Even though it seems much easier for men to achieve their fitness goals in quicker time than it is for women, men are far from perfect when it comes to performing in the gym. Below is a list of some common errors men make that stop them from reaching their fullest potential in their fitness goals.
1. Trying to do too much
Take your time in the gym. One of the challenges men face in the gym is the pressure to appear tough. You don’t need to prove that you are macho guys. Don’t push yourself too hard or far because that just leaves you burned out and possibly injured. Stay steady with your workouts and work your way up for those long-term results.
2. Cardio overload
Fat burning cardio is the way to, well you know, burn fat. But never neglect the weight room. Building muscle is a great way to burn fat also. You should save the cardio for when you need it. If you do too much cardio at first, then you won’t have the time to add more cardio once you reach your weight loss plateau and need to shatter it. Yes, you need aerobic activity to burn calories, keep your heart healthy and maintain endurance, but you need to set the pace your treadmill workouts at a higher incline with shorter time span if your goal is to build muscle. Just 20 minutes tops is all the time you need unless you are training for a race. If this is the case, you can set your time for longer workouts at a lower incline. Otherwise, keeping your cardio machine at one level all the time actually results in more cortisol production which, as bad as it is, makes weight loss even harder.
3. Lifting too much weight
Some men do the opposite, which is packing too much weight into their strength training routine. Weight training is definitely a case of everything in moderation. Going super heavy is rarely better. Correct posture and form are far more important when it comes to achieving good results. Choose free or bench weights over the machine whenever possible.
4. Not getting assessed
If you are anticipating adding a fitness regimen into your lifestyle, never neglect to take a trip to your physician for evaluation. Likewise, if you’ve had an accident or are limited physically, allow a professional trainer to do a functional assessment. This lets them give you a good training plan and show you the areas you need to improve and what you should avoid due to your range of motion. Skipping this step can leave you doing workouts that do not help you, risking injury.
5. Avoiding compound exercises
If you only train one muscle group at a time, you’re making a great mistake. You should do more compound exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time. These exercises are more efficient and they help to keep the heart rate up, (and with it more calorie burning) than target exercises. Basic compound exercises like squats, bench lifting, dead-lifts, and rows should be part of any workout program.
6. Underestimating nutrition
We all know someone who gives it their all at the gym but ruins everything by not getting enough of wholesome foods the body needs. Another mistake is replacing healthy foods by taking too many supplements, shakes, and powders. They have their place in your regimen, but to get lean you need as many nutritious foods as possible. Whole foods fill you up with their fiber content. Exercise combined with healthy nutrition will help you achieve the results you are looking for.
