These are the six most common mistakes women make in the gym.
Some time ago, fitness was a men’s thing but it’s changing as more women are joining the fitness scene. The female presence is now notable in gyms around the world. Although many women get a gym membership, only a few of them advance with their goals.
Most women who quit training shortly after joining a gym do so for more or less the same reasons. Avoiding these common mistakes will not only keep you on the fit lifestyle but will also speed up your progress.
Avoiding Resistance Training
Most women don’t like going near the weights in the gym. The most they do is lift the cute pink rubber dumbbells. The assumption that lifting weights can make them look masculine is what keeps them on the cardio equipment.
Working out with weights can help your muscles get in shape and firm up. Women don’t naturally produce enough testosterone which is the male hormone responsible for building muscle mass and size. So, if your goal is to build a toned and tight physique, make sure you hit the weight room.
Too Much Cardio
Women spend most of their time on the cardio equipment. Many girls do the cardio hoping it’ll help them tone up their bodies. Cardiovascular activities can result in weight and fat loss.
Although it might break your heart to hear this, there is nothing like spot-reduction when it comes to working out. If you perform high-intensity cardiovascular activities, it’ll result in fat and muscle tissue loss.
So ultimately it depends on what the goal is when going into the gym. If you’d like to retain some level of lean muscle – it’s important to balance out the cardio activities with weight training as well. If you overwhelmingly focus on cardio only – you’ll become thin like a twig and lose any muscle tone you were hoping to achieve as well.
Low-Intensity Training
Most girls opt for low-intensity workouts. Some girls focus on the number of sets and reps and completely ignore the intensity. Doing 15 sets in a workout isn’t going to make a difference if you don’t break a sweat.
Focus on making the most of your time in the gym. You can do shorter workouts but make sure they are high intensity. You should step out of the gym feeling you accomplished something.
Expecting Results Too Soon
As a newbie, you can’t expect to see results too soon. Before you see any muscular gains, your body undergoes structural changes which can take some time. You should focus on working out, and the gains will take care of themselves.
If you’re a beginner, you should expect to see changes in your physique in 5-6 months if you’re following a well-designed training program. Don’t get disheartened if the results take longer than you had anticipated. The wait will be well worth it.
Sticking To a Single Training Program
Monogamy is for relationships and not for training programs. Most women stick to the same training program. The typical girl’s training routine will have 10-20 minute on the treadmill, a couple of sets of squats and whatever other machines there is in the gym.
At the same time, changing training programs too often isn’t the best practice either. Follow a training program for 3-4 weeks before switching things up. Doing so gives your muscles ample time to get the best of the exercises and doesn’t let them get used to the workouts.
There’s two reasons for bringing variety into your workout. One is psychological – if you’re workouts become a grind they will be less enticing to continue doing. If you’re having a particularly bad day, a boring monotonous workout might be enough to make you want to skip. Changing up your routine makes working out more fun and more inviting to keep pushing through.
Variety also helps on a physical level. Your body adapts to what you are doing and eventually becomes more resistant to it. So mixing up the variety of your workouts and, of course, increasing the intensity or weight of your exercises as you improve is essential to keep evolving your physique.
Not Sticking to the Nutrition
Most girls think their fitness routine is over as soon as they leave the gym. Fitness is a lifestyle and it goes with you everywhere. You need to place the same importance on your nutrition and recovery as you put on your training.
Many women make the mistake of avoiding protein supplements thinking they are only for men. Following a balanced diet and taking proper rest can speed up your progress in the gym.
Do you make any of these mistakes? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.