People often stay on the same routine for too long. Change your routine every 4-6 weeks to avoid plateauing. Set mini targets every session to ensure you are always challenging yourself.
2) Tired Body
Sitting at a desk all day, looking at a computer screen may leave you mentally tired, but physically your body is ready for exercise. Don’t mistake a tired mind with a tired body. Exercise will help de-stress you and relieve tension.
3) Wrong Warm Up
Ensure you match your warm up to your programme. A treadmill run isn’t going to warm you up for chin up’s. Match your warm up to your session.
4) Technique
Don’t compromise technique for weight. Gradually and progressively increase the weight over time, this ensures you keep good technique. Swinging the back on a bicep curl is a common example.
5) Listen To Your Body
Your body knows when you’re doing too much. Don’t over train. If you ever feel overly fatigued, then take a day off or take a gentle swim to loosen up those tired muscles.
Nutrition – Major Gym Mistakes
1) Don’t Skip Breakfast
Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism. The sooner you start eating the sooner you start burning off fat. Wake your body up by having breakfast. Eating fewer meals does not necessarily equal weight loss.
2) Food Is Fuel
Remember food is fuel. Anything you don’t burn off will be stored as fat. On training days you will need more fuel than days when your resting and recovering.
3) Avoid Eating Late
The average person needs energy during the day, not at night. In the evening your body slows down for rest and sleep, therefore whatever you eat isn’t going to be burned off and will be stored as fat.
4) Little and Often
Try to avoid the typical 3 meals a day. Eating little and often, keeps your metabolism burning off food efficiently throughout the day, as opposed to shocking it with hefty meals.
5)Too Much Protein
Protein is vital for muscle growth and repair, but too much in one sitting will lead to a lot being stored as fat. Eat a small amount every 2-3 hours to give your muscles the fuel that they need.
Weight Loss – Major Gym Mistakes
1) Don’t Over Do It
When it comes to weight loss training, people often make the mistake of doing too much too soon. Which results in injury and a longer lay off from exercise.
2) Mix It Up
Everyone knows cardio is excellent for weight loss, but including some resistance exercises will also aid fat burning.
3) Shock The Body
Instead of one monotonous speed, add some interval training. Short bursts of speed or sharp changes in levels should shock your body into more efficient fat burning.
4) Complete A Food Diary
This will make you more aware of what you are eating and when. Therefore making you think before you eat. A personalised and detailed nutrition plan will ensure you are eating the correct foods at the correct time.
5) Don’t Exercise On An Empty Stomach
Always ensure you eat before you exercise. Training when hungry will result in your body taking fuel from your muscles. Eating something small such as a piece of fruit 30 minutes before exercise is sufficient.
Muscle Gain – Major Gym Mistake
1) Increase Food Intake
To get big you have to eat big. It is not just about exercise. If you don’t eat enough protein your muscles can’t grow and recover. If you struggle to up your protein through food, try a protein shake as a quick alternative.
2) Rest
Your body will only grow while it rests. Make sure you don’t over train. Have a couple of days rest per week to allow your body to recover.
3)Split Routine
If your training for size then you definitely need a split routine, avoid training the whole body in a single session. Having a split routine allows you to work harder on specific muscle groups whilst allowing others to rest and recover.
4)Keep A Training Diary
Keeping a training diary will allow you to ensure you are progressing every session. Write down your routine, the weights you lifted how many reps and sets you completed. Improve on this next session.
5)Change
Not everyone likes change, but sticking on the same routine too long will halt your progress. Change your routine every 4-6 weeks.