7 Deadly Fitness Sins
When it comes to an effective results-driven fitness program, not only are the things we do important, but arguably the things we shouldn’t do are actually more important. Below is a list of the top 7 deadly sins of a fitness program. If you realize you’re doing any of the 7 below points on a regular basis, it might be time to re-evaluate your system in the gym.
1. Not warming up or cooling down properly
Most people do indeed warm-up, but they just do it ineffectively. Many times we’ll simply hit the treadmill for a few minutes before lifting the weights. Treadmills are well and good, but if you’re about to blast your upper body with an intense push-pull session, why not warm up the upper body too? Muscles are like rubber bands, they need to be warm and elastic in order to derive all the benefits of intense resistance training (and to also be safe from injury). Same holds true for the end of the workout. We don’t realize the gains of our training sessions during the session itself – we receive those benefits in the days following the session as our muscles regenerate and rebuild. Properly cooling down post-workout can accelerate that process and help prevent Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
2. Resistance Training the same muscles on consecutive days
For the same reason why it’s good to cool the body down post-workout, it’s a good idea to not over-train your muscles by training them on consecutive days. If you do that upper body workout mentioned above, you’d be doing yourself a great disservice to then come back the following day and perform more chest and back movements. The muscles need time to recover and repair and not allowing for that time can hinder all progress and actually create regression.
3. Thinking cardio will inhibit muscle growth/strength gains
This has been a falsehood for decades. What truly inhibits muscle growth and strength gains is improper nutrition, program design and recovery time. A recent study suggests that doing cardio actually prevents a specific protein that blocks muscle growth from performing its function. Another reason why cardio actually HELPS to build muscle is because it strengthens the heart muscle – and when the heart muscle is strong, it provides skeletal muscle with more oxygen-and nutrient-rich blood to fuel those pumps for longer periods of time at a higher peak capacity.
4. Improper Nutrient timing pre-and post-workout
It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat it. Have something to eat 60-90 minutes before a session to fuel your workout (I like a good, quality protein and complex carb – protein shake and apple, for example). Post-workout, I prefer a liquid protein because it uploads to the muscles quickly, helping the muscles to start the recovery process faster.
5. Hyper-focusing on one muscle group or body part
The body is a machine – a complete unit. More and more we’re realizing that when we train movement rather than only individual body parts, our bodies move and feel better for it. And while I’m not suggesting that we ignore individual body part training, I am suggesting that we integrate total-body movements more often into our greater program design. It will break down more muscle fiber, burn more calories and create a greater metabolic response.
6. Not sticking to a plan
Consistency is key. When we don’t have consistency and structure it’s easy to either over-train or under-train. Create a diverse but structured and ever-changing program and the body will less likely sink into plateaus. Certified Personal Trainers specialize in program design, and can bring great diversity and structure to your fitness regimen.
7. Never changing your routine
Speaking of changing up your program, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll never be better than you’ve always been. And while consistency is key, so is change. Don’t let your body – or mind – get bored. Every 4-5 weeks, change up your program and shock your body into new adaptations.
About this LFF Blogger – Brian LaFrazia is a Certified Personal Trainer and Les Mills RPM Instructor at the Tampa Palms LFF. Brian’s RPM classes run Monday and Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. and he can be reached for any questions regarding Personal Training at blafrazia@lff.com.
Topics: Training Tips | 1 Comment »
February 9th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I even find that when parents are wanting to exercise with their children they really need some sort of plan. Otherwise you’ll do a lot of standing around instead of…exercising.
Keeping an exercise chart at home is also a great way to keep track of what you’ve done and what you can do next.