I Spy With My Little Eye
5 Common Mistakes I See In The Gym
By Stacey Nolan Young
Okay so I will admit, it has been quite some time since I’ve stepped into a commercial gym. I take for granted the fact that I can workout anytime I want in the confines of our own space here at our private facility. But I do remember the days of gym-going very well. I remember watching people and what they were doing there. In conversations with many a client, these things have come up as well. And in thinking about this lately, I decided to write an article about the common mistakes that people make when they go to the gym. I spy with my little eye something that is errrr….wrong!
It is definitely a positive thing when someone makes the decision to put themselves and their health first and makes a commitment to join a gym. Whatever their reasons may be, they are certainly making great strides toward some sort of goal for themselves.
The unfortunate thing is that most people do not know what to do once they walk inside those doors. Have you ever walked into a gym, looked around at all of the machines and equipment, and walked straight towards a treadmill because at least you know how to work that?
It can be quite daunting when faced with machines you have no idea how to work, fit girls with their hair and makeup done to perfection strutting their stuff through the gym, and a bunch of meatheads pumping some serious iron. It is no wonder that a good chunk of people go once or twice and are never to be seen or heard from again.
Either that or these people are caught doing one of these mistakes.
1. Yes/No Training
How many times have you gone to a gym and seen a lot of the equipment abandoned while some pieces are in constant demand. One of the pieces I’m speaking of in particular is the adduction/abduction machine otherwise known as the Yes/No Machine.
While I am never one for criticizing exercise, come on girls! What are you thinking? Do you really believe that doing this one exercise for countless repetitions is going to help you shed those extra pounds? Do you think that this is going to help you get those shapely thighs that you see in workout videos?
Trust me, if you want to lose the pounds you are better off performing the staple exercises like squats and lunges that target the bigger muscle groups. These will make you burn more fat than opening and closing your legs. Then again…that in itself is a whole other article. So please do yourselves a favour and say NO to this machine!
The same goes for all of that abdominal training that you see people doing. Everybody has a six pack. Yes- they do. Doing 100 crunches per day is not going to get that six pack to come to light. The truth? Your diet will. If you want those washboard abs then I suggest making the necessary nutritional changes because exhausting yourself with abdominal exercises is futile. Same principle as above. Focus on bigger muscle groups to burn fat all over your body. Not to say that there isn’t a time and place for proper abdominal training, but less of a focus on it will get you to where you want to be.
2. Cardio Junkies
Running on a treadmill or spending an hour on the elliptical may seem like a good idea to you when trying to lose weight BUT ask yourself what it is REALLY doing to your physique. Sure, it’s great to burn fat BUT at what point do you stop burning fat and start burning valuable muscle? Muscle that aids in burning fat. Muscle that gives you your shape. Muscle that makes you look toned. And is there validity to aerobic training versus anaerobic- sprint type training? There is some research that suggests that an hour session on your treadmill pales in comparison to a total of 12 minutes of sprint-like cardio where you are only cycling or running intensely for 4 minutes and resting for 8 minutes!
The bottom line is that any good exercise program is going to incorporate both cardiovascular activity and resistance training because the ultimate goal is to look good. Unless you want to look exactly like a smaller version of yourself, with no toned definition then spending all of your time on the treadmill or elliptical is the way to go.
If you want to look your very best, balance the two. So instead of buying some newfangled, trendy piece of equipment that promises to give you your best physical shape, invest the money in a gym membership where you can take advantage of the best of both worlds.
Or (shameless plug inserted here) you could invest in a great personal trainer who can help you along your way!
3. “But I’m Afraid Of Bulking Up”
Let me begin by saying that this is complete and utter nonsense. Do not believe everything you hear. When those infomercials on TV promise to give you “toned muscle rather than bulk muscle” they are lying to you. Muscle is muscle. You cannot build muscle the way that you want to. Genetics will limit the amount of muscle that you will potentially have and unless you are specifically training and “supplementing” (and I write that loosely) to appear on stage at a bodybuilding show, you have nothing to fear.
