In last week’s article I offered the first 5 reasons why you might not be getting the results you are looking for. Continuing now with 6 through 10 ….
6. You are wasting your time performing too many isolation moves. Compound lifts are the way to go. These lifts work your muscles at more one than one joint. A squat which works at the hip and knee joint is going to activate more muscle and require more effort than a knee extension which only works at the knee joint. So you are building more muscle and burning more calories. Stick with squats, deadlifts, pressing and rowing variations to get the most bang for your buck.
7. You are a program hopper. With the advent of the internet, there is just waaaay too much information out there. You will read one article and it will tell you to do one thing and then the next week you read something else telling you to do the exact opposite. Now you are confused. We have all fallen into this trap at one time or another. My advice to you is to pick a program from a reputable source and stick with it for a minimum of 6 weeks and don’t read any other fitness articles in the meantime. If by the time you have finished the 6 weeks you are not happy with the results, then by all means try something else. Consistency is the key to progression.
8. You perform the exact same routine each and every time you go into the gym. The same weight, the same exercises, the same order. When you first start training, any new stimulus will cause muscle growth, but if you are not consistently challenging your muscles with more weight, more repetitions, shorter rest periods and new exercises, your gains will come to a screeching halt in record time. I see people at my neighbourhood gym who are clearly committed to their exercise routine, but take a picture of them and compare it to the 5 years prior and the difference will be negligible, if any.
9. You are not stretching after your training session. For years we have been told that we need to stretch before we train to avoid muscle strains. This is completely backwards. Stretching post workout will enhance recovery by increasing blood and nutrient flow to your working muscles and will help maintain flexibility and hopefully improve it over time.
10. You are stressed out all the time. From a hormonal standpoint, being consistently stressed out and anxious is a recipe for disaster if your goals are to gain muscle and lose fat. When we are in this state our bodies produce excess amounts of cortisol which is an anti-catabolic muscle eating hormone. Granted, a certain amount of stress is healthy. We all need a bit to get us going in the morning and feel a sense of purpose, but too much and you will experience the pitfalls. Make a point of taking more time for yourself. Learn to say ‘no’ to people. We overcommit to our families and our jobs and quite frankly I think it is slowly killing us. It is a very empowering feeling when you are able to pick and choose the commitments that you want to make instead of feeling obligated to say ‘yes’ every time someone asks of your time. Put aside an hour of each and everyday just for you.