Attention all gym-rats!
Hey, even if it's not your first time at the gym, you might still make some common exercise
mistakes that can run from innocent-enough mishaps, ones that’ll make all your effort
go down the drain, to more dangerous blunders that can seriously harm your body.
So check it out.
1.
If you keep your elbows too close to each other while doing chest presses, you shift
the tension from your chest to the front of your shoulders and triceps.
No wonder your chest doesn't feel any different even after a long workout!
2.
Avoid running on the treadmill while holding onto the handrails: it's not only ineffective,
but it also messes up your posture!
If you have problems with letting go of the rails, it may mean that your speed is too
high.
Take it down a few notches and work your way up at a safe pace!
3.
It's also a bad idea to go above the 8% incline on the treadmill.
Yes, it does make running harder, but at the same time, it puts unnecessary strain on your
ankles, back, and hips.
4.
When doing cable tricep extensions, some people don't lock their elbows.
That's why their lats get engaged, and the exercise ends up being not so effective for
the triceps.
Another mistake you should steer clear of is keeping your body upright.
This way, you don't get a full range of motion!
Try bending a bit forward – it'll help target your biceps.
5.
Using an exercise bike has some tricky points as well, and the main one is bad positioning.
If the pedals are adjusted in the wrong way, it can cause thigh, knee, or hip strain.
When the pedals are at their lowest points, your leg should be stretched and have a very
slight bend in the knee.
Improper handlebar placement can also give you lower back pain.
Keep the handlebar a bit lower than the saddle so that your arms are extended when you’re
holding onto it.
6.
If you notice that your knee touches the ground every time you do a lunge, something has definitely
gone wrong.
It's ok if it happens once or twice, but otherwise, it’ll take all the tension off your legs,
and all your effort will be wasted.
In the worst case, you can hurt your knee!
7.
Doing static stretching (that's when you're holding a challenging position for about 30
seconds) before a workout will get you nowhere.
This exercise slows down your heart rate and reduces muscle soreness.
Static stretching is perfect for AFTER the workout.
As for a pre-training warm-up, do some dynamic stretching, like forward lunges.
8.
The worst things to do during pull-ups are swinging your body to try and gain momentum,
letting your body flail around by not bracing your legs and core, and limiting your range
of motion.
It happens when you don't pull yourself high enough and don't dip your body low enough.
These mistakes make all your effort ineffective.
9.
The most common mistake with skull-crushers, is doing skull-crushers – nah!
It’s swinging the bar up behind the head.
Your elbows and shoulders shouldn’t move, and the bar should stop right above your forehead,
hence the name of the exercise.
If you’re swinging your shoulders or spreading your elbows, it takes the work off the triceps,
defeating the whole purpose.
And don’t curve your back too much – it should remain in its neutral position.
10.
If you do some rowing, avoid putting all the pressure on your arms.
It’ll result in too much stress put on your upper body, which is likely to cause shoulder
and back injuries.
Keep in mind that more than half of your power is supposed to come from pushing against the
foot panel with your legs.
The rest should be divided between your arms and core.
11.
If you go too low while doing dips on parallel bars, you put too much pressure on your shoulders,
and it can lead to muscle damage.
Try not to go lower than when your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
And lean a bit forward so that your chest is further out than your hips.
12.
If you swing back too much while doing lateral pulldowns, you're at risk of getting a back
injury.
Make sure you stand under the bar – this will make it almost impossible for you to
swing.
And don't pull the bar too low – it turns the exercise into an ineffective waste of
time.
Instead, bring the bar down so that it touches your upper chest or just your chin.
And one more thing: don't keep your elbows too close to each other.
13.
When you're doing cable flyes, don't bring your arms too far back.
It can lead to a shoulder injury.
You also shouldn’t keep your elbows locked while doing this exercise.
Otherwise, you'll put all the stress on your elbows and almost none on your chest muscles.
14.
It may sound ridiculous and kinda obvious, but some gym-goers seriously injure themselves
when they jump off the treadmill while it's still in motion.
Wait until it comes to a complete stop, and only then step down on solid ground.
Then you can fall over.
By the way, have you ever witnessed any funny situations at the gym?
Share them in the comments below!
But I’ve got more tips, so let’s keep it rolling!
15.
One of the worst mistakes you can make while doing squats is caving your knees in.
It robs the whole exercise of its effectiveness and doesn't let you gain muscles.
But what's worse, it can lead to a bad knee injury.
Try your best to keep your hips, ankles, and knees immobile, and make sure your legs are
parallel to each other.
16.
Lifting weights is the very exercise you should be extremely careful with because if you do
even the tiniest move incorrectly, you can have big problems with your back.
For example, too many gym-goers bend their spines while doing bent-over barbell rows.
During this exercise, you have to keep your back flat and your shoulders moved a bit back
and down.
17.
Lunges are a perfect and simple way to train your glutes and quads.
And still, a lot of beginners (and not only them) regularly let their front knee cave
in or bend their upper body forward, shifting their weight onto that forward foot.
In the long run, such a technique can lead to a leg injury.
The main thing about this exercise is holding your back straight and keeping your balance.
Also, make sure your "lunging" step isn't too small.
If you put your feet too close together, they’ll form a triangle, and what you need is a square.
18.
At first sight, sit-ups seem like a simple exercise.
But doing them incorrectly can lead to serious problems with your back and neck.
Never push your head forward with too much strength, especially with your hands.
Try not to round your lower back.
Do your best to go slowly, otherwise, you're likely to just rock back and forth.
If you make these mistakes once, they won't do too much harm.
But repeating them regularly will cause permanent damage.
19.
Whatever exercise you do, avoid putting too much pressure on your shoulders.
They can withstand a lot of stress and have a wide range of motion, but they’re not
immune to strain and serious injuries.
20.
And finally, never ever ignore an injury – that's the worst thing you can do to your body.
I know how hard it can be to make yourself skip a workout once you've established a training
routine.
But paying no attention to pain will land you in an ocean of troubles.
You see, if you don't treat your injury, you'll end up with the same problem again, but next
time, it will be way more serious!
Kudos to you for having the motivation and discipline to work out, but be safe out there!
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