Your muscles will grow as they are destined to and truth be told, the more muscle that you have, the more fat you lose and the more toned and lean you look. You do not do yourself a service to limit the amount of weight you are lifting. Our bodies are amazing machines that adapt to what we put them through. If you begin by lifting those 5lb dumbbells and this is difficult for you, why would you continue to lift those 5lb dumbbells once they become easy for you? Your body will adapt to this. You will gain strength. Your body will learn to NOT respond to this lift unless you are advancing in some way. When movements become too easy, adjust weight and technique accordingly. The key to change is exactly that. Change.
I’ve seen so many women make this mistake. I’ve heard from many clients about their fear of bulking and lifting heavy. They irrationally fear lifting any weights above what they deem okay for them. And to their surprise they do end up going beyond their psychological limitations that they have placed on themselves. And guess what? Their bodies begin to change. Amazing!
Do you ever wonder why certain weight loss programs out there only get people so far? Why they will do great at first and eventually reach some kind of plateau? The same principle is in effect. Our bodies stop responding to the same stimulus. We need to advance in order to get results. What started out as difficult for us will not remain difficult. The bottom line is to always push yourself. Don’t be too concerned with how much you are lifting but rather the level of intensity that your workouts are giving you. And no matter what you hear out there, you will not bulk up!
4. Training Your Ego
On the flip side we have those people that go to the gym to train their egos or in some cases do the most amusing type of training. These people train their lungs. You all know who I’m talking about. You can’t miss these people in the gym with their back belt strapped on, wearing their lifting gloves, straps and knee braces. These are the people that WANT you to stare. You see them loading plate after plate onto the leg press or Olympic bar. They huff and puff before sets to pump themselves up and make a huge ordeal out of setting up their lift. As a spectator you are enthralled and you can’t believe how much weight this person is about to lift in front of your very eyes. You watch as they get into that leg press and scream and grunt while they pump out a quarter movement of a press.
What was that????
Their knees barely bent.
Are they training their lungs alone?
Because there was no possible way that this would qualify as a complete repetition.
These people finish their “set” and step out of the machine while looking around to make sure that people are still watching. To those who didn’t have the “privilege” of seeing this ultimate display of masculinity and power, not to worry, this person will be spreading the word that they leg pressed over 900lbs! This, my friends, is what I call training the ego.
You have no business loading that amount of weight on a machine or bar unless you can complete your set number of repetitions. And while it is smart to have a spot while lifting heavy, your spot shouldn’t be helping you move the weight. They should be there JUST IN CASE. This kind of training takes place when people fixate on numbers rather than results. And what they don’t realize is that if they actually spent a good amount of time focusing on the proper movement that the gains would come. Real gains that would garner respect.
When it comes to real training, the ego needs to be left at the door. Improper training and cheaping out on the range of motion can actually hinder progress. You want to make certain that you are doing each exercise with the proper form and technique without worrying about the weight. For those of you who find this important, it will come. But you have to earn it.
5. Social Time
I’m one of those people who needs to have 100% focus when doing my workout. Back in my “gym days” my biggest pet peeve would be when someone would try conversing with me while I was under the bar or setting up for a squat. Or worse - mid squat!!! What are they thinking?
A gym is a place to train. It is a place to transform. To some it is a place to socialize. Not to me. And it shouldn’t be to the person who is serious about their physique. In order to perform most exercises properly, there must be concentration and focus in play. So please do everyone a favour and save the chit chat for after your workout!
Conclusion
I’ve given a few pointers about dos and don’ts when it comes to training. As I said before, I won’t knock anyone that makes the decision to join a gym, and even better, to actually go to it. The truth is that you will be successful if you are consistent. And consistency involves dedication, commitment and a plan. Plan your workouts. Treat your visits as appointments. Familiarize yourself with the facility and the equipment. Know what you are going to be doing before you get to the gym. Combine both resistance training and cardio. Bring a notebook and record your exercises and weights. And if you need help, just ask for it. The only way to get over your fear of the gym is to just go. Your body will thank you kindly for it!
Add comment September 26th, 2007