11 Things to Avoid when Working Out
First and foremost, working out requires a lot of mental and physical exertion. Indeed, the thought of knowing that you will be involved in a vigorous activity like grabbing cold iron and then lifting it until you are tired can be refreshing for some while stressful for others. However, lack of knowledge and stress can result in loss instead of gain. Therefore, unless you equip yourself with some important knowledge and principles you will not have a successful workout. So, to help you succeed, what follows are things to avoid when working out or after a workout.
What you need to know prior to a workout
First, it is necessary to know that working out is a serious endeavor. So, before starting any exercise or workout program it is good to consult your doctor. Indeed, the doctor will advise you on what to do in case you have any underlying health conditions. Also, the doctor helps you identify possible health risks and provide appropriate advice.
Furthermore, it is important for anyone, coaching you, to know about any drugs that you might be taking. And, assuming this is the case, to then direct you to the appropriate professional, who would then be able to recognize if the workout regime is good for you. Also, in addition to all these, there are some things you are supposed to avoid when working out.
So, listed below are eleven things to avoid.
Things you should not do when working out
Not warming Up or stretching
First, one of the things to avoid when working out is not warming up or stretching. In fact, it is important for you to stretch or warm up your body before a workout. Also, one of the things to avoid after a workout is not stretching. So, get somebody to tell you the best way to correctly stretch and warm-up. By doing so, you prepare your body for an intense and vigorous workout session.
Overdoing
Next, one of the things to avoid when working out is overdoing your workouts. In fact, your body requires time to build or create its own strength. For example, you may begin with amazing energy and maybe work out for 40 minutes or more. But unfortunately, you may not be able to work out the following day. Therefore, it is advised that you begin slowly and increase your workouts moderately as time goes by. For example, increase your weights and workout time by ten percent each week.
Also, another mistake is to lift excessive weights. Incidentally, your back is a perfect indicator for lifting excessive weights. So, in case your back hurts, you have to start with lower weights and increase weights gradually.
Completing non-aerobic workouts too quickly
Don't complete non-aerobic workouts too quickly. In fact, start slow and increase momentum gradually. This is important because it will allow your body to slowly adapt to the pace. This is especially true for workouts to build muscles.
Likewise, take a rest of around 1.5-2 minutes between sets to allow your body to adjust.
Dehydrating
By the way, one of the things to avoid after a workout is not drinking water. Water is important when working out because your body needs water. So, have a bottle of water with you and take sips regularly. However, avoid cutting edge sports drinks. Also, adding a touch of salt in the water and eating a banana before the workout will work best.
Don't waste time
Next, the gym is a place for working out. It is not really a place for gossiping or having long conversations. Regrettably, if you persist, you won't get a good workout. In fact, you will rest far too long between sets and your body will have started to cool down. So, your workouts will suffer. Which is not the most ideal way to get a strong, vigorous workout.
Don't use too many machines
Doing bodyweight workouts or working out with free weights is more effective than working out on a machine. Free weights will make you strain more than a machine and this makes you exercise better.
Make sure you do not neglect any body part
The best and most effective workouts don’t focus on specific body parts or muscle groups. You may have days that you neglect specific body parts, but make sure you don’t avoid them completely. When you focus on specific muscle groups there is a likelihood that your body does not get a balanced workout.
Don't choose dumbbells over barbells
Try not to pick dumbbells over barbells, especially if you are new or even an accomplished weightlifter and especially if strength and muscle growth is your objective. The extra interruption of attempting to adjust and settle the weights can cause a critical reduction in the general absolute poundage that the individual can lift. This will bring about reduced muscle and strength growth.
An important guideline to follow is this: in case you lift more weight with a barbell than you can with dumbbells independently, go for barbells.
Don’t avoid heavy weights
Try not to avoid heavy weights. It is imperative to keep your joints bent through the whole range of movement, particularly when performing low rep, heavy weights sets. In fact, flexing your joints protects you from the likely risks of relaxed muscles. Here is the problem with loosening up your muscles during a set: if the muscle is loosened up it isn't supporting weight, but instead the weight is being supported by non-contractile tissue, such as tendons and bones in the joints, which can cause injuries.
Don't wait too long to ingest post-workout nutrients
By the way, one of the things to avoid after a workout is not eating nourishing foods. In fact, you will waste an incredible opportunity to increase muscle mass through Advanced Anabolic Recovery if you wait longer than 30 to 45 minutes following a workout to consume carbohydrates. So, make sure you eat carbohydrates like home made bread (possibly with peanut butter), and quality proteins.
Incidentally, instead of eating solid foods, the post-exercise foods ought to be a drink (using a blender for example) comprising of proteins and starches (both basic and complex). By the way, there are many studies that point to positive anabolic effects characterized by increase in muscle mass and increase protein amalgamation.
Never, never, never experiment with steroids
In addition to the fact that steroids are important, their effects are terrible and enduring, if not perpetual. Also, the use of supplements is simply useless at this phase of your development. In fact, the right exercise routines and a healthy diet is all you need to manage your weight and build muscles.
Finally
Since you have your home gym set up, you are ready to do your workouts. Incidentally, you should set a goal for the amount of weight loss that works best for you. Then, if you properly follow your coach's advice, there is a high probability of you achieving your weight loss goal. However, remember to be cautious when working out since accidents that injure you are likely to occur. And these accidents can be an obstruction to achieving your fitness goals.