More Silly Fitness Mistakes I’ve Made Over The Years
Two Things Are Infinite: The Universe And Human Stupidity; And I’m Not Sure About The Universe. – Einstein
Albert was on to something. My first seven fitness blunders were pretty good but here’s six more ways I was able to flub things up in the gym…
| No Goals – I always wanted to ‘Get Big’ in high school but my senior year rolled by and I wasn’t where I wanted to be with my muscle size. I loved lifting weights but I never had any specific strength targets or size measurements. The funny thing is when I finally listed my goals I realized I never actually cared to have huge muscles I just wanted to be lean and strong. Once I saw the exact things I was aiming for I was able to tailor my program and watch my progress finally take off. |  |
Sticking with the Same Stuff - After 3-4 weeks of the same stuff our bodies become adapted and need different stimuli and higher intensities. I see some people in the gym doing the same exercises, same weight, and same intensity month in, month out. My big fitness breakthrough came after I read the book Core Performance. I was a bit skeptical since it required using high reps with a physioball and silly one legged movements. But they turned out not to be silly at all. By the end of the program I felt incredible and my strength and agility had increased exponentially. By doing the things we avoid or that our bodies aren’t expecting we end up spurring the greatest gains.
Always Lifting Hardcore – In the football off-season it was always Balls to the Wall | going to muscle failure type lifting. My partner would end up helping me with the last half of the set for bench presses. Luckily I was as a teenager so my body easily bounced back fairly easily from the punishment. It’s great to be focused and keep the intensity high but definitely not by going to failure on every set. Some days it’s better to go with your mood if your body is dragging and craving a slower lighter workout. You’ll feel refreshed and smart for listening instead of being burnt out and upset you couldn’t put up heavier weights.
No Cardiovascular / Metabolic Activity – I’m not a fan of the word ‘Cardio’. It reminds me of zombies on treadmills. But it is important to get your heart rate beating in the high ranges. This came naturally for me by playing sports in high school but I started to fall off the wagon when college came around. I had a Metabolism Theory that I could focus solely on gaining muscle since every pound gained burns an extra 30 calories a day. So eventually after gaining fifteen pounds of muscle I would be burning an extra pound of fat a week. It’s nice in theory but there are a lot more variables and I was probably just trying to rationalize my way out of running. You don’t have a be a gerbil on a wheel but it’s still necessary to get that heart beat going whether it be by sprinting, rowing, step milling or even hard n’ fast weight training with little rest.
No Workout Music – A quiet atmosphere doesn’t really promote the best energy levels. I’m also sure that listening to Miley Cyrus on the gym speakers can’t be helpful when you’re trying to pickup the heavy stuff. Unless your goal is to date Miley Cyrus. Once I press play on my iPod shuffle I get a laser like focus and signal my brain to get ready for some intense weight lifting. It helps to create a positive association with my routine and I know I am able to pump out two or three extra reps with my workout tunes. A forty dollar iPod Shuffle is an incredible investment if it’s adding 10-20% to your fitness progress.
Not Properly Rehabbing Injuries – I tried rugby for two weeks which was fun until a guy from the jerk store ran into my shoulder as hard as he could while I was sitting on the ground. I didn’t move backwards but my shoulder did and then my arm went numb. I told myself it was probably just a stinger and to not to be such a weiner about it. About a week later I realized I couldn’t even curl ten pounds. I still waited another week to get it checked out and when I finally got on a rehab program I was so upset about the whole situation I didn’t care to do the exercises. It took forever to get back to my original strength. I also rolled my ankle outward while running and tweaked my ulnar nerve while lifting. When I tried returning too soon to physical activity I got re-injured real quickly.
I learned that illness and injury are signs that you might be doing it wrong or even going down an entirely misguided fitness path for yourself. When smaller setbacks occur take the week to focus on your diet or other important fitness aspects. When the really nasty injuries occur you have to accept it happened and start fixing it pronto. Getting frustrated or having self pity both end up going nowhere slow. You need to take responsibility for whatever happens and be proactive, not reactive, about the situation especially when it comes to your health and fitness.