At some point ,even the best of us have done one or a few of these things. Start improving on these so that you may strive for a better quality of your workouts.
1.Not planning your training ahead of time
Would you walk into a business meeting that could potentially benefit your career without even planning ahead for it? Then why would you walk into the gym without a plan either? Because it’s not as important? Well that’s your first mistake to fix, if you want to achieve the physique you desire then preparing first on how you will achieve it is crucial. One of the most common training mistakes you want to avoid is walking into the gym and not knowing what you will exactly do and have a back up plan in case the gym is so crowded you can’t do the exercises you originally wanted. Countless times I have personally seen people walk into a set, stop it and go to the next machine they were waiting for but couldn’t use because someone else was using it. First have a plan of attack for your entire workout, meaning, on Monday I will do so and so workout to benefit so and so muscle, on Tuesday I will train this and so on. This way your week has a meaning to it and when you walk into the gym you already know exactly what you will be training. Let’s take it to the next level now, as you are driving to the gym or walking there start thinking of the best exercises that will benefit you the most for what you decide to train that day. This will ensure you know exactly what exercises you will do.
2. Spending too much time on stretching and cardio
If your goal is to improve physically your body then spending more time stretching and on cardio will definitely not get you there. Don’t get me wrong, stretching and cardio have without a doubt a place in your routine, but don’t spend more time preparing for your workout than you the actual workout. Beginning any type of physical activity warmed up and ready is crucial without a doubt, in fact even recommended, but a warm-up and stretch session don’t need to surpass more than average 10 minutes. A light cardio session of 10 minutes and 5 minutes of stretching will ensure you are ready to tackle the weight room.
3. Always using the same routine (sets, reps and machines)
It’s simple human nature to want to do something we have already done before. Our brains operate that way. However, for our bodies to change we must put them under new ways of stress. Sometimes these new ways are a bit more uncomfortable than we wish for, but that’s good if you are performing the exercise/movement correctly and not putting your body under any harmful way. Some people start associating the harder exercises like squats and deadlifts as something too hard or unnecessary for their goals and yet truthfully it’s usually the exercises we dislike the most that are the best for us. Furthermore, so many people go to the gym without a strategy and simply do their normal routine over and over again with hopes of something different happening to their physiques. Albert Einstein even said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Start changing a few things about your workouts so that you may challenge your body and get better results. If you don't know how to challenge yourself a great idea is to hire a trainer to teach you new ways of training.
4. Distracted by your phone or friends
Without a doubt I’m guilty of this one myself. Sometimes we carry our thoughts from work, relationships, finances and much more into the gym without even thinking about it. The problem is that instead of truly focusing on what we are supposed to do we start thinking of random thoughts that don’t help our training at all. I’m sure you are guilty of checking your social media while training, I mean some of the best athletes in the world do this all the time. The problem lays that while training one should be trying to create the best muscle mind connection they can so that they can truly focus on what’s going on at the current moment. It’s very easy to get distracted with a comment from a total stranger that may negatively affect your mood and affect your entire workout. Additionally, if you are someone who goes to the same gym over and over, I’m sure at some point you’ll get to know a large percent of the people who go there too and start talking to them. This is another distraction that you must slowly turn off or stop so that you may focus all your energy and thoughts into your training. Start leaving your phone somewhere safe and out of reach so that you can start focusing on your training. If you use your phone as a music player then simply put it in a mode so that you don’t get distracted.
5 .Leaving the "boring" exercises for last
Raise your hand if you are the person who tends to leave abs or calves for last in your workout. I’m sure I see a lot of hands up. Ironic too how it’s one of the most desired muscles to have yet we don’t enjoy spending time training them, as we most should. It’s not technically your fault, our brains operate in such way that if you don’t enjoy something you typically leave it for last or simply avoid it. You want to improve and take your body to the next level so start doing the things you dislike first and get them out of your way. This way you are guaranteed to improve on your weak areas and progress.