These 4 innocent mistakes that will prevent you from achieving success
If you work hard at the gym but don't see results, it's possible that the culprit could be exercise. Innocent mistakes can stop or even harm the results. Sorry for the alliteration, but here are some tips to help you get leaner and faster.
MISTAKE # 1: YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN YOURSELF A BREAK
Muscles cannot recover and grow without proper rest. Overdoing it doesn't just lead to tremors (or worse, injuries!) For example, it can contribute to your lethargy and irritability, and even to sleep (one theory: muscle soreness). Once a week or more, if you feel weak after a few hard workouts, do a light incline walk (the incline of the treadmill should be below 3 percent), yoga, or a massage cylinder to add circulation to the body and improve the recovery process.
MISTAKE # 2: YOU DON'T GAIN MUSCLE MASS BECAUSE YOU ONLY WORK ON INDIVIDUAL MUSCLES
Swap out exercises that focus on individual muscles (such as biceps swings or leg swings) for more complex ones (such as push-ups, pull-ups, deadlifts, or squats) that allow you to build muscle across multiple muscles and joints at once, doubling the effectiveness of your workout. You burn more calories, build more muscle, and get out of the gym faster-a triple win. And don't be afraid of these cool squat rack exercises - they won't pump you up. Women don't have enough testosterone to look like the Hulk. First steps: Start with a rack with just one fingerboard, then add discs as you progress.
MISTAKE # 3: YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS ARE WORTHLESS IF YOU'RE ON AUTOPILOT
Whether you're thinking about eating dinner while planing (sushi again?), killing time on the elliptical trainer, texting a friend to make weekend plans, or talking more than riding a bike simulator, all of this is fraught with injury. When you're distracted by other things during your workout, you can't focus on maintaining the right pace or keeping in the right shape. Instead, take and direct your thoughts to the various muscles you are working on, and set an intention or mantra that you can focus on (such as "stronger than you think" or "challenge equals change") when the mind starts to wander.
MISTAKE # 4: YOU DON'T SHOW ANY MUSCLE RELIEF BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS GAIN FIVE POUNDS
Doing any type of strength training will help you burn fat, but in order to truly shape your body, you must gradually increase muscle tension by using heavier weights - what professionals call " progressive muscle training." Choose a full-body strength workout and do it three times a week for about six weeks. Increase the intensity every seven days with heavier weights (add a few pounds at a time until you feel very heavy on the last sets) or more reps (if you feel light after eight sets, then do up to 12 reps). At the end of the six weeks (or when you feel that you can do these exercises easily), switch to a new program with different or more complex exercises.