Stop Making These Workout Mistakes

Going to the gym is a daily occurrence for some, but a rarity for others. However much you go to the gym, you should be ensuring your workouts are the best they can be. All those machines can be confusing, especially for those who don’t get to the gym as often as they should. There’s also other things to be confused about, like how much should you lift? How long should you climb on the StairMaster? Should you take breaks? This corrects all of our mistaken thoughts about working out, so we can get the most out of our gym time.

“No heavy lifting.” Women often avoid lifting because they are fearful of becoming bulky or masculine. But lifting can be beneficial, as it helps you tone up and gain muscle strength. Having good muscle tone means you’ll burn more calories throughout the day. So you can and should lift!

“Running on empty.” Often we are tempted to not eat or drink before we work out. We don’t want to upset our stomachs with all the movement, and we also may be cutting meals to lose weight. But this is a big mistake. You need fuel to have a good workout, and if you don’t, then you won’t work out as hard as you would if you had eaten. Try having a snack before going to the gym, like an energy bar or a bag of nuts. Also remember to hydrate.

“Bad form.” Those confusing machines may have you do some confusing postures. Trainers often see women working out improperly on these machines. Bad form will stop you from achieving a satisfying workout, but it can also cause injuries. Most gyms offer a free training session, so take advantage of it! Even if you don’t go to another training session, you’ll learn how to use the machines properly.

“Skipping stretching.” Many of us are in a hurry to start our workouts, so we hop on our treadmills and ellipticals without stretching. This is a mistake. Taking some time to stretch will help you avoid injury and will also help you workout longer.

“Thinking you can be Jillian Michaels overnight.” Everyone has different bodies, Jillian Michaels included. We can’t compare ourselves to other women because sometimes we can’t achieve the same results as them. The goal while working out should be to get healthier, to attain a leaner and more fit version of yourself. If you go into it with unrealistic goals, you are setting yourself up for failure.

 “Taking shortcuts.” The point of working out is to challenge yourself. If you’re doing reps and not breaking a sweat, something is wrong. You also shouldn’t take a lot of breaks. When you go to the gym, take your time and keep moving. You’ll achieve results faster.

“Putting your workout on autopilot.” Spice up your workout routine. Sometimes you can hit a weight-loss plateau if your muscles get used to the same routine. Start taking a different cycle class or take a new kickboxing class.

“Crunching it up all the time.” women often think that the more sit ups they do, the faster they will be bikini-ready. This isn’t true. Your abs are not only in the center of your belly, but also on the sides by your ribs. To get these hard-to-reach abs moving, try doing sit ups on a yoga ball. Turn to the side instead of sitting straight up.