Gym mistakes to avoid

You may be hitting the gym and sweating it out, but there may be some habits that could be keeping you from perfect fitness. Be wary of practices such as following a set routine and being impatient.

Going cardio crazy



Jumping straight on the cross trainer in a bid to burn away those calories and avoiding weights for fear of ‘bulking out’ is one of the most common mistakes to make. Endless cardio routines will burn muscle and could push your metabolism into a worse state than it started. Hitting the weights will keep a stimulus on your muscles and keep your metabolism up at the same time.

Impatience



So many people expect changes in a week, but consistency is key in your goals. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you are consistent and work hard, giving your body the right amount of time.

Routine on repeat



You know what you’re good at, so you stick to it. But despite thinking you’re not a natural runner or your arms are too weak for bicep curls, doing the same routine for too long will lead to a plateau and you will stop seeing results.

Pain equals gain



Don’t use soreness as a guide to whether you had a good workout or not. Just because you haven’t experienced DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) doesn’t instantly mean that your workouts are bad. It could be a major indicator that your body is recovering well and that your nutrition is spot on.

Living by the machine



Don’t use cardio machines to count the calories you burn as the only factor of how hard you work. Everyone burns calories at a different rate depending on many factors.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2014.

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