Avoid These Four Mistakes

An interesting fact is Chris has logged over 13,000 hours of personal training in his career. The Body Within team has seen more than 25,000 appointments. During that time we have learned that everyone exercises for different reasons. Goals vary, but everyone wants to see results. If you have a routine that is not producing results, you may be making common mistakes that are easy to remedy. Here are four errors you may be making, but will be able to fix in no time.

1. The Plan: You found a workout in a magazine you really like or have a favorite video that is your ‘go-to’. These favorites are like good friends. You visit them all the time and they are reliable. You know what to expect and there are not any surprises. This is actually a big mistake!

You want to change up your routine. You want to confuse your body. Your workouts should not be predictable. If you have been doing the same exercises in the same order using the same weight, it is time to change. Change the order you do the exercises. Change to amount of sets you do. Play with the weight load. Get a new routine all together or buy a new video. Don’t be afraid of change and don’t stick with the same routine for more than four weeks.

2. Bad Form: Using momentum to swing a weight does nothing for your body and is dangerous. You should always be able to control the weights. If you cannot move the load through a natural range of motion then you should lighten it up. Once good form is compromised then you are no longer getting a benefit from the exercise. All you are doing is seriously increasing your risk for injury.

If you are not sure what good form is then ask a professional. You can hire a trainer for one session to teach you the proper mechanics of all the basic exercises. Once you have an understanding of the fundamentals you will be able to build a safe and effective routine.

3. Mind to Muscle Connection: When you exercise you should be focused. Flex the muscles you are working. Think about how your body is moving and responding. Breathe as you move through each exercise. Be engaged in what you are doing. If you stay focused you will have a better workout and results will also come faster.

4. Rest and Recovery: Often when people are motivated they workout everyday. They go at a training schedule with the idea that more will be better. This is not true!

Strength gains happen when you are resting and recovering. It is in the repair stage that muscles actually get stronger. You must take time to let yourself rest between workouts.

If you are a beginner work with weights one day and then use the next day for cardiovascular work. You should never train the same muscle group on back-to-back days. Without proper recovery your muscles will never get stronger and you will never see the results of all your hard work.

So remember change is good and bad form is not! Be focused while working out and take time to rest. If you need ideas on how to change a routine or ideas for new exercises, contact us. If you want a form check or a tutorial of proper lifting techniques, call us. If you have been working really hard and have not taken the time to rest then enjoy your break! You will see results in no time.