10 Classic Uxbridge Training Mistakes

The following is a list of the 10 most common and significant mistakes that I see well-meaning Uxbridge gym rats making day in and day out.  Odds are that you’re guilty of at least three of them, no matter how self-disciplined or how careful you are.  So please read on, because the information in this list may save you enormous amounts of wasted time and effort.

And most importantly, a mistake isn’t a mistake if you make it once and learn from it!

1. No Goal – When’s the last time you jumped in a car without knowing where you were going?  Never.  Okay, then when’s the last time you did a workout without having a crystal-clear objective?  Always.  I thought so.

2. Sacrificing Quality to Quantity – More isn’t better – BETTER is better!  Make sure you do something well before you do it more.

3. Fatigue Seeking – The way to assess the quality of a wokout isn’t by how sore it makes you feel.  The way to do this is to measure the degree it improves the qualities and/or abilities that you’re trying to develop.

4. Training in Pain – Everyone’s heard of “no pain, no gain.”  Well, pain is your body signaling you that something is wrong.  I suggest that you listen to it, adjust your workout accordingly, and seek medical attention if pain persists for more than a couple of days!

5. Excessive Focus on Load – Sure, lifting heavy is important but it shouldn’t be your only consideration.  In general, if you need a spotter, you’re probably lifting too slowly and should lighten up.

6. Too Much Focus on Strengths – People tend to do what they like to do or what they are good at.  But, if you overuse a strength, it is sure to become a weakness.

7. Insufficient Diversity – One of the lessons that I learned early on was that there is no “best” program out there, but Charles Staley has come close to describing it: “The best program is the one that you’re not doing.”  Remember, any program has both positive and negative effects.  You must counteract the negative ones.  And, you do this by optimizing diversity in your fitness programming.

8. Lack of Continuity – Changing your program too often is just as bad as doing the same routine workout after workout.  For you to get good at something, there is a great deal of motor learning that must occur – and this is achieved through repetition.

9. Poor Biomechanics – The goal of any exercise should be to feel tension in the target muscle, but no discomfort or pain in the joints.  Every rep is an opportunity to perfect your technique, and each rep should look identical.

10. Too Much Aerobic Exercise – If you’re looking to lose fat, regular doses of aerobic exercise can improve recovery, but too much can sap your strength and cause you to lose muscle.

If you’re making these mistakes, STOP!  If you want “real” results you need a REAL plan that ties your goals and current fitness level together. 

Don’t know how?  No problem.

At Body Fit, you can hire an Uxbridge fitness professional to individually guide you to a successful outcome, or if you’re a DIY’er choose to follow one of our online training programs professionally designed with a specific goal in mind – such as “Fat Loss for Women, Fat Loss for Men, Bodyweight Workouts, Strength Workouts, Core Workouts, etc”