7 Mistakes men make when working out
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7 Mistakes men make when working out
For men, establishing and then maintaining a routinely consistent workout, can be challenging. Whether a guy decides to get in shape to lose weight or to improve overall health, there are common workout mistakes that could derail his efforts in achieving his goals.
When men become frustrated at not seeing significant results from their workouts, they may want to throw in the towel and quit working out altogether. Often, their frustrations stem from certain “mistakes” men may make when working out. To avoid this scenario, here are 7 workout mistakes for men to be aware, keeping himself on track for getting in shape:
1. Not warming up
A warmup is essential when first working out. Fitness pros always will incorporate a dynamic warmup into their routine. A warmup helps increase blood flow, which raises the temperature of the muscles getting them prepared for the higher-intensity activities ahead.
2. Over doing it
Men like to look and act tough. They like to think and believe when they walk into a gym or step onto a track they are still that star athlete they may have celebrated at one time in their life. This kind of thinking will only get them in trouble if they push themselves too hard in the beginning. Attempting to lift too heavy of weights, run too fast, or work out too long is a recipe for burn out or getting injured. Instead men should acknowledge they may not be quite the same athlete they were back in high school or college so easing into exercise is recommended. By being consistent making slow, steady improvements is the way to go. The workout will be more enjoyable with much less risk of getting hurt.
3. Ignoring food choices
Most men love to eat and feel if they are working out intensely and regularly, they can eat whatever they want in whatever quantity they want. Not so. The saying “abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym” rings very true. If a man (or woman) is going to spend the time and effort working out to get in shape, good nutrition must not be neglected. Exercise and healthy food choices go hand-in-hand as one without the other is not a win-win situation.
4. Ignoring pain
One thing almost all fitness professionals agree on is that no activity or lift should cause pain. While feeling muscled burn after a certain number of reps is to be expected, anytime of a sharp, pinching pain is not good. If that happens, stop immediately and move the arm or leg around to see if there are other motions besides what caused the pain. Pain is the body’s way of getting the attention of the person feeling it and should never be ignored.
5. Overloading on supplements
It’s tempting to want to use the latest and greatest protein powder or nutrition supplement believing this is your ticket to total fitness. Some of these supplements may have a place for some men but for all men, simply eating real food should always be their first choice. Eating whole foods provides more nutritional value as they will contain various vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Whole foods contain the whole package of what a man’s body needs to get and keep in top fitness condition.
6. Doing the same workout routine over and over
Sometimes having a regular, reliable workout routine just feels right. But the last thing a man wants to do is get stuck in an exercise rut. When the same routine is performed each and every time, the body gets used to it and suddenly any fitness gains are just not happening. A common exercise routine some men habitually do is moderate aerobic activity such as walking or jogging at the same steady pace at each workout. Aerobic exercise is obviously good but if it’s the only exercise a man does then it’s time for more variety. To gain additional fitness benefits, there needs to be various intensity levels including high intensity interval training. This will break up the routine busting through any monotonous workout.
7. Relying on oneself instead of a fitness professional
You know how men would rather drive around for hours finding a location they are headed to instead of asking for directions? The same can be true on developing a workout routine. Many men assume they already know what to do to get in shape. But if they would start from the beginning working with a professional trainer, this can get them quicker results without wasting time in listening to wrong advice and not getting the outcomes they want. Also a good trainer will perform a functional assessment to identify areas of weakness or limitations determining what exercise program he needs to achieve the best fitness results from losing weight to getting more fit.