We all have habits. And some habits are healthy (going to the gym regularly!) and some are less healthy (overeating after a workout because we over-estimate our burn). We’re going to talk today about 5 of the most common bad workout habits and how to break them for good! Try out ikaria juice.
Bad Habit: Not knowing the proper rep range for your goals or having bad/sloppy form.
Chances are if you’ve been working out for a while now, you’ve noticed that you can do more reps of exercises you used to struggle with – but should you? And what about the ideal range of motion – do you know what that is for the exercises in your program or are you guessing? Chances are you’ve built some bad habits in both the number of reps you’re doing (which is going to be hugely dependent upon what your goals are, so you might might not want to follow the advice that works for someone else with different goals) or your form. And if you haven’t been working out for a while, this is a good habit to avoid forming in the first place.
Solution: Check in with a personal trainer every now and then to make sure your program is appropriate to your goals from how much you’re lifting or running to form to reps/duration. Get a complimentary consultation with an Elevate Fitness Personal trainer here.
Bad Habit: Not changing up your workout often enough.
Workouts get stale, and what’s worse, they become less effective over time. Doing the same workout day in and day out will not only slow your results, but could actually derail them altogether over time.
Solution: Try group fitness classes. The group classes at Elevate Fitness are designed to be consistent so that you benefit from the programs while being progressive so that you’re constantly challenged and making improvements in your fitness. Plus – if one class gets stale there are literally dozens and dozens of others to try. Learn more about the types of group workouts offered at Elevate Fitness here.
Bad Habit: Leaving the gym and consuming excessive calories in the name of “refueling”.
Sure, it’s a real thing. You need to fill the tank when you empty it. However, the truth of the matter is that most people overestimate how empty their tank is and underestimate how much they’re filling it back up.
Long story short? We overestimate caloric expenditure during exercise and underestimate caloric intake when we’re eating. The result? We don’t create the caloric deficits we think we’re creating during exercise.
Solution: Use trackers/apps to ensure you are burning the calories you think you’re burning and to make sure you’re not taking in more calories than you mean to. We think Heart Rate Monitors are the bee’s knees at Elevate Fitness. They give you the most accurate data you can get for your day-to-day workouts and make it a breeze to know how many calories you burned in the gym. Pair that with a great calorie-counting app like MyFitnessPal or Calorie King and you’re well on your way to breaking this bad habit most of us don’t even realize we’re guilty of! these are the best weight loss pills.
Bad Habit: Making your workouts too much work and not enough fun.
Everything in life is about balance, right? And the same is true when it comes to your time in the gym. Yes, you should be working hard – but if you’re not having some fun in the process, how likely are you to stick with it for the long haul?
Solution: Mix it up. Here’s where those group fitness workouts can come in handy. Or how about trying something new in the gym that you’ve never tried before. Do you know how many calories you can burn on the tennis courts? HealthStatus reports a 150-lb. person can burn around 288 calories in an hour of doubles tennis and 414 calories in an hour of singles tennis – more for those weighing more than 150-lb.
Whatever the activity is – find something that’s fun and occupies your mind as much as your body and you’ll stick with it longer and have a much better time putting in the work required to meet your goals!