A lot more care should be shown in the gym especially when executing complex exercises. Too many times, beginners get exercise techniques wrong and this can lead to serious gym injuries. If you’re a novice in the gym and want to avoid exercise mistakes, this article will help you prevent avoidable injuries.
First, congratulations are in order. I’m really glad you‘re hitting the gym week in, week out, and getting in shape. It takes guts, determination, and confidence to keep going to the gym. For that, you deserve some appreciation. Just so you don’t get carried away by the applause, let me remind you that gym injuries are really terrible. To be honest, getting injured when exercising is not something you want to experience.
Athletes, beginners and professionals alike, are very afraid of injuries. Getting injured has nothing to do with being less fit. Anyone in the best fitness spell of their lives can still be suddenly side-lined by unforeseen pain. Why does it happen; it’s because sometimes we don’t execute specific exercises the way we should. And when that happens, it could cause a strain in our muscles, a shift in our joints, or the breaking of bones.
Have you recently been injured? Are you currently nursing the injury from home? I’m sorry about that, but it’s an opportunity. Rather than sitting at home getting depressed about how much gym action you’re missing, this is the time for you to analyze why the injury occurred in the first place. This way, you can ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
8 Common Exercise Mistakes Men Make at the Gym
In order to avoid gym injuries, we first have to understand what causes them. The following are 8 common things physically fit men like you do wrong at the gym. Don’t read with a grudge; it may be what caused your sudden predicament.
1. Doing Dumbbell Curls Wrong
Lifting weights is all fun and exciting unless you’re doing it all wrong. Dumbbell curls or bicep curls are one of the exercises that many men get wrong at the gym. Most times, men walk into a gym, grab some heavy dumbbells and start lifting without any technique whatsoever. This is the wrongest approach to lifting weights; in fact, this could cause improper weight gain, leaving parts of your arm more developed than others.
The proper way to do dumbbell curls is to keep the upper part of your arm tight while slowly lifting the lower leg. When lifting dumbbells, you should never rotate your elbow all the way up. This is what many men do and it’s wrong. During bicep curls, your dumbbells should never exceed the height of your elbows.
2. Overtraining
You’re probably wondering, “Is overtraining a thing?” It definitely is and certainly an exercise mistakes. You should only hit the gym once a week, not twice or three times. Why, because your muscle groups only need to be exercised once a week, or else they’ll tear and this could cause serious injuries.
That doesn’t stop you from exercising. Hitting the gym once a week is a recommendation for gym exercises, you can still exercise at home without equipment. At the end of the day, you should only visit the gym once a week.
3. Not Ingesting Enough Protein After A Workout
Another common mistake many men commit at the gym is not ingesting enough protein after a workout session. You see, when you exercise, more specifically lifting weights, you’re damaging your muscle fibers, i.e. breaking them down. What these muscles need to rebuild back up bigger and stronger (and sexier) is sufficient protein intake.
Protein is made up of varieties of a compound called amino acids. Your body needs amino acids because they are the building blocks of protein. So, whenever you finish a gym session, you should immediately fill your body with enough protein. I recommend that you buy protein supplements for this purpose. Why, because supplements are easily absorbable by the body and digest fast.
4. Improper Pushups
Feeling a muscle pull along your upper body may be a result of improper pushups. A lot of guys don’t align their bodies properly when doing pushups. While doing pushups, you need to keep your body nice and flat. Swaying your body when doing pushups can cause serious injuries to your upper body muscles.
There are various techniques for pushups, but the general principle is to have your hands shoulder-width apart from your body and aligned—your buttocks down nice and tight. Another technique is to kneel, lock your feet behind you and then do your pushups. You’ll realize that your upper body is aligned all through the exercise.
5. Not Doing Cardio
There is a big misconception about the effect of cardio on the muscles. Most men skip fasted cardio because they feel it’ll shed off all the muscle mass they’ve built. Not true. You see, fasted cardio is needed because it’s an exercise done when your body isn’t processing or digesting food, that is before you eat anything.
Why do you need fasted cardio? You need it because it’s very effective in burning fat. In fact, studies have shown that fasted cardio can help burn 20% more fat than when exercising with food in the stomach. Remember, if you want to build muscles and keep fit; you need cardio.
6. Not Working your Lower Body
Chicken legs? This is the most noticeable exercise mistakes of all. You don’t want to end up looking like Johnny Bravo, do you? Certainly not! Then why aren’t you exercising your lower body? In order to achieve an aesthetically balanced physique, you need to work out your legs as much as you do your upper body. Don’t do this and you risk looking deformed.
Having big arms, a big chest, and tiny legs are not so attractive.
7. Lift Too Heavy (You Can’t Handle The Weight! Get It?)
If you’re lifting heavier weights to impress women or keep up with the machos at the gym, then you’re doing it all wrong. This is by far one of the biggest exercise mistakes you can make. You should only lift heavier weights when your muscles can take them. You don’t need to worry about anyone else in the gym; all that should matter is you and your workout.
Only lift heavier weights when your body can take them.
8. Not Doing Body Weight Dips
Bodyweight dips are simple upper-body pressing exercises that strengthen your shoulders, chest, and triceps. It is executed by leaning forward in an upright position on a dip station. To execute bodyweight dips perfectly, hold the handles of a dip station and lift yourself until your body is straight up and down; arms must be locked out.
Bodyweight dips are the best exercises for the shoulders, chest, and triceps. Want well-rounded shoulders and chests; get on some bodyweight dip exercises.
For our previous Health and Lifestyle article, click here.
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