When I started training almost fourteen years ago, it was the beginning of an exciting journey, from which I learned along the way, mistake after mistake, and dealing with injuries along the way.
All this made me discover a sport and a lifestyle capable of giving a lot of satisfaction, which can be maximized if you are aware of what to avoid and how to behave. Enjoy the journey, reach the goal.
NOT WARMING UP CORRECTLY
This mistake includes not warming up at all. Safe to say, if you’re not warming up, then your risk of injury will be up. Warming up is essential to preparing your body for lifting weights. It gets blood flowing through your muscles, helping them to expand and contract with peak efficiency.
Unless your training program includes a light cardio session before starting the actual workout, the approach to weight training must always include mobility (especially for the shoulder, whatever upper body muscles are trained that day) and light and preparatory movements for the technical gesture that will be performed.
Dumbbells or elastics, low load, and high repetitions. Then, I suggest a couple of series that precede the real working sets, before approaching each high load exercise.
Stretching, on the other hand, is preferable after the workout: despite this, many studies suggest carrying it out at times distant from the training sessions.
IMPROPER FORM
Performing exercises incorrectly not only raises the risk of getting injured but also lowers the chances of building muscle effectively. Resistance training revolves around creating enough stress on your muscle fibers to promote growth and strength.
Using improper technique results in insufficient stress on the target muscles and excessive stress on the wrong muscles and joints. This problem often arises when people use too much weight.
You’ve probably seen someone piling on heavy weights and only going through a fraction of the full range of motion. Doing partial reps won’t stimulate the muscle growth you desire and might even lead to neglecting the specific muscle groups you’re targeting.
Proper form ensures that you’re working the right muscles. As you progress in your fitness journey, you’ll naturally lift heavier weights. Prioritize maintaining proper form, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your fitness goals.
POOR EXERCISE CHOICE
While this final mistake is less about the risk of injury, it has a significant impact on your progress. Your choice of which muscle groups to train, the timing of your workouts, and the order of your exercises all play a crucial role in your fitness journey.
To optimize your strength training routine, it’s essential to understand the reasons behind the exercises you perform.
There are two key errors to avoid: doing isolation exercises before compound lifts and not allowing sufficient recovery time between workouts. The same issue can arise when your workout plan emphasizes isolation movements with heavy lifts.
Concerning rest, it’s not always about needing more rest days. What you might require is adequate rest for specific muscle groups while others are in action. This is where workout splits come into play.
To prevent overtraining and burnout, pay attention to recurring muscle soreness, as it’s a sign that these muscles are getting trained too frequently. Take a step back and assess whether they are being worked during exercises that you might not have initially recognized. For instance, deadlifts engage the lats, and the shoulder press involves the triceps. Stay mindful of how your muscles are being used, when they’re engaged, and you’ll be able to fine-tune your workout routine.
REMEMBER…STAY STRONG!
Free weights and gym machines are great, but they are far from as simple as they seem. If you’re ever left with questions on form, ask a personal trainer for help. Everyone in the gym is a lifetime learner, and everyone is a beginner when it comes to some aspect of the gym. Train with awareness. Train with purpose. Train with confidence.
Enjoy the Journey.
Reach the Goal.
5th November 2023
TORO FIT 