Written by: Meghan Jarvis, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Fitness or functional fitness is a great way to get yourself into shape, as long as you’re doing it right. If you’re confused, then the easiest way to word it is you can work out wrong. There are many common mistakes most people make when working out alone or even when starting in a gym. So, before you start your routine, do some research and learn the correct forms of execution.
1. An Everyday Routine
One mistake people tend to make all too often is doing the same workout every single day. If you do this, you’ll never get the ideal muscles, tone, and body you want. Yes, these workout sessions will get easier over time, and you’ll feel the strength in your limbs while doing this but watch yourself crumble when you have to try a different workout.
Your body comprises many limbs, muscles, bones, and joints. If you don’t work on all of these parts of your body equally, you’ll end up with an imbalance in your strength and stamina which results in nothing good.
Any good workout will have multiple actions targeting specific muscles in your body. When you combine the four main components of fitness (discussed in later chapters), you get the right balance between everything your body needs.
Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as piecing a puzzle together. Instead, it’s more like doing smaller puzzles first to make a larger one. Once one component has been completed, you move on to the next. This is a timely process that can’t all be tackled in one workout.
So, when one workout focuses on cardio and perhaps muscle building, another workout you do through the week can concentrate more on HIIT and stretching. Keep switching up your exercises rather than doing the same one each day. Take it slow; only change your routine when you can handle new moves and challenges.
If you constantly swap your daily exercise, you’ll cover more ground quicker and spread the oncoming strength to all body parts. Only doing one type of exercise will tire you out and not correctly help your body develop the way you’d have wanted it to.
2. Love What You Do
Some people work out because they have to, with no other choice. No one can truly determine your situation like you can, but this is the wrong mentality. You should never approach your workout sessions with resentment. Always look to your workouts with optimism and confidence.
If you want to work out, do it for yourself, not for anyone else’s satisfaction. If you feel that you’re being pressured into working out, then the results are never going to satisfy you, even if you do make it to your goal.
You have to enjoy something to achieve anything. If you don’t like cooking, you’ll never want a meal, even if you mastered the recipe. The victory is always sweeter when you’ve got sugar, not salt.
Start working out when you feel good about working out. Do workouts that make you feel confident you have what it takes to make the change you need. If you don’t like the criticism, comparisons, or judgement of others, then don’t go to the gym. You don’t need to be in a crowd to get the motivation to start lifting weights and running in the evenings.
All your motivation should be positive, not negative. When you have a positive reason, you are forward by the achievement you’ll receive. When you have negative motivation, it means the consequences of not acting drive you. Don’t be afraid of what people will say and do if you don’t work out; think about the great responses on your body and mind you’ll get from doing so. Remember how happy you’ll be when you finally reach your goal. Keep all your thoughts positive, and you’ll not only feel good, but soon enough, you’ll also look good.
3. Dieting
Another one of the most common mistakes people make when they’re starting, they think they have to start dieting! No matter what science and TV health programs try to tell you, dieting isn’t the perfect solution for weight issues. Nowadays, people are coming to realize that diets limit you way too much.
When you start dieting, you work with either elimination or restriction. This should never be the case. Eat as much as you can permit yourself to. Have a balance of everything edible out there. Nothing should stop you from eating what you wish.
Just have a balance with what you eat. Most of your regular diet should consist of healthy, hearty foods and whatever little snack your gluttony craves can be satisfied once in a while. There is no issue with having a treat after some time. Keep control over how much junk food you have and keep a careful eye on your food to ensure the good always outweighs the bad.
Working out doesn’t make dieting compulsory. If anything, it means you have to keep yourself energized more often. You’ll crave more food once you start working out, and that craving is one you’re going to want to satisfy. If not, you’ll become grumpy and hungry, and your attitude towards working out won’t be very positive. Page | 40
4. Rolling with No Goals
There’s no race to be won if there’s no finish line. You always have to chart out your goals before you start working on a project.
In this case, the project is yourself, and you need to place some goals on what you want to do. Do you eventually want to have that hard-core six-pack? Are you aiming for a fitter, stronger you? Lay out your goal and make it clear to yourself; otherwise, you may as well be running headfirst into the fog.
Once you have a goal, set down your stepping stones to get there. You can’t just hope you can jump to the finish line from your side. Make the bridge and cross it one tile at a time. It’s a timely process, but it’ll grant you the guaranteed success you want. It’s better to work your way through at a decent pace rather than failing and restarting the whole process.
First, try to lose weight. Aim for something fit and healthy. Go for at least 10 pounds less than what you are now. By reaching that goal, you’ll have gotten accustomed to fatigue and strain after a hefty workout session. You’ll also have a stronger understanding of how much you can handle and where the limit can’t be breached.
Then, try aiming for another goal. Seek to tone your muscles a little bit at first, so you can understand how long it takes you. Once you’ve got a clearer idea, you can start working hard toward the final destination.
All of this will take a decent amount of time, so don’t give up if the results don’t show after weeks or even months. They’ll come along soon; once they do, it’ll have been worth all of the time and effort.
Meghan Jarvis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
A former World Class BMX bicycle racer, Meghan came to Australia to play professional basketball and stayed as a lead lecturer at the Australian Institute of Fitness. Meghan's passion for fitness and entrepreneurialism led her to found WellCorp Health and Wellness and Buzvil, a global health and fitness app. She most recently appeared as an actor and stunt woman in the new Blockbuster 'Elvis', the Portable Door, Aqua Man and has been a 'Ninja' on Channel Nine's Australian Ninja Warrior. She is also the head of Total Gym Fitness Equipment Australia, Suspension Training and Altitude Training International Master Coach, making her an authority on peak performance and an international speaker. Her experiences as an athlete, educational portfolio (Masters of Education and Coaching Science, Kinesiologist, Sports Scientist), entrepreneurial ventures, and enthusiastic character have shaped her as a formidable leader in health and fitness. She believes strongly in the importance of redefining and bridging the gap between physical and mental health. Meghan has guided many people to achieve complete personal breakthroughs and phenomenal mind, body, and business growth.
