According to the fitness experts from Predator Nutrition doing single-joint exercises, skipping your warm up and taking too many breaks are signs you are a bit of an amateur when it comes to the gym. The experts have shared the 10 things newbies do in the gym that show they don’t completely know what they’re doing. “By avoiding doing anything that makes you look like an amateur, you can ensure that even though you haven’t been in months, you can still fake it like a pro,” says a spokesperson for Predator Nutrition. Want to look like a fitness expert? Check out the top 10 gym amateur giveaways.
1 You talk too much
The saying goes that if you’re still able to have a conversation mid-workout, then you’re not doing it properly. While it is always great to have a gym buddy, chatting to them too much will only distract you from the main reason you’re at the gym – to work out.
2 You wait around for equipment
You could wait around for a machine or particular weight, or you could utilise your time more effectively by doing a floor exercise to continue with your training.
3 You don’t know your own strength
If you’re new to the gym you don’t know what you’re physically capable of when it comes to working out, which could mean over-estimating your ability. You will ego-lift large weights despite not being physically able to, which could result in them being dropped. If you do this, this will cause major harm to yourself, or somebody near you.
4 You only do single-joint exercises
Focusing on one part of the body (such as doing just singular bench presses) can be effective, but regularly doing them won’t allow a variety of muscles to do work. There are much more complex movements that you could be doing regularly that get a lot of different muscles working.
5 You exercise on an empty stomach
Your body needs to have energy in order to reach a serious level of intensity when you’re at the gym. If you go on an empty stomach, you’ll end up crashing half way through the workout and demolishing plates of food afterwards.
6 You don’t plan
It is important to plan ahead in order to really see results. By being consistent with your exercise you will force adaptation on the body. Unless you plan what you are going to do to improve muscle definition, heading to the gym will be a big waste of time (unless your goal is to simply lose some weight).
7 You insist on taking selfies to prove you’re there
Don’t take up precious workout time posting a ‘gym-selfie’ to Snapchat. Whilst a post-workout sweaty selfie to show how hard you’ve worked can be rewarding, taking selfies when you’re supposed to be training is time wasting, not to mention plain awkward for other gym-goers to watch.
8 You skip your warm up
Stepping into the gym and immediately pounding the weights can increase your chances of injury. A good warm up is necessary as it prepares your muscles for your gruelling workout and also improves the blood flow to them. Trust me, your body will not thank you the next day if you ignore this.
9 You’re always texting
You’re not working out right if you insist on taking breaks to text and scour your smartphone. Those minutes you have just dedicated to social media will have its toll on your focus and productivity. If this is you, next time you’re in the gym, put your phone on airplane mode and really dedicate your gym time to doing your workout.
10 You don’t time your breaks
You’re rest period in-between a set does not call for chatting or sitting on your phone. You’re rest break should not exceed a minute, as this will only cause you to lose the tension you have built up in your muscles from the set you have just done.
