Ten Mistakes to Avoid at the Gym

You may be committing one of the following top ten gym sins and not even know it. It’s time to repent, swear you’ll never do it again and six months from now you might not even recognize your reflection.

1. Working Out Too Often.
   
   Muscles need a day of rest. If you’re working out your biceps everyday, they don’t have time to recover, which means they don’t have time to rebuild, which hampers growth. "Men usually don’t allow enough time for their muscles to rest," says Heidi Selz, a personal trainer at Crunch Fitness in New York. "Sometimes their workouts aren’t challenging enough, so they’re able to work out everyday and do." Ideally, she says, men should work out five days a week, alternating two days of cardio and three days of resistance training. This gives the muscles at least 48 hours to repair themselves between resistance days.
   
2. Holding Your Breath.
   
   You’ve seen him at the gym. He’s clenching his teeth, sweating, his face is turning red. More likely than not he’s holding his breath. This causes undue stress on your body and causes your blood pressure to go up — not a great consequence of working out, says Selz. "Holding your breath when lifting stifles your body in a natural process," she says. "Breathing is crucial because you engage the stomach and core muscles of the body, and you get oxygen to the muscles allowing them to work better." A breathing tip: you should exhale as you’re moving the weight away from gravity and inhale when you’re moving toward it.
   
3. Not Drinking Enough Water.
   
   "This is probably the most critical and most overlooked thing when working out," says Jerry Simmons, conditioning coach and nutritional advisor for the Carolina Panthers. "The worst thing you can do is wait until you’re thirsty to drink." At this point, your body is already dehydrated, he says. "When you’re dehydrated your physical and mental performance will be impaired," he says. Make sure you drink water before, during and after your workout to prevent muscle cramps and work out to your full potential.
   
4. Lifting Too Fast.
   
   The slower, the better when it comes to weight lifting. When you go too fast, the swinging momentum alleviates the strain on the muscles so you don’t get the full benefit of the weight. "If you’re mindlessly telling a friends about your date the night before and just ripping through your routine, your workout is probably about 30 percent effective as it could be," says Selz. Focus completely on the activity at hand and the muscle you’re working on, she suggests, especially when you’re using heavier weights.
   
5. Showing Off.
   
   If you lift too much weight trying to impress the hottie on the thighmaster, you doing more damage to your muscles than good. "This is one of the biggest mistakes I see men make," says Selz. "Lifting too much weight causes terrible form and is not an effective way to gain muscle mass." One easy way to tell if you’re lifting too much weight is how you release the weights at the end of the repetitions. If you throw them to the ground because they’re just to heavy to hold anymore, that’s a sure sign. You should still have enough energy left to place them gently on the ground. "let the ego go," advises Selz and remember, gradual progressive resistance is a far more effective way to see results.
   
6. Not Warming Up.
   
   When you start any activity cold, you increase the chance for injury, which could potentially keep you out of the gym for a long time. Selz suggests jumping on the treadmill for about 5 minutes to warm up and then stretching each muscle group for about 30 seconds each. "When you incorporate a good stretch, it will change your workout 100 percent and your body will be more cooperative," says Selz.
   
7. Arching the Back.
   
   One of the worst injuries and most common is a back strain that can haunt you for life. "When lifting free weights, it’s important to keep the natural curve of your spine," says Selz. "To do this, make sure you’re contracting your stomach muscles the entire time you’re lifting." This alleviates unnecessary strain on the back. A tip: Practice contracting your stomach throughout the day when you’re siting at your desk or in your car at a red light. "Eventually, your muscles will remember the position and naturally contract when you’re lifting," says Selz.
   
8. Sticking With the Same Routine.
   
   Muscles get bored easily. "If you stick with the same routine, your body will reach a plateau point and you will not see results," says Selz. She suggests changing your routine every 6 weeks. "Target different muscle groups with different techniques," she says. "You need to put new stresses on the body so the muscles can react and change."
   
9. Consuming Too Many Energy Bars and Protein Shakes.
   
   Energy bars are a great way to give yourself a boost in the middle of an intense workout. But often, these supplements are also high-calorie and contain too much protein or carbohydrates than your body might need. The key, says Simmons, is balance. "Everybody’s metabolism is different," he says. "But regardless of how much you burn you don’t want to load up on proteins and carbohydrates." His recommended daily intake for an active man is 40 to 50 percent carbs, 30-35 percent protein and 10-15 percent fat. "If you’re consuming 70 to 80 percent protein or carbs, whatever you don’t use, your body will turn to fat," says Simmons. Make sure you’re consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables and use energy bars and shakes for what they are — supplements to a balanced diet.
   
10. Cooling Down. 
    
    Most people hit the showers right after a hard workout. But like warming up, not cooling off could be a big mistake. "Post-workout, your muscles naturally want to return to their original state," says Selz. When you stretch, they’ll return more slowly, which prevents soreness and injury. Counting can be beneficial here, she says, to make sure you’re stretching effectively. Hold each stretch for five breaths — long inhales and exhales. Take a few minutes to lower you heart rate and stretch properly and your body will be better prepared for the next day.