Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 4
This is the next in a series of 10 articles based on the American Council on Exercise’s (ACE) article titled “Top 10 Mistakes People Make in the Gym.” Check the “Related Posts” links at the end of this article or use the “Search This Site” box at the top to find the other articles in this series.
Mistake Number 4: Not Progressing Wisely
Let’s face it – we all want instant or overnight results. We’re like little kids that pick up a dumbbell, do 2 or 3 bicep curls, and then immediately run to the mirror and flex our muscles to see if they’ve gotten any bigger. And of course we’re disappointed when we see that they’re not.
Now as adults, we still fall victim to the same kind of thinking. Of course it doesn’t help to be constantly bombarded by non-stop commercials for fitness products that promise to work “even while you’re sleeping.”
Whatever the reason, it’s natural to want quick results. However, when it comes to physical exercise, trying to hurry the process is a sure recipe for injury.
You risk serious, and perhaps even permanent, injury when you:
- Exercise too much. If your fitness routine calls for doing 1 hour of exercise 3 times a week, trying to get a week’s worth of exercise in one 3-hour setting just doesn’t work.
- Exercise too hard. Who hasn’t gotten that competitive spirit when you’re with a with a group of friends playing basketball or tennis and then paid the price for playing too hard by not being to get out of bed the next day?
- Exercise too often. Trying to get quick results by exercising every day actually slows your progress. Your muscles need sufficient time to rebuild before you work them out again.
In each of these cases, you’re piling on more than your body can handle – and believe me, it’s going to let you know!
Building fitness requires working through a gradual progression of exercise levels, each a little more challenging than the one before, with enough rest in between to let your body rebuild.
The most difficult thing to do when beginning any fitness program is to start slow, but that’s exactly the way to get the quickest results. I know it’s counter-intuitive but you see it in professional sports all the time. You’ll see a star player really pushing himself hard and seemingly making great progress in a short period of time. Then bam! He blows a knee or tears a muscle. Next time you see him he’s on the bench and out for the rest of the season. Some progress!
Fight the urge to push beyond your body’s current limits. You’ll only set yourself back. The quickest way to get into shape is to take things slow and steady.
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)
P.S. Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.” This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time. Just click on the title to be taken to the download page. Enjoy!
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