3 Common Work-Out Mistakes

Written by Libby Norris

Are you getting the results you want from your workouts? If you're frustrated or feel that your results don't match your efforts, it may be time to check your program for some common mistakes.

Avoid plateaus and improve the efficiency of your workout by fine-tuning your fitness program in the following areas that can often spoil your best intentions and efforts.

Skipping the warm up. Although warming up may appear to be the easiest part of your workout, it is extremely important to both the safety and the effectiveness of your fitness program.

Warming up prepares the body for the demands ahead. It gradually raises body temperature, blood flow and metabolic rate. Warming up also helps to promote flexibility of the joints and muscles, which can provide you with a greater range of motion and comfort for any activity. In addition to the physical benefits, the warm up provides the opportunity to mentally prepare for your workout.₁

A warm up should include the muscles and the movements that will be used in the workout. One of the easiest ways to approach your warm up is to simply start your activity at a slower and more controlled pace. For example, you could do a brisk walk before jogging, do some light kicking before playing soccer or do arm circles before swimming.

A warm up should also reflect the intensity of your workout. A more intense workout requires a longer and more gradual warm up. If you're going for a power walk you could walk slower for about 5 minutes first and then gradually increase your speed. If you were playing a competitive game of basketball, however, you may want to extend your warm up to 15 minutes or more and include light cardiovascular activity, range of motion exercises along with some practice with jumping, passing and shooting.

Skipping the warm up may save time, but it can rob you of these important physical and mental preparations that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your workout.

Too much rest between sets. Rest periods can be a controversial topic in fitness. Standard guidelines recommend 30-120 second of rest between sets of exercises, depending on intensity.₂ It can be challenging to keep track of rest time and also very easy to get distracted in a conversation or another focus. When you rest too long, you lose the benefits of challenging your thresholds of intensity with resistance or cardiovascular training.

It is also important to remember that the 30-120 second guideline applies if you are repeating the same exercise or muscle group. If you do a circuit of exercises where you change or alternate the muscle groups used, you can quickly move from one exercise to the next. This approach reduces rest time and can increase both the intensity and the efficiency of your workout.₃

Poor posture. Maintaining a proper posture and alignment is critical to both the safety and effectiveness of your fitness program. Good posture is essential for optimal biomechanics for the best possible muscle performance. Poor posture during any activity can contribute to muscle imbalance and also increases the amount of strain placed on the back and joints.₄

It can be very easy to fall into poor posture habits throughout the day. If you don't take the time to be aware, you can end up taking that bad posture in to your workout. I like to use the following analogy for the impact of posture: it's like putting a really good suit on a bent wire hanger. Like that suit, your muscles won't end up looking or working as good as they should.

Although these are three very common workout mistakes, they are easy to avoid. Awareness and planning are the keys to success.

Reminding yourself of the benefits of the warm up can help to avoid the temptation to skip it when you're bored or trying to save time. During the warm up, you then have the time to specifically plan your exercises and rest times. It is also the ideal time to check your posture and make any corrections necessary before starting in to your workout. By taking this time and focus in your warm up, you can increase your efficiency and your results.

1. Evidence-informed physical activity guidelines for Canadian adults1; Darren E.R. Warburton, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Ryan E. Rhodes, and Roy J. Shephard
2. The Complete Book About Personal Training, Douglas Brooks; Champaign, Ill. : Leeds : Human Kinetics, 2004
3. The Complete Book About Personal Training, Douglas Brooks; Champaign, Ill. : Leeds : Human Kinetics, 2004
4. ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer; American College of Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine