I’m an ACE certified personal trainer but first and foremost I am a human who’s tried to figure out how to get in shape. It’s been a wild ride and I’ve learned many things from both my wins and mistakes. If you’re reading this, I want to save you from making some of the same rookie mistakes. Here’s a look at a few of the most common ones I see people making at the gym:
They overdo it.
Eager to see results, many people think they need to kill themselves as some sort of badge of honor. This approach can actually be counterproductive, because you may be too sore to work out, even a few days later. Plus lifting too heavy of weights too fast is a recipe for injury. Go easy and work your way up.
They don’t cross-train.
Love running? That’s great, but you need to round out your workouts with other forms of exercise, like strength training, stretching and mobility moves for the same reasons mentioned above.
They compare their progress/results to others.
It’s easy to feel like the grass is greener or that your efforts don’t stack up to others, but that attitude doesn’t serve anyone. Everyone is on their own path and people don’t always make their struggles public. Worry less about others and instead use that energy to achieve your goals.
They don’t stretch.
It’s tempting to skip the warmup or cooldown for the sake of time and convenience, but exercise caution. You need to give your muscles time to loosen up and re-adjust to post-workout activities. On a related note, here’s a primer on avoiding injury.
They expect results overnight.
Some people exercise for several weeks and end up quitting because they can’t get past the initial muscle discomfort/fatigue. There’s no instant gratification in fitness. If getting in shape were easy, everyone would do it.
Ready to get sustainable results with the help of a professional? Sign up for a free consultation today.