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The
Top 10 Bonehead Workout Mistakes
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
“Common
workout mistakes” has always been a very popular topic in fitness
publications. But no matter how many times this subject is re-hashed,
you almost always hear about the same half a dozen or so mistakes, including
poor form, overtraining, going too heavy, not stretching, not warming
up, yadda, yadda yadda. Ironically, you seldom hear about the biggest
mistakes of all. I call these humongous bloopers “bonehead mistakes”
because once you start to analyze and think about them, they’re
really just common sense and they all seem so obvious… except of
course to the person doing it… who is often quite oblivious until
someone else points it out to them... then the light goes on and it's
like... "Doh!"
Before
I begin the countdown, (in no particular order), there’s one more
gripe I have about the treatment this subject has been given in the
past: Most of the attention has been put on the mistakes, but very little
on the solutions. It’s all too easy to point fingers and say, “Don’t
do that” and “Shame on you, dummy” but only 1% of your
time should be spent on problems. 99% should be spent on solutions.
So in that spirit, after I bring each mistake to your attention, I’ll
give you a solution-oriented training tip to help you avoid boneheadedness
and join the elite group who “kick butt” in the gym at every
workout…
Bonehead
workout mistake #1: "Winging it"
“Winging
it” means having no written goals or plans, no training journal
and no way of “keeping score.” It’s when you just show
up at the gym day after day and do whatever strikes your fancy, whatever
machine happens to be available, or whatever you’ve become habitually
accustomed to doing. Winging it is when you don’t know where you
are, where you’re going or how you’re going to get there -
but you start your journey anyway – no compass, no roadmap. It’s
been said that “Action without planning is the biggest cause of
failure,” and I believe that statement is 100% accurate.
Kick
butt workout tip #1: Develop a strategic plan
Successful
people never “wing it,” they always have a plan. Strategic
planning is a never ending process and includes: Assessment (where am
I now?), goal setting (where do I want to go?), creating a plan or strategy
(How will I get where I want to go?), executing the plan (what action
steps must I take daily to reach my goal?), and measuring results (how
will I know if I’m moving towards my goal and how will I know when
I’ve reached it?). Boneheads “wing it.” Butt–kickers
have a master plan and goals for every workout.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #2: Repeating the same workouts… without
progressive overload
In
one respect, repeating the same workouts is important – it’s
called “continuity.” Continuity means that to experience an
adaptive response (more muscle, more strength, less fat and all that
other good stuff), you must a repeat a certain modality or exercise
consistently over a long enough period of time to allow the adaptive
response to occur and to reap the full benefits (rather than changing
exercises at every workout). That type of repetition is good. The bonehead
mistake is when you do the same exercises, same reps, same weight, same
everything, week after week, without ever challenging yourself to do
more than you’ve done before. If your muscles could talk they would
say, “Yawn…. Did that, done that, been there… we’re
just going to stay exactly the way we are… no need to get bigger
or stronger today.”
Kick
butt workout tip #2: Strive to beat your previous workouts
Muscle
growth and strength increases occur when you place demands on your body
above and beyond what it has experienced in the past. Your body responds
to this progressive overload by getting stronger in order to handle
this type of demand in the future. Your objective at almost every workout
is to set goals to beat what you did during the previous one. If you
can’t add more weight, it could be as simple as one more rep with
the same weight or the same sets/reps/weight in less time. It could
also mean one more minute of cardio, one level higher on a stairclimber,
or half a percent steeper incline on the treadmill. Continuous and never-ending
improvement is the name of the game.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #3: Starving yourself
A calorie
deficit is the only way to lose body fat. However, the caloric deficit
must be kept small. When calories are cut too much, or held too low
for too long, your body thinks you are starving and sets into motion
a series of metabolic and hormonal events, which ultimately result in
muscle loss, slow metabolism and plateaus. Your body is like a power
plant or furnace and when you don’t feed the fire, your metabolic
flame dwindles to a flicker, producing less heat and less energy. That’s
why not eating enough is one of the biggest mistakes of all.
Kick
butt workout tip #3: Eat more, burn more
Did
it ever occur to you that if you exercise more you can eat more and
that this is a more effective fat loss strategy than eating less and
exercising less? To lose body fat, you must create a calorie deficit.
A deficit can be created by exercising more, eating less, or ideally,
with a combination of both. The best combination of all is a small decrease
in calories accompanied by a large increase in activity. Think about
it: Decreasing calories slows your metabolism. Increasing calories increases
your metabolism. Exercise increases your metabolism.
