Reach Your Potential: 10 Mistakes Destroying Your Workout
If you’re working out many days per week and failing to reach your goals, you could be making various mistakes before, during, and after exercise.
By eliminating the errors from your fitness plan, you could soon develop a healthier body and hit every goal on your list.
If you’re ready to transform your exercise routine, read the following 10 mistakes that could be destroying your workout.
- Skipping the Warm-Up
Do you believe the warm-up will stand in the way of real exercise? This could be your first mistake.
Warming up before physical activity will prep your muscles, as they will be more flexible and less susceptible to tearing.
Dedicate at least a few minutes to warm-up exercises, such as:
- Jumping jacks
- Mountain climbers
- Marching on the spot while swinging your arms
- Hip rotations
- Walking jacks
It doesn’t matter if you’re strength training or performing cardio, you must not forget about the warm-up.
- Poor Hydration
If you look around a gym, you’ll likely notice that every muscular gym-goer will have a bottle of water, which they might constantly fill up at a fountain. That’s because good old H2O can support their fitness performance.
When you exercise, your body will lose both water and electrolytes from sweat. As a result, lactic acid can build up within the muscles, which can lead to painful cramps and reduced performance.
For this reason, you must drink plenty of water during exercise in order to increase your hydration and aid a workout.
- Failing to Rest Your Muscle Groups
It is crucial that your muscles enjoy 48 hours rest in order to recover and repair themselves after an intense workout.
If you’re working for the same groups each day, you might fail to achieve your desired body and you’ll also struggle with fatigue during exercise.
For this reason, you must incorporate rest days into your fitness routine and alternate the muscle groups you use throughout the week.
- Sticking to One Workout Type
Sticking to one type of workout is a big no-no. While cardio can help you to shed the pounds, resistance training can improve your bone and muscle strength.
As you grow older, your muscles will weaken, you could experience bone loss, and the heart’s arteries can harden.
It is, therefore, essential to diversify your workouts to develop a healthier body and enjoy greater physical performance throughout the years.
- Not Eating Enough Protein
Protein is essential for greater performance in the gym. Not only does it promote muscle repair, but it will also increase your body’s glycogen storage and can decrease soreness the next day.
While you might eat a chicken breast before exercise, it might not be enough to maximize a workout.
It’s wise to not only add a portion of protein into mealtimes but also to spread out your consumption throughout the day.
This will help to support your body both before and after a workout, as it can enjoy the benefits of the macronutrient 24 hours per day.
If you’re unsure how to incorporate more protein into your diet, you can find the right protein powders, food, and snacks for your workout at Myprotein.
For example, you could enjoy whey protein, a protein pancake mix, or a lean brownie.
- Inconsistency
While you might feel great after performing the occasional evening or weekend workout, the benefits won’t last due to infrequent activity.
One long, intense exercise once a week might not be enough to help you to achieve your sought-after shape.
Plus, it could also increase your likelihood of an injury. Instead, you should focus on completing 20-minute workouts every day or 50-minute sessions three times per week.
- Poor Form
Poor form can damage your workout in various ways. Not only does it slow down your progress during each session, but it could increase your risk of sustaining a painful injury.
For example, many people will often lift weights without bracing, which could lead them to experiencing an injury to their muscles and/or intervertebral discs.
It is worthwhile working with an instructor, who can show you how to lift weights safely, and they can also provide other posture tips when running, rowing, cycling, or performing another activity.
- Avoiding a Post-Exercise Stretch
In addition to making time to warm-up, you also shouldn’t forget the post-exercise stretch. Similar to warming up, many people underestimate its importance, but it will:
- Prevent muscle tension
- Improve flexibility
- Decrease your risk of an injury
- Support your recovery
If you’re struggling with tired and aching muscles the day after a workout, a lack of stretching will likely be the culprit.
- Ignoring the Smaller Muscles
Many gym-goers often head straight to the treadmill, exercise bike, or bench press. Yet, they could be neglecting the smaller muscles around the glutes, shoulders, hamstrings, and knees.
If you’re guilty of doing the same, focus some of your time on working the smaller muscles in your body. It could support your overall performance and prevent an unwanted injury.
- You’re Not Enjoying Yourself
A lack of enjoyment in your exercise plan could result in you losing all motivation.
If you dread the thought of stepping onto a treadmill or exercise bike, you might need to shake up your routine.
Fall in love with exercise by finding a workout that complements your personality, such as:
- A dance class
- Participating in a sport such as a tennis, boxing, or soccer
- Working out at home
- Going for a run
- Regular bike rides
If you can discover an exercise that makes you feel excited about physical activity, you’ll have more motivation to lace up your workout shoes and a greater chance of reaching your fitness goals.
Conclusion:
There could be a variety of reasons why you’re not feeling your desired fitness results, which could range from a poor intake of protein, inconsistency, or skipping the warm-up and post-workout stretch.
It is important to eliminate these mistakes from your routine in order to develop a lean, healthy, and happy body.
If, however, the above tips don’t explain your exercise issues, you could benefit from working out alongside a qualified professional, who could pinpoint your mistakes.
