MISTAKE #1: Skipping Your Training Log
It’s hard to remember all of the specifics of your workout: weight, tempo, repetitions. As you start a new workout session, having a training log will help you immediately identify what you did last time so you can attempt to do it better. It’s also motivational to look back over a long period and see how far you’ve come. If you do decide to hire an experienced coach at some point, showing him a log will help him develop an effective program. Start a log in either a notebook or on your smartphone. Some things to include: date, body weight, exercise, weight, tempo, rest and how you felt before and after your workout.
MISTAKE #2: Working Out Without a Goal
What do you want to accomplish? It might be a quantifiable goal like running a 10K, or maybe a more emotional one like wanting to look good naked. The goal is the starting point, and without it your training will be haphazard. There are no best exercises, but there are a lot of great exercises specific to a goal. Without a goal there’s also no way of measuring progress. Write down your specific goals and ways to quantify them. For example: “I want to be at 7 percent body fat by my vacation to Tobago on August 7, 2014.” Now you have a way to measure your progress and make sure that your training is moving you closer to your goal
MISTAKE #3: Program Hopping
There are a lot of people who will make fantastical promises about the results you’ll see from their programs. You’ll likely feel a desire to change your current program because you think that another one is better. Don’t. Stay the course. Consistency is the key. Find a program you enjoy, put on your tunnel-vision glasses and stick to it for a minimum of four weeks before considering another plan.
MISTAKE #4: Following the Pack
There’s always a fad workout or exercise that everyone in the gym seems to be doing. It’s possible that this exercise is a good one, but more often than not it’s just another exercise -- no better and no worse. If you’re already on a program, resist the urge to try out a new exercise and stick to the awesome plan that you’ve been working through. If you are curious to try a new variation, understand what the movement is intended to do and whether or not it will bring you closer to your goals. If it will help, then consider plugging it into your next program.
MISTAKE #5: Neglecting to Push Yourself Toward Progressive Overload
Simply put, progressive overload refers to making everything a little harder each workout. Ideally, you will get a little bit better every time that you step into the gym. Progressive overload doesn’t just refer to weight. Common ways to incorporate progressive overload include using a heavier load, using the same load for more repetitions, doing the same amount of work in less time, performing more sets with the same load and using the same load through an increased range of motion. Mix it up to ensure continued progress.
MISTAKE #6: Resting Too Much (or Too Little)
Ignoring rest periods can limit your progress. Not only is it important to efficiently use your time, but also to maximize a desired training response. If your main goal is training for hypertrophy (muscle gain) and you are resting three to four minutes in between every single set in your workout, you are going to be spending a lot of the time in the gym and never get an optimal training effect. Research rest times that will elicit the greatest training effect for your goals, and be sure to keep an eye on them during your workout. You don’t have to sit there with a stopwatch or worry that your session will completely go to waste if you deviate a little from the plan, but stay mindful of your recovery periods.
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