14 DAY TRIAL // Sometimes, as we’re intently concentrating on getting in shape and on completing a round of challenging exercises, we might find ourselves making minor mistakes that can upset the results we expect from the routine in question. Because of this and on account of the fact that we have little spare time as it is, the girls over at FitSugar have come up with a simple and short list of mistakes we must avoid to have 100 percent guaranteed results with our workout routine.
To kick-start things, we should know that running is not the only form of cardio available to us, FitSugar says. Granted, running does wonders in terms of getting the heart rhythm up, burning calories and toning the muscles particularly on the legs and posterior, but to avoid boredom, we might also consider a bit of variety as well. Swimming, biking, hiking, jumping rope, and cardio classes are all good combinations for an efficient and engaging workout.
Skipping the warm-up part or passing on stretching exercises are yet two more of the common mistakes we make during our daily workouts. Warming up is vital for any type of workout, no matter how more or less challenging they may be, experts say. “Your body literally needs to warm up so that blood flow increases, the nervous system wakes up, and the body starts to use energy and oxygen more efficiently.” researchers recently concluded, as quoted by the aforementioned fitness and health e-zine. Stretching is also important, because it increases flexibility and helps the muscle become stronger, which translates into less post-workout pain for us.
Using weights that are too light is again recommended against. “If you can rush through your reps and not feel tired by the end of your last set, then you need to choose a heavier weight. In order to build muscle tone, the muscle fibers need to be stressed. Likewise, if your weights are too heavy, you’ll have improper form and will rely on momentum to do reps instead of utilizing your muscles. You’ll know you have the perfect amount of weight when your muscles feel fatigued by 10 or 12 reps.” FitSugar explains.
Variety is also extremely important. What this actually means is that, the moment we notice that our daily routine is getting too easy and we could almost do it without blinking or breaking a sweat, we should change it. Varied exercises, preferably that work the different muscle groups, are ideal in this case: if you’re working the upper body today (arms and back), focus on the middle area tomorrow and the lower body the day after, experts advise.
The last most common mistake in terms of shaping up is, FitSugar adds, believing that crunches are sufficient to get a six-pack or a toned tummy. “Doing ab work will definitely tone your muscles, but it won’t get rid of the layer of fat that’s covering them. You can’t rely solely on target strength training to fix problems areas. You need to do calorie-burning cardio to reduce your overall body fat percentage. This is the best way to reduce the extra padding around your waist, thighs, and [posterior].” FitSugar concludes by saying.