10 reasons why you aren’t improving in the gym
I would argue that the number one reason why most people have stalled in their progression at the gym is lack of intensity. Spend five minutes in any fitness centre observing those working out and you will see a very common pattern.
1. Intensity
I would argue that the number one reason why most people have stalled in their progression at the gym is lack of intensity. Spend five minutes in any fitness centre observing those working out and you will see a very common pattern. Reduced intensity and the same faces habitually repeating there same tired exercise programme. Perhaps occurring as a result of boredom or a general lack of understanding of the principles of hypertrophy. Either way, gym enthusiasts spend excessive amounts of time talking and take too many long breaks between sets and exercises. Often these people are more worried about how they look in the gym than what they actually went there for. They are either too busy trying to catch up on the latest Neighbours episode or are distracted by the girls working out in the cardio room to give their workout the attention it requires. All of these distractions add up to a lack of intensity and focus that directly correlates with a lack of success. If this sounds like you, then maybe it is time that you reassess your priorities.
2. Too much talking
Attending the gym is often sociable and can be a big reason for why many initially join up. First of all you must clarify as to what and why you went to gym in the first place. If it was to be social, then go right ahead and socialise. However, I find it hard to believe that most join the gym for this reason alone. The key to continued improvement and ongoing enjoyment is finding a balance between socialising and working out. Knowing these limits and keeping to this is a must for anyone serious about getting ahead in the gym.
If you are one of these people who find yourself working out the mouth more than the other muscles of the body then you may need to consider a change. A short brief conversation between exercises is fine; actually talking while doing cardiovascular exercise is actually going to challenge you even more than usual. If you find certain personalities in the gym who always want to have a good chat, then give them some subtle hints that you are focused on the workout; perhaps take the iPod along. Or for those people who just don’t get it, consider changing your workout schedule. The key is to take control of your workout and don’t let the environment control you.
3. A lack of variety
I once heard a great definition of insanity, it is somebody who continually does the same thing and continually expects change. This can be applied directly to the gym environment. So many people continue to persist with the same exercises, the same routine and expect to continue to improve. Like with everything, we are creatures of habit. Once we find something we like we usually stick with it and resist change.
The problem with this is that the body doesn’t work like this. Human physiology is such that the body is plastic in nature and adapts very quickly. Our body is always trying to do things easier, quicker and more efficient. This happens without us actually consciously thinking about it. In workout terms, this translates into no longer feeling that workout burn and post-workout soreness that we initially felt. The only way around this is to constantly put our body under variable neurological and physiological stresses so that we challenge ourselves every time we workout. The result being continued growth and improvement.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions then you should consider changing your programme:
- Have you been doing the same consecutive exercises for the last eight weeks?
- Do you periodically workout on the same days at the same time?
- Do you feel that your progression has halted recently?
- Do you no longer feel that workout burn and post-workout muscle soreness?
- Have you started to develop pain and soreness in muscles while working out or doing everyday activities?
4. A lack of concentration and focus
Poor focus and concentration in the gym can greatly affect your workout routine. Not only will you be mentally and physically underachieving, you also put yourself at a greater risk of injury. Focus and concentration can mean the difference between doing the standard eight repetitions of an exercise compared to pushing out an extra two or three repetitions beyond what you would normally do. Look at any successful people and what do they all have in common? They usually do what the normal person wouldn’t.
Now each and every individual will find their focus in different ways. Some like to mentally switch on by listening to music and others like to visualise or focus on their breathing. Find out what allows you to get into the weight-lifting zone and start practising. Not only will this improve your workouts, but it will translate into everyday life improvements. It is about creating life-changing habits that will have a much larger effect than just improvements in the gym.
5. Training and more training leads to overtraining
Overtraining is something that almost everyone falls into the trap of at some stage. Often we mistake going to the gym more often and working harder and longer with bigger and better results. As we see gains occurring we become even more motivated to continue. The problem with this is that our body can only take so much before it starts to shut down. Often pain is the first symptom that tells us that something isn’t quite right. Increased levels of fatigue, tiredness, sickness and a drop in motivation are other signs and symptoms of overtraining. If you have the personality type in which more training is better, then prepare for this and change your programme focus. Spend more time focusing other physical aspects that are often overlooked or under trained; eg, flexibility, core strength etc.
6. Not eating the right foods
Some say nutrition is the number one key to getting what you want. I believe that it is 70% diet and 30% exercise. A failure to address the nutritional side of things while working out is like baking a cake and adding only half of the ingredients. In the end it might sort of resemble a cake, but it will probably not taste anywhere near as nice as what it could have and will most likely crumble in your hand. Learn to treat your body like a well-oiled machine – it is something you want to last a lifetime. Only the best tools and put the best products into it.
7. Not drinking enough water
Inadequate fluid intake is common among most gym-goers. Not feeling thirsty or “I forgot to bring a water bottle” is not good enough. Often by the time you are feeling thirsty your body is already well dehydrated. Many gyms now provide water fountains to allow you to sip on water. Every day you should be aiming to consume approximately 2-2.5l of water, with an additional 150mls for every 15 minutes of exercise. Poor fluid levels can result in poor concentration and reduced energy levels in the gym, which will directly correspond with a poor workout.
8. A lack of knowledge of the exercises and how the body works
A lack of knowledge regarding the exercises being performed is common in the gym. Anyone serious about improving their physical fitness should have a fair idea as to what the exercises are, how they work and what should be done to achieve the desired results in the shortest period of time. So many times I have come across people in the gym just doing something because they saw somebody else do it. A greater understanding of the fitness environment and how the body works will take you that one step closer to achieving your goals.
9. Spending way too long in the gym
Often I will come across people who have been in gym for over two hours going from weight machine to weight machine, cardio machine to cardio machine. Often they do all the exercises in the gym because they think it is best. Generally they don’t even think about the order of the exercises and the reasons why they are doing them. To further embarrass these people, they will often do it four or five times a week and working consistently the same muscles every day. Need I say anymore? No wonder they haven’t shown any improvement lately. Avoid spending more than 45 minutes in the gym and be sure to vary your workout routine. It could be as simple as doing cardio one night and weights the next. It comes down the old saying of “quality rather than quantity”.
10. Not warming up or warming down properly
Surprise, surprise. Who is guilty of this? Probably almost every reader at some stage. It’s like we don’t want to spend five minutes at the start and end of our workouts because it is boring, takes too long and we cannot feel anything. Well, guess what? You will only be able to get away with this for so long before something breaks down. Question, what does a cat or dog do first thing in the morning before it jumps from the ground to the neighbour’s fence? Answer, it stretches. If cats and dogs do it instinctively, then doesn’t this say we should be doing this? No wonder we suffer from injuries. It’s because every day we try to do things without properly warming up into it. What we need to do is slowly increase the blood flow and elasticity of our tissues before doing exercise in order to get those extra gains.
Courtesy of Fitness Professionals UK
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