4 Common Mistakes Made in The Gym + Solutions For You
Are your workouts as effective as they could be?
- Written by Shani Kaplan
We have spoken about the importance of exercise countless times on the blog, but we haven’t addressed how imperative it is for exercise to be executed correctly- particularly in a gym environment. Working as a PT in different gyms for the last 8 years has opened my eyes to a lot of poorly learnt patterns. Whilst not everybody has strong goals when entering a gym, there is still a standard that everybody should aim for when entering one. These standards are crucial for great sessions, keeping yourself healthy and safe!
So, let’s get stuck into the common bad habits made in the gym and how you can simply alter your workouts to ensure they don’t happen to you, (or stop them if they already have!)
# 1 Form
The biggest issue I see is exercise form being compromised;, either by a lack of understanding or laziness. There has been a number of times when I’ve nervously approached people in the gym to give them tips on how to perform certain movements and exercises properly. Whether it be neck and/or back posture, knee alignment, core engagement… they are all equally as dangerous for the health of your body when performed incorrectly.
Solution:
Try out a PT, even just 2-3 sessions to go over some simple cues and postural areas to focus on for specific movements. Or ask a PT you know in the gym to assist/ watch your form.
There is a lot to digest when it comes to technique. For example, for a squat here are the cues I work on with my clients: feet hip-distance apart, toes pointing slightly out, hips go as far back as possible whilst you lower down and maintain a strong core, straight back and chest high- all whilst keeping your neck straight and gaze forward (not up)! You can already see how much goes into just preforming a squat correctly, now, imagine this with terrible form and a heavy-weighted load added into the equation.
#2 Aesthetic-Focus
The “ideal” body type is ever-changing, and it is pretty hard to keep up. For men, it has always been somewhat muscular, especially in the upper body region. However, for women, it has changed from an obsession with being “skinny” to now a heavy focus on being athletic with abs and the perfect butt!
All of this has evolved into a style of training which solely focuses on these areas, with lots of glute exercises, such as, squats and lunges, and tons of ab exercises like planks and sit-ups. And for men, I couldn’t even tell you the number of times I have seen you standing in front of the mirror performing endless upper body exercises to get that ideal physique, completely avoiding training your legs and glutes!
By focusing on aesthetics, you are ignoring the functionality of your body, and working on the areas that are crucial for injury prevention.
Solution:
Make sure you vary your workouts and incorporate all parts of your body on a weekly basis. Try to follow a plan; whether you get it from a friend in the industry, a PT, app or internet and really make sure (refer to point #1) that your form is correct. This will ensure everything is functioning well from head to toe!
#2 Aesthetic-Focus
The “ideal” body type is ever-changing, and it is pretty hard to keep up. For men, it has always been somewhat muscular, especially in the upper body region. However, for women, it has changed from an obsession with being “skinny” to now a heavy focus on being athletic with abs and the perfect butt!
All of this has evolved into a style of training which solely focuses on these areas, with lots of glute exercises, such as, squats and lunges, and tons of ab exercises like planks and sit-ups. And for men, I couldn’t even tell you the number of times I have seen you standing in front of the mirror performing endless upper body exercises to get that ideal physique, completely avoiding training your legs and glutes!
By focusing on aesthetics, you are ignoring the functionality of your body, and working on the areas that are crucial for injury prevention.
Solution:
Make sure you vary your workouts and incorporate all parts of your body on a weekly basis. Try to follow a plan; whether you get it from a friend in the industry, a PT, app or internet and really make sure (refer to point #1) that your form is correct. This will ensure everything is functioning well from head to toe!
#3 Not challenging yourself
I have had a number of clients and members, who have done the same thing for years on end- whether it be cycling, running or the same old weights program. Because you often feel content and comfortable in what you know, and what you know you are good at. We favour workouts that keep us in that dangerous comfort zone. The main issue is that you unfortunately just won’t progress if you stay there. Challenging yourself and having versatility in workouts is the best way to make sure you are reaching your goals and keeping your body healthy!
For instance, all professional athletes will not focus just on their trade, but will perform complementary movements as well. Take tennis players and marathon runners, they will also be working directly on their strength as well as the cardiovascular endurance expected for their sport. And don’t forget about mobility! They all work hand in hand to ensure that your body is one strong unit.
Obviously, we are not all athletes! But we can mimic these training patterns in lesser, more practical amounts.
Solution:
Chase the feeling of getting faster, stronger, more flexible. Make sure that you have some sort of goal when entering the gym, and keep those goals constantly evolving! For example, for a few months, you may really place particular energy into a run time and then follow that with a goal to increase overall strength by a certain percentage.
#4 Overtraining
I see this one all the time too. In contrast to #3, sometimes the attitude towards those fitness goals can be too intense. I see these people in the gym, every day, sometimes twice a day; and not just performing light movements, but workouts of high intensity. You’ve just joined the gym, summer is coming up, or “new year, new me”. These are all common reasons for a strict peak in activity and adherence level.
Whilst, I am all for people becoming more active, of course, overtraining and not taking adequate rest days inhibits results (our bodies need rest!), causes injuries and usually eventuates into a high drop off rate (as it is so unsustainable). Mentally, besides being taxing on your state of mind, overtraining also often breeds feelings of guilt when you are not reaching those high expectations you have set for yourself.
Solution:
Take rest days. Spread out your workouts so that your body parts can recover and be stronger for that next workout! If you just love moving, don’t stress- it can even be an active rest day such as walking the dog, doing a yoga class or getting outdoors in some way, shape or form!
#4 Overtraining
I see this one all the time too. In contrast to #3, sometimes the attitude towards those fitness goals can be too intense. I see these people in the gym, every day, sometimes twice a day; and not just performing light movements, but workouts of high intensity. You’ve just joined the gym, summer is coming up, or “new year, new me”. These are all common reasons for a strict peak in activity and adherence level.
Whilst, I am all for people becoming more active, of course, overtraining and not taking adequate rest days inhibits results (our bodies need rest!), causes injuries and usually eventuates into a high drop off rate (as it is so unsustainable). Mentally, besides being taxing on your state of mind, overtraining also often breeds feelings of guilt when you are not reaching those high expectations you have set for yourself.
Solution:
Take rest days. Spread out your workouts so that your body parts can recover and be stronger for that next workout! If you just love moving, don’t stress- it can even be an active rest day such as walking the dog, doing a yoga class or getting outdoors in some way, shape or form!
I hope these 4 solutions can start you on a positive journey with training and help you build a successful, safe regime. After all, we all want to be around for a long time, and age gracefully!
Shani Kaplan
Shani Kaplan is a contributing writer for Truth Origins. She combines her knowledge gained from working within the fitness/wellness industry in Sydney and London for the last seven years as a Personal Trainer, and class instructor, with her addiction to research due to her BA in Business Marketing. Shani loves martial arts, resistance training, dance and yoga, nutrition, travel, design, photography, and art.
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