Ever wonder why you're not seeing the results you expected, even though you're spending 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day, 5 times a week at your local gym? Well, through my "grandmother" research of the past 6 years as a fitness trainer, it usually comes down to one or more of the following:
Mistake #1: Poor Eating Habits. Without a doubt, this is the largest obstacle for almost everyone. If you're exercising, even half-heartedly, you'll see some results if your nutrition plan is in place. You do have a plan, right? You need to feed your body the proper nutrients, at the right times, in the correct amounts to keep your energy levels high and metabolism revving. Just remember, you can't out-work a bad diet.
Mistake #2: Too Much Focus on Cardio and Group X Classes. If your primary goal is to lose fat (not just weight as told by the scale), or to improve performance for a particular sport or activity, your first priority when exercising must be on increasing lean muscle. Having more muscle increases your metabolism, which in turn allows your body to become more efficient at burning fat, and keeping it off. Research has shown that shorter bouts of cardio exercise at a higher intensity will result in increased fat loss (as well as better endurance and a stronger heart).
Mistake #3: Not Having an Individualized Program. This one really bugs me. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen someone in the gym following a workout they got off the internet, or just "winging it" every day. Effective workouts must be specific for your goals, body type, training experience, and fit into your life commitments. Virtually all successful athletes, and yes, you too should train like an athlete, follow a progressive program designed for them.
Mistake #4: Lifting the Wrong Amount of Weights. Here is a general observation: Ladies, you should probably lift 1 1/2 to 2 times the weight you presently are; guys, you should probably decrease your loads by 20-25%. I remember working out at a local Gold's Gym several years ago, and a personal trainer had his female client using 5 pound dumbbells for overhead presses. I'm sure her purse weighed 3-4 times that. And most guys would be better off reducing the amount of weight they lift and focusing on proper form to reduce their risk of injury. Leave your ego at the door!
Mistake #5: Not Doing a Proper Warm-Up. You might get a way with this when you're younger, but walking into the gym and jumping right into a resistance training workout without first doing some soft tissue and flexibility work is a sure way to over-stress the joints, ligaments, and tendons to the point of injury. A proper warm-up will elevate your heart rate and increase your core temperature, along with decreasing the density and tightness (shortness) of your muscles and fascia.
Mistake #6: Too Little (or Too Much) Recovery Time Between Sets/Exercises. The amount of rest you take between sets or exercises depends largely on your primary goal. But as a general rule of thumb, 45-60 seconds is about right. The reason is that it takes your body about 60 seconds to regenerate about 90% of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) used so you can continue working out at a fairly high intensity. ATP is the energy source for your cells. However, if your goal is maximal strength, wait about 3 minutes, when your ATP stores will be fully replenished. On the other end of the spectrum, don't be the social butterfly who is at the gym for 2 hours, and gets in 10 total minutes of exercise. He's wasting his time and yours.
Mistake #7: Not Keeping Track of What You're Doing. I would guess that this is true of 97% of the people who exercise. But it's the other 3% who consistently see changes. They often refer back to their notes from several months, or even years ago, to see what worked and what didn't in different circumstances. One gym in southern California, Results Fitness, still has every workout written for every client since they opened in 2000. That's one reason they are so successful. And I personally don't think that recording things on your phone is nearly as effective. Numerous studies have shown that the act of actually writing something down on paper is better retained by the brain. And maybe I just prefer pencil and paper because I'm old and technologically-challenged!
So there you have it. Focus on fixing these mistakes and you'll find that your motivation levels are higher because you're noticing consistent changes and getting closer to your goals every day.
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