The first two installments of this series covered the pitfalls of doing too much and doing too little, and the ways that these tendencies may be wreaking havoc on your gym routine. As much as I hate to say it, I’m guilty of the final gym sin, too. Let’s take a look at the most nefarious culprit of them all: doing stupid things.
3. Doing stupid things.
Ah, the realm of stupidity. Our teachers drilled into our heads that “there’s no such thing as a stupid question,” but as adults we know this just isn’t so (“So do I need to attend the “all-staff” meeting on Friday?”). Outside the safe, nurturing walls of classrooms, stupidity is very, very real. And let me tell you, it’s a daily occurrence on many gym floors.
Let’s start here: Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Oh, you’re able to squat 300 pounds while standing on a swiss ball? Fantastic trick. It won’t get you any fitter, but seriously, spectacular trick — and an even more spectacular way to wipe out and never train again. Risk-reward is a mantra in financial circles, but is relegated to the badlands of post-injury afterthought in fitness and exercise circles. I won’t name names, but CrossFit (whoops!). I won’t beat up on CrossFit, as I think it’s moving in the right direction overall, but with its randomized, high-rep, high intensity, historically injury-provoking workouts, it’s in many ways a case study in “doing something just because you can.” I can clean, squat and bench my bodyweight for many reps in a short amount of time — but the question is why, and even more so, at what cost?
Doing exercises incorrectly falls under this category as well. I have met several folks who swear by their ability to deadlift while rounding their lower backs without injury … yet. Programming, or the way you form your workouts and how they change over time — you do plan this, right? — is just as important as form on any individual exercise. This is really where getting a qualified coach can help you shine. Proper exercise form and proper programming can take you a long way, and help you avoid pitfalls which can at the least create imbalances, and at worst sideline you with injuries for months.
But sometimes it’s not our fault. We all have friends (often “the bros”), fitness magazines and the latest culprit in propagating God-awful fitness advice, Instagram. The latter requires only the credentials of being photogenic and/or possessing a rotund posterior to qualify for fitness expert status. While I can’t blame you for following this advice if you don’t know any better, I will hold you accountable for … not knowing any better. These days it’s pretty easy to vet any information in 20 minutes or less using Google. There are a bevy of reputable sites, blogs and online forums where you can get pretty sound advice for free.
We all fall victim to these results-wreckers from time to time. Even as I write this article, I think of the times I made these very same mistakes, in one way or another.
Tax Day is around the corner, and there’s one audit I’d like you to make — and don’t worry, the IRS isn’t involved. Take a good, hard look at your programming, whether you’re a novice or experienced athlete, and audit it for any of the items I’ve mentioned. Sometimes the best way to add the right things in is by finding the things you need to take out.
More from U.S. News
Exercising After You’ve Gone Under (the Knife, That Is)
11 Ways to Cope With Back Pain
How to Know if You’re Exercising Too Much
The Most Nefarious Fitness Killer of Them All originally appeared on usnews.com
