6 mistakes to fix in your workouts (and to improve your results) in 2020 especially if weight loss is your goal

1) Working Out With Machines

Fancy machines may make the gym look high-end, but the problem is this: Machines can alter the way your body naturally moves and restrict your range of motion. This severely limits your ability to fully activate all of your muscles fibres which means less total calories and fat burning, less rate of muscle definition, less functional movement and so on. If not used and adjusted properly, machines can also cause excessive strain on your joints, likely to lead to nagging injuries down the road. If you want the best results, it is important to incorporate exercises that allow your body to move naturally with full range of motion. We generally sit way too much in life and why then go to the gym and sit lots again? We are made to move…

2) Isolated Exercises

Doing isolated exercises like bicep curls and tricep kick-backs generally speaking will not get you significant results. These moves don't stimulate enough muscle fibres to build lean muscle or expend enough energy to maximise your calorie burn. If you want to build lean muscle while burning you are better off to perform compound exercises that stimulate as many muscles and expend as much energy as possible at the same time. Compound exercises are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. For example, a squat is a compound exercise that works the quadriceps, glutes, and calves. You can also do compound exercises that combine two exercises into one move to target even more muscles (for example, a lunge with a bicep curl).

3) Doing Long Sessions of Cardiovascular Activities

It is important to incorporate cardio if you want to lose weight and burn fat...BUT there is a right way and a wrong way to do your cardio workouts. If you have been pounding the pavement on the treadmill for over an hour with nothing to show for it (except sore joints), you already know it takes a lot of effort to get minimal results. Unless you train for an endurance event, don’t bother going this long. Try adding sprinting intervals, any high intensity total body movements, incorporate strength training, mix up your cardio sessions to keep yourself motivated and/or find ways to make it more challenging!

4) Doing Crunches & Sit-Ups To Get 6-Pack Abs

If you want defined abdominal muscles, doing traditional abdominal exercises like crunches and sit-ups alone won’t get you that six pack. Doing any exercises that target your abs won't get you a six pack automatically. The key to getting sculpted abs is to burn off that stubborn layer of belly fat that is hiding them. Have a look at the FFA blog for some great ideas and adjust your nutrition accordingly.

5) Repeating The Same Workouts Over & Over

Repeating the same workouts over and over is the way to reduce progression and getting results you want. We are creatures of habit and we tend to stick to things we are familiar with and good at. But when it comes to your workouts, if you want to keep making progress and keep seeing changes in your body, you have got to start switching things up. Your body has an amazingly ability to adapt quickly - usually within 2-3 weeks - and when it does, that is when you hit the dreaded plateau and you stop making decent progress.

6) Doing Excessively Long Workouts

Longer workouts do not equal better or faster results. In fact Endurance training can keep you fat. If you have been slaving away at the gym and your body isn't visibly changing, you can't do more of the same thing and expect a different result. When it comes to getting lean and fit, your body responds to quality over quantity. If you don’t have much time, then fit in a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session or do a short quality run as it is just as good for your physical and mental well-being.

If you have set your goals for 2020 and need some guidance in what to do, what not do for you individually then please let me know. I can assist with all levels and all aspects, I will provide the correct training programme for you and as always I am here to help you achieve.

Roel