If there’s one axiom I think is true especially now its that we human beings LOVE to make things as complicated as we can make them especially when it comes to our health and fitness goals.
For example if you want to lose weight instead of trying to follow some super strict diet and starving yourself just eat less… yep it’s that simple cut out 250-500 calories from your daily diet and boom you’ll lose weight.
Same goes for exercise… we LOVE to jump from exercise fad to exercise fad hoping to find that “magical” one that gets us results when the basics if done consistently will get real results... EVERY SINGLE TIME!
Now maybe I’m being a bit extreme there but when it comes down to it exercise is actually pretty simple. Do 2-3 days of strength training per week and 2-3 days of “cardio” and do them right and you’re pretty much assured of seeing significant change in your body.
Put another way…you only need to move around to keep your body strong and healthy.
Now to be fair, it can get complicated when there are different kinds of exercises and determining which are the best ones for you to do and knowing how to do them correctly.
For many it becomes difficult to figure out the type of exercise that will be suitable for them and their fitness goals, how much of each exercise they should be doing (it’s a lot less than you might think!), and what is the safest activity that you should engage in.
This is why so many people love our Living Fit After 50 training program because we take all the guesswork and planning out of it for you. We design the workouts so that our members get the maximum benefit and then guide them to ensure not only are they doing the exercises to the appropriate level for them but also that they are doing them correctly so they don’t get hurt!
But I digress…
While making things “difficult” is the most common mistake I see there are some others within that that we often see.
Ones that are common to both beginners and veteran gym enthusiasts.
Some other common mistakes:
Doing Partial Reps - A rep is a repetition of a certain exercise in your workout routine. It can be anything from a bicep curl to a sit up to a bench press or a squat. Reps are great for challenging yourself, but if you are fond of doing partial reps and a poor range of movement, they are not going to be effective. In fact you could end up getting hurt doing partial reps.
A partial rep is performing a certain exercise at a very limited range of motion. For instance, having a half squat instead of a properly executed deep squat.
You might have done this to get through the set quicker, but if you are looking to improve your strength or build muscle, you need to do the full range of motion.
Overusing Cardio And Underusing Weights
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Most gym goers especially those over 50, tend to overuse cardio equipment to try and lose weight.
The first inclination for those who want to lose some pounds is hopping in the elliptical, treadmill, or bike for hours hoping to “sweat out” calories.
Of course, cardio will help you spend energy, but you need to lift weights so that you can reshape your body and get the desired results.
Additionally, most women underuse weight due to the fear of becoming masculine. Keep in mind that women have lower testosterone levels. Thus, they do not have enough testosterone to develop “manly” muscles. So ladies unless you’re sticking needles of testosterone in your butt the odds of you looking “many” are less than 1 in a million!
Not Warming-Up - Most people start their workouts without warming up probably because they don’t know its importance or because their training program doesn’t offer it.
Warming-up your muscles is important even when you are at the gym for cardio or strength training.
In fact the largest cause of injury isn’t doing too much weight or even doing an exercise incorrectly it’s not warming up!
The warm-up can be as simple as a ten-minute session on the cross trainer or a few sets of low-intensity warm-ups.
Using Too Much Weight - Speaking of too much weight…There is a fine line between overexerting yourself and challenging yourself especially when you’re first starting out.
Lifting weights that are too heavy for you may lead to injury and can lead to improper movement quality. There is a place and time for maximum training and that’s not when you’re first starting out. Pushing it to the max right from the start usually will lead to burnout and may not result in consistent progress.
Slow and steady wins the race…
Avoid comparisons when training and keep in mind that what matters is not lifting maximum weight but doing more reps and gradually building.
For example when I’m working with clients who want to get “strong” and “weightlift” we often progress them as little as 2.5 to 5lbs per week. It may seem slow but over time that’s been proven to not only get maximum gains but do so without elevating the risk of injury.
If you want to achieve long-term results and have minimum setbacks, lighten the weight and concentrate on form.
Doing The Same Range Of Exercises often for decades.
If you have repeated the same program for some months, years and as I’ve seen all to often decades (really!) or done the same workout every time you go to the gym, then you are making a mistake.
You’re all but guaranteeing to NOT get results because your body will adapt to it and thus not be challenged.
It is recommended to change up your exercises every four to six weeks. You don’t have to train different body parts or change everything completely; you can just tweak a few things once in a while.
This is what we do in our Living Fit After 50 Training Program. We program in 4, 6 or 8 week blocks to ensure that we are not just training the entire body but making it adapt (by getting stronger and healthier). Oh and changing things up helps prevent boredom and thus makes it more likely you’ll stick to it.
Which is why many of our members have been working out with us for years now.. .because we ensure they don’t get bored and get real results
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