
Common Mistakes Made In The Gym And How To Avoid
Going to the gym is time consuming and can sometimes be costly for most people, hence maximising efficiency when you are already in the gym should be a top priority. Mistakes made in the gym can cost you precious time by not producing results and can also sacrifice your health and safety if proper gym habits are not followed. Below are some mistakes that are commonly made in the gym.
1. Misusing Gym Equipment
Its surprising how many people use gym equipment for the wrong purpose. Not all machines have obvious functions, there are an increasing number of new machines that look like transformers, without proper guidance and a good common sense, its easy to make mistakes. There is the butterfly machine, squat machine, jogging machine, ab-crunch machine, etc. The list is non-exhaustive and there are new gym equipment produced every few months.
I’ve seen people do neck exercises on a leg press machine, squats on a deadlift area, etc. If you do not know how to use a particular gym equipment, it is best to follow how others do it. You can also look for instructions or ask the staff working at the gym. The best way is to imitate those who know what they are doing as proper form is crucial as well.
2. Getting Distracted
The main reason why you do not often see professional bodybuilders in public gyms is that its is easy to become distracted. The source of distraction differs from one person to another, it could be a super buff dude walking past you or a attractive girl on the treadmill. Many people spend more time in the gym socialising instead of working out. Sometimes its not your fault, there are some egotistical people who go to the gym just to seek attention.
Your friends whom you go to the gym with can also distract you from focusing on your workouts. You might end up spending more time in the gym than you expected and less results than your peers who workout at home.
There are a few ways you can avoid getting distracted. The most common way is to put on headphones and play loud music. There are specific playlists for workouts that are designed to get you pumped and enhance focus. You can also workout at one corner or face the wall/mirror to avoid getting distracted. The most effective method is of course to go to the gym at non-peak hours where its less buzzy or workout at home with your own gym equipment.
3. Hygiene
Many standard gym etiquette surrounds hygiene practices. The gymnasium is actually one of the mos conducive environment for germs and viruses to grow and flourish. Many gyms already invest heavily in cleaning and disinfecting germs however, crowded gyms remain to be a breeding ground for pathogens.
The foremost reason is that people often sweat abundantly and sweat can carry bacteria and viruses. Coming into contact sweat of a flu-ridden person is likely to cause you to get the same illness. Added to this fact is that many people in the gym like to leave their sweaty shirts and towels lying around. Sweat left on benches and other equipment is seldom cleaned until the end of the day. Lastly, regular gym-goers rarely take a break because of a flu as they are concerned about losing “gains”. Hence it is a good practice to wipe off sweat from equipment before using them.
Some have attributed the cause of their sickness to the low temperature in some gym which has the possibility of casuing flu after profuse sweating. If you are wary of that then you can wear a jacket to protect yourself.
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