Four Mistakes to Avoid When You Work Out in a Gym
A lot of people who work out in a gym often don’t get the fitness results they want. In the end, they tend to blame 'their genes' or some unrelated factors that led to them not losing weight or firming up. Gym exercises can certainly be effective as long as they are done properly and regularly. But there are some critical mistakes that you must avoid to be truly successful in achieving your fitness goals.
Avoid This When
You Work Out in a Gym...
Insufficient Intensity
Reaching the right intensity burns calories and strengthens the body’s core. Many people think that constant movement is enough for them to burn body fat and build muscle. This mindset is wrong. Increasing your intensity level actually accelerates your body’s metabolism and potential to build lean muscle and therefore makes the process of working out more efficient. To intensify physical activity, make sure you are working out at your target heart rate. If you are weight training, make sure you fatigue the muscles you are working while being diligent in maintaining your posture and correct form.
Believing What Machines Say
Don’t let the digits on your treadmill fool you. The cardio machines you use to work out in a gym rely on speed and revolutions to calculate calories. This can offset your weight, thereby making you believe you supposedly burned 800 calories, when in reality you only burned 400 or even less. Leaning on the bars can also cause the exercise machine to produce inaccurate numbers. Again, it is all about target heart rate. the quick and easy way to figure it out is this equation: 220 - age = Max HR Once you know your max heart rate, multiply it by .65 and .85 and you will now have the target heart rate you need to maintain while doing cardio.
Weight machines pictures and instructions posted on the machine are also completely unreliable. Other than providing the name of the exercise, they tend to be very generic and often depict the wrong techniques that may put you in harms way. You have to learn Total Body Posture and the Three Step Exercise Technique to successfully complete these exercises. I have outlined the correct use of the top 14 exercise weight machines found in every gym right on my DVD, so there is no longer any reason to use these improperly. Your health depends on it!
Chit-chatting Instead of Exercising
A very common mistake for individuals who work out in a gym is that once they see friends around, they tend to spend the entire time socializing instead of doing appropriate rounds on different machines. You should be focused on your workout in order to accomplish your goals within a realistic time frame. Socializing also takes your mind off of the correct execution of the exercise putting you at risk for an injury. It's kind of like texting and driving, it's dangerous. Pay attention to what you are doing!!!
Not Working with a Certified Personal Trainer
Getting a real benefit when you work out in a gym is more complicated than it looks. Having a professional gym instructor work with you can help you in setting goals and doing exercises effectively, while minimizing the risks of accidents from improper execution. They can also provide you with very helpful tips regarding proper diet, a major factor in weight loss.
The only thing I would strongly suggest is to make sure you have already learned some of the techniques in my free e-course prior to working with a trainer. You will be better at taking their instruction while having the knowledge and ability to control how your body handles the stress they throw at you. If at anytime you feel like your body is unable to maintain form, alert your trainer and make the appropriate changes to the exercise. As much as your EGO would probably disagree, it usually comes down to lowering the weight!
Remember, in exercise what you
don't know CAN hurt you!
Image Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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