Therefore,
eat more, exercise more = double increase in metabolism. Eat less, don’t
exercise = double decrease in metabolism. This is the entire premise
of my Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle System and that’s why the program
is so powerful and has helped tens of thousands of people lose fat without
depriving themselves. Yes, starving is for boneheads.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #4: Skipping scheduled workouts
A great
body doesn’t happen overnight. Successful body transformation is
the cumulative result of dozens or even hundreds of successful workouts.
Each workout brings you one small step closer to your goal. Each workout
missed takes you one small step backwards. Most people underestimate
the cumulative effect of each small step. They figure that “It
just doesn’t matter… it’s only one workout.” If
you don’t think that one little workout matters, then think about
the humble termite; they’re such itty bitty little creatures and
they take such itty bitty little bites, yet when enough little bites
are taken, an entire building can come crumbling down.
Kick
butt workout tip #4: Be disciplined and consistent
Not
only do you slip backwards physically when you skip even one scheduled
workout, perhaps more devastating is the effect on your mind and character.
Every time you successfully complete a scheduled workout, you build
your discipline and self esteem. When your self esteem increases, it
makes you feel good and that stimulates a positive self-reinforcing
cycle of even more discipline, confidence and action. Everything you
do helps or hurts. Every workout counts. Treat your word as law. When
you say you’re going to work out... WORK OUT!
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #5: Focusing on strengths, favorite exercises
and favorite body parts, neglecting weaknesses
Most
people have a favorite body part or exercise. But playing favorites
in your training can lead to big problems. An unbalanced, asymmetrical
physique is one of them, but having a great upper body with toothpick
legs is the least of your worries. Strengthening and stretching some
muscle groups but not others is a great way to cause poor posture, muscular
imbalance, dysfunction, strains, pulls, tears or ruptures.
Kick
butt workout tip #5: Train for functional balance and aesthetic balance
Non-boneheads
train every muscle group for symmetrical, visually pleasing development.
However, “balance” is more than cosmetic. Everyone –
athletes, bodybuilders, and recreational exercisers – must also
train for functional balance to prevent injury and maintain optimal
function and range of movement in every joint and muscle group. Every
plane of movement and angle of movement must be trained. Flexors must
be balanced with extensors. Front to back movements must be balanced
with rotational and side to side movements. Prime movers, antagonists
and stabilizers must all be strengthened. Always stretch, strengthen
and build to the point of total body balance.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #6: Using mostly machines and single joint/isolation
exercises
So
you joined the gym and you hit “the circuit”… you know,
that section in the gym with all those fancy, chrome-plated, “technologically
advanced” weight stack-pulley, hydraulic or computerized machines
all lined up in neat rows… far, far away from the barbells and
squat racks (which you never touch), and which is designed to give you
an “easy, safe, injury-free, effective full-body workout.”
The machines may be easy, but most machines aren’t as safe or effective
as they’re made out to be.
Kick
butt workout tip #6: Use mostly free weights and compound, multi joint
exercises
For
lower body, squat and lunge variations are tops. For upper body, barbell
and dumbbell presses, chin ups and rows are king. These and similar
“BIG” exercises stimulate more muscle fiber, stir up more
fat burning and muscle building hormones, and have more carry-over to
real world and sporting activities than machines. Although weight stack
machines are safe with respect to the fact that you can’t drop
a barbell on your head, they’re ultimately NOT as safe as free
weights because they don’t develop the stabilizing muscles and
functional strength that protect you from injury. A few machines and
isolation exercises mixed into a balancedr program is fine, especially
if you have bodybuilding goals, but focusing on compound and free weight
exercises gives you far more bang for your buck than any machine ever
created.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #7: No mental preparation
This
mistake goes hand in hand with mistake number one (winging it). You
see, preparation is more than setting goals, writing out plans, and
scheduling workouts. Preparation is also mental, yet most people haven’t
the slightest idea just how powerful the mind is or how to harness its
power. Psychologists and “brain scientists” have proven beyond
a shadow of a doubt that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference
between an experience that is real and one that is imagined. Failure
to take advantage of this discovery is a mistake of enormous magnitude.
