Top trainers reveal the fitness faux pas they see women make every day-and why you should avoid them.
Workout mistake: expecting too much, too quickly
Don't get frustrated and embarrassed if you're just starting out, says Fitz Koehler, a fitness expert at fitzness.com and author of The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook. "Struggling is part of the experience," she says, "and when you no longer struggle, it's time to take it up a notch." Particularly in the beginning, forget what you can't do and figure out what you can, and focus on those accomplishments no matter how small they seem.
Workout mistake: not believing in yourself
It's time to realize you really are stronger than you think. "Many women lack the confidence in themselves to take their workouts to the next level," says Donovan Hamlet, a personal trainer at DavidBartonGym at Astor Place in New York City. "They are unsure of their capabilities, so they stay with the same old workouts. Change is essential to a workout to maximize the effects of the effort you put in it. When you lose the fear of doing something new, the potential for physical change is endless."
See our tips: Sneaky Ways to Add Exercise to Your Day (...and Burn Hundreds More Calories!)
Workout mistake: going too hard-core
You made the decision to shape up and now you want to see results-fast. You know it takes effort, so you push yourself to your absolute limit during every workout. We get it; we've been there. But maxing out your heart rate, dripping in sweat and feeling like you want to die every time you work out may not be the best way to reach your goal. Dave Van Daff, senior director of education and development for Bally Total Fitness, says overdoing it can make you hate exercise. "If you dread the workout, you'll make up excuses not to do it, and eventually you'll quit. Instead, the rule of thumb to use is to never increase your training by more than 10 percent at a time. Go up in slight increments to prevent injury and help you mentally," he says.
Workout mistake: doing only crunches for a flat stomachYes, you need to do ab work to get that toned tummy, but crunches alone won't get you there. "What woman out there doesn't want rock-hard abs?" says Van Daff. "Women come in to the gym and do ab exercises. They take yoga and Pilates classes to strengthen their core, thinking that by building up their abdominal muscles, they'll poke through. But the bottom line is that most people already have ab muscles. It's more of a matter of getting through the fat to let them shine through by doing cardio and reducing calorie intake."
Workout mistake: spending too much time at the gym
Good news: Clocking endless hours on the treadmill is not the key to losing weight or getting healthy. "Exercising smart is a lot more important than exercising more," says Van Daff. "Go into your workout with a plan. Sit down with someone who knows what she's doing and map out a routine." Need help getting started? Visit Vitamin G for healthy fitness tips.
Related: 10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Body
Workout mistake: putting too much emphasis on the scale or the mirror
Putting too much emphasis on the scale or the mirror oftentimes backfires, says Van Daff. "There are so many different things that can affect what your weight will be: time of day, water retention, clothing, etc. Our focus should really be on how we look and how our clothes fit." And, he notes, if heaven forbid you step onto the scale one day and notice you've gained a pound or two, it's not going to do much for you, motivationally speaking.
Workout mistake: fearing strength training
Strength training helps you burn more calories throughout each day (muscle burns more calories than fat) and gives your body curves, says Koehler, but so many women don't do it because they're afraid of looking like a body builder. Almost every female I've ever dealt with at some point says, 'I'm getting too big,'" says Van Daff. "But I have to tell you that in the 13 years I've been in the business, I've never had anyone prove to me that they really are by doing standard strength training alone." Still concerned? Van Daff measures his clients when they begin their fitness program and any time they think they're bulking up. "If you think your legs are getting bigger, the only way to know is to measure them," he says.
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