5 things to avoid during weight lifting
Old habits die hard. Just because you’ve been going to the gym for 6 years, consider yourself a veteran at your local gym, and think you know how to do every exercise properly, there’s a good chance that you don’t. There are many mistakes made at the gym, whether it be a 20 year veteran who has been making the same mistakes his whole life or the new 16 year old just starting out. While reading this article I will show you the 5 major flaws most commonly made at the gym and give you my advice on how correct these mistakes.
Using aids such as straps and weight belts do help to lift more weight but more weight isn’t always a good thing. It is much more important to do good quality reps. The main reason not to use these aids is when you finally stop using this aid you body will have become so reliant on them that your natural posture and movement thought out the rep will change. This is one of the most common injuries in the gym.
It is almost impossible to find a gym that is not coated in mirrors. While these mirrors are distorted to make you look bigger they can also give you false hope. Along with weight belts and straps you can become reliant on mirrors to figure out where you are in your repetition. You should be able to tell when your rep is complete just from your body telling you.
All too often you see the gym rats struggling to bang out 3 reps with way to much weight for them to handle and not to mention there horrible technique. I can’t stress enough to pick a weight your comfortable with to do with proper technique. There are times where you want to put on mass and you drop reps and add weight but you still must focus on technique. The most common injury in the gym is from bad technique because of trying to lift too much weight.
How many times has the moderately big guy at the gym that no one likes comes up to you and tries to give you some advice. If you’re like me you just agree with him but take no consideration to what he has to say. This guy normally does big weight, has no definition and lifts with very poor posture and technique. Take every piece of advice with a grain of salt.
Using slider machines is one thing I stay away from. They are manufactured for a universal movement, but really everyone has their own specific movements that normally does not correspond to what the machine wants you to do. When on these machines they make you feel cramped and give you an uncomfortable rep which is not a natural movement. Stick to free weights and cables where you can get a full range of motion for the best repetition possible.
When it comes right down to it however each person is at the gym for different goals, and you should do what you are comfortable with. Working out isn’t a chore, so stay in shape, and keep setting new goals and limits for yourselves.
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Great article on tips for working out.