Kick
butt workout tip #7: Use visualization and mental rehearsal daily
Arnold
Schwarzenneger, Jack Nicklaus, Andre Agassi and countless other sports
legends have written and spoken extensively about their regular use
of mental imagery. Those who succeeded, but claimed not to use such
techniques as “visualization” were surely using it unconsciously
or in a non-formalized manner. I would suggest you consciously and deliberately
use this technique in the following manner: Twice a day, once in the
morning and once at night, get relaxed, close your eyes and form mental
images of yourself having the body you’ve always wanted, completing
perfect workouts with motivation and enthusiasm and reaching all your
goals. These images will penetrate your subconscious mind and literally
program your brain to activate your body for total success.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #8: Not eating immediately after training
Not
eating anything after your workout (or waiting 2-3 hours to eat), because
(a) you don’t feel like eating, (b) you don’t have anything
to eat with you, (c) you heard that you get leaner if you don’t
eat after your workout… is one of the most boneheaded things you
can ever do!
Kick
butt workout tip #8: Eat protein AND carbs (not just carbs) immediately
after your workout
Much
research has been done on the topic of post workout nutrition in recent
years and the scientific literature is almost unanimous in its findings:
At one time carbohydrates were emphasized after a workout. Other people
insisted that protein is more important. The truth is, the optimal post
workout meal includes quickly digesting protein and carbohydrates and
is consumed immediately after training during the period known as the
“post-workout window of opportunity.” Although the ideal amount
and type of protein and carbs is still debated, the studies have shown
that proper post workout nutrition increases protein synthesis, suppresses
cortisol, replenishes glycogen, and enhances recovery.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #9: Comparing yourself to others
Always
trying to one-up the next guy is bonehead behavior. Comparing yourself
to others is a great way to lower your self esteem and stay perpetually
frustrated, unhappy and dissatisfied!
Kick
butt workout tip #9: Compare yourself to nobody but yourself
Legendary
UCLA basketball coach John Wooden always advised his players, “Never
try to be better than someone else; but never cease trying to be the
best you can be. That is under your control. The other isn’t.”
So why not focus on competing with yourself? Compare yourself to yourself.
Improve yourself. Work on progress and forward movement. Become better
than you used to be. Ultimately, competitive sports are most valuable
to the degree you use them to better yourself, not to beat others.
-
- - - -
Bonehead workout mistake #10: Making excuses
Many
people, when they don’t get the result they want, or when things
don’t go the way they expect, insist it’s not their fault.
When they don’t lose any body fat, it’s their genetics or
"The diet just doesn’t work!” When they fall off the
wagon, it’s their friends and family’s fault – “They
just don’t support me… they even tempt me with junk food and
eat in front of me.” When they miss workouts, it’s their boss’s
fault – “I just don’t have time with so much work being
piled on me at the office.” No matter what the situation, the boneheads
never even consider that the problem is staring right back at them in
the mirror – someone or something outside of them is always responsible.
Kick
butt workout tip #10: Accept total, 100% responsibility for all your
results – good or bad
When
you win, you don’t attribute it to luck or give someone else the
credit for it. You proudly say, “I created it… I did it…
that was me!” However, if you want to take the credit for your
wins, you must also take credit for your losses and say, “Yep,
I created it… I did it… that was me!” Boneheads want
to take credit for their successes but not accept responsibility for
their failures. Ultimately, that turns them into nothing but big losers.
Winners and successful people became successful because they learned
three magic words: I AM RESPONSIBLE. Once you claim responsibility for
every result in your life – the good and the bad - the feeling
of empowerment and liberation that comes over you is beyond description.
For the first time in your life, you realize that YOU are in control.
From that moment on – and not a second sooner – you become
the creator of circumstance rather than a victim of it.
- -
- - -
Well,
that’s all ten of em'. Let me wrap up with what is perhaps the
biggest mistake of all, and that is: Not learning from your mistakes.
Mistakes are okay. The only people who don’t make any are the timid,
wimpy people who don’t even attempt anything. If you realize you’ve
been making a lot of these mistakes, don’t beat yourself up. As
long as you learn from them and then stop making them, you’re off
the hook! But if you keep repeating these mistakes over and over again,
then it’s official: You’re a bonehead!
If
you enjoyed this article and you're interested in learning how to quickly
and easily lose fat permanently - without drugs, supplements or fad
diets - AND without making any bonehead mistakes - click here to visit
Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle
About
the Author:
|
Tom Venuto
is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal
trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist
(CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written hundreds of
articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN,
Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development,
Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on hundreds
of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's Fat Loss program,
click
here.
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