If you can manage to set aside the time you need in the gym, treat it like the precious commodity it is. Don’t waste your time with these top 7 items most people get trapped doing.
1. Too much time in the gym- Cardio exercise should be a portion of your time in the gym, not the bulk of it. It’s meant to compliment your resistance training and a proper nutrition plan.
2) Stop stopping for too long! You know if you’re one of these people. You see a friend walk in the gym who you haven’t seen in a while and suddenly your heart rate is too high and you need to rest “for a little bit.” Don’t stop everytime you have a chance. It’s not going to help you reach your goals.
3) Plan, Plan, Plan. If you walk into the gym with no idea of what you’re going to do, I can promise you there will be a lot of time wasted. Figure out what you’re going to do before you even step foot into the gym.
4) Have a plan B. Unless you have the gym to yourself, there’s a good chance someone is going to be using the piece of equipment you need at some point. Make sure you know another way of working out that particular muscle. That way you can keep your plan in motion and not have to wait around.
5 – Get intense! Push yourself further than you thought you could go. Physical gains don’t happen when you’re barely pushing yourself. You need to be going to failure on almost every exercise. Even if you’re just building strength and have no interest in bulk, you should still work to failure, just at a higher level. Remember, bulk comes between 8 and 10 reps and strength comes when you’re doing between 12 and 15.
6) Form is vital. Doing too many “cheat” reps will kill your time in the gym. Focus on the right form and you’ll benefit greatly from every rep. Each time you do an exercise wrong, that’s one more wasted rep.
7. Not seeking the advice of a professional- If all the top athletes have coaches and professional trainers, don’t you think you could use their advice? Having a trainer will help you to get further along in your training then trying to do it by yourself. He or she will help you to use proper form, technique, rep ranges, tempo, rest intervals and exercise combinations to maximize your results and minimize your frustrations
If you could only relate to 2 or 3 of those items, don’t just brush them aside thinking you’re well beyond this information. Take those 2 or 3 things and concentrate on fixing them. It will give you more time away from the gym and increase the quality of your workouts.