Common MISTAKES when working out...

At BodyVisions, being Personal Trainers & Nutrition Coaches, DJ & I witness disciplined people dedicated to working out most every day. Several times during any given week DJ & I will workout at another facility so we get to see a wide range of 'fitness enthusiasts' plugging along to achieve transformation results. Secretly, we both wish we could pull most of them aside and tell them what they're doing wrong, and how little changes in their routine could catapult them to the next level of amazing results, but we don't, unless of course we're asked.  At BodyVisions, we review and make necessary changes to all our clients workout routines to ensure they remain on transformation track.  Routines should be changed every 8-10 weeks depending on the fitness goal as well as transformation progress, or lack of.

So, let's start with the five most common mistakes when working out:

1. Doing the same cardio routine everyday

In the gym, we see the same people on the same cardio machines each and every day. Not only that, they also stay on the very same levels of those machines!  Once your body, both your cardiovascular system and your muscles, get used to a certain exercise and become quite adept at it, the benefits diminish because your body doesn't have to work as hard to complete the workout. Thus, the amount of calories burned also declines. You need to vary your workouts, the machines and the levels. To burn even more calories, implementing caffeine or a thermogenic to your pre-cardio workout could further boost your metabolism by a staggering percentage.

2. Not incorporating weights or strength training

I cannot tell you how many times we've tried to convince people that lifting weights will allow them to LOSE WEIGHT more rapidly than cardio workouts. They just cannot seem to grasp that concept!  Grrrrowl!  To them, if they're not profusely sweating after jogging on the treadmill, it wasn't a worthwhile exercise excursion. However, weight training not only does a much better job in revving your metabolism, but it also keeps it stoked for a lot longer. Why? Because, your body burns more calories trying to maintain MUSCLE. So, if weight loss is your goal, strength training should absolutely be included in your workout. The absolute perfect scenario is, of course, doing BOTH.

3. Staying at the same level of exertion throughout your workout

Remember, your body needs to be challenged - it needs to work hard to gain the maximum benefits of losing weight and toning. Intermittent bursts is the optimal way to accomplish this. For example, let's say you begin on level 3 on a cardio machine and stay at that level for 2-3 minutes. After that increase the level to 4 for one minute, then raise it to 5 for one minute and so on. Eventually, you will get to a level where you can barely do 20 to 30 seconds. When this happens, go back down to level 3 and begin the process again. Because of these bursts, you will only need 20 to 30 minutes of cardio for an excellent calorie burning workout.

4. Being inefficient in your weight training

Here again, we witness people not challenging their muscles whatsoever - using weights that are too light and not performing enough reps or sets. You should be using a weight where, on the 12th rep for example, is difficult to complete without compromising form. If you can easily fly through 12 to 15 reps, the weight is too light - move on to the next heaviest. Additionally, to fully tax your targeted muscles, you need to complete 3-4 sets - depending on whether you are pyramiding up or down within a 10-15 reps range.  Roughly 30-60 second rest between sets.  With the exception of an intense heavy leg workout where a longer rest period may be necessary.

5. Not working your entire body

Upper body strength and endurance without lower body strength endurance will lead to your body being imbalanced. When getting your body fit, you need to work your heart (cardio), your upper and lower body strength (weights) and your core (abs and back). In doing this, you will not only get the balance your body needs, but will also have a lot less injuries.  We've all seen many fitness enthusiasts/bodybuilders that have an incredible amount of mass or leanness in their upper body and then taper down to what we call 'chicken legs'. Having a symmetrical/balanced physique should be an aesthetic goal regardless if you're a competitor or not.  

Getting fit, building lean muscle and losing weight is all about consistency, variation, and challenge using the 4 key components:

DIET

WEIGHT TRAINING

CARDIO

SUPPLEMENTATION

When you have all those key components 'dialed in' you set yourself up for success at whatever personal fitness goal you choose!