, you were constantly paying attention to what you eat and you’ve researched which exercises you should be doing? It’s probably because you’re doing something wrong. And don’t be embarrassed – there are many people out there who simply don’t know about the fitness mistakes they’ve been making. This is where we step in to open your eyes and help you define those muscles as soon as possible. Take a look at the most common fitness mistakes people make:
1. Cardio only
Many beginners have weight loss as their number one priority when buying their gym membership. That is why, to many people, cardio is imperative. However, more cardio does not mean more weight loss. Running on a treadmill three times a week isn’t going to give you a six-pack, nor definition, as you have to visit the weight room of your gym for this. As they say – weights for main course, cardio for dessert. Moreover, once you start pumping your muscles by lifting weights, you will see how much stronger you get, which will make you endure longer distances on the treadmill, and thus lose more weight. Remember that burning fat shouldn’t be your main goal – you definitely want to see some definition as well, so make sure to visit all corners of the gym regularly.
Not only is it a big fashion mistake to hit the gym in your old sweatpants, a T-shirt and bad shoes, it’s also quite unhealthy and can lead to injury. The worst gym injuries come from badly-fitting or worn-out footwear, and that is why you need to invest in a pair of decent gym shoes. Your feet will be thankful for it. Moreover, you can go with compression clothing in order to boost your performance and help your body be more comfortable while working out. If you are a lady, you should take a closer look at the ever-popular women’s exercise tights, quality tops made out of breathable materials and sports bras. On the other hand, male athletes nowadays almost always wear compression undershorts and shirts. Pros like LeBron James wear these garments for a reason. Remember that.
3. Constant diet
Another huge mistake not only beginners make is being on a constant diet while working out. This is simply unforgivable, as your body needs a lot of nutrients while you’re exercising. Being fit and healthy doesn’t mean that you have to be on a diet, as you have to have your daily intake of proteins and healthy fats. Make sure that you eat 5 times a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner, with two snacks in between – but make your portions medium and choose carefully what you eat. Say no to everything that’s deep fried and put a lot of healthy food and proteins in the mix. You can try the 80/20 approach, where you eat healthy foods during the week, but allow yourself a cheat day during the weekend.
4. Same workout every day
You’re working out to burn your calories, but remember that your body is smart, and if you have only one workout that you do daily, it will find new places to store calories. This is why you need to change your workouts, and luckily, there are enough days in the week to do so. If you’re working out for example 3 times a week, you can choose a different workout for each day and rotate them weekly. After a couple of weeks you can change this as well. Moreover, you really want to target all the muscles in your body, and there are plenty of good exercises that will help you in that – so why restrict yourself to only one workout?
5. Wrong attitude to exercising
If you’re thinking of working out as a chore – you’re in trouble, buddy. This means you are setting yourself up for fail, which is the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to be doing. You need to find your motivation – for example by buying new gym equipment that you will wear at the gym. Also, if you hate running – don’t run! There are other exercises that can have the same effect. If you like to dance, try Zumba. Working out is not only lifting weights at the gym, there are other options as well.
To sum up, you’re not the only one who’s making fitness mistakes. All of us do, and it’s completely normal – we’re not personal trainers after all. However, now you know about the biggest mistakes that people make, so do your best to make your workout as effective as possible.