Skip to content
10 Common Mistakes Women Tend To Make In The Gym
Madhura MohanIt is pleasing to know how modern-day women are showing a thing about being fit! Female presence is noticeably increasing in gyms around the world. Never late than ever, the ladies' community has accepted the fact that fitness is no more a guy's thing. Big applause for that!!
Getting a gym membership is one thing; being determined to achieve your fitness goals is the second thing — but what counts the most, in the end, is whether you are stepping your game in the gym or not.
Heading to the gym making little or no progress should not be the thing with you, ladies. If your workouts are not working for you, if you have been unable to achieve the body image that may have eluded you for some time, it becomes clear that you are making mistakes that might be crippling your fitness goals. What is stopping you from seeing good results from your gym workout? Let us learn all that in this blog…
1. Fear Of Lifting Weights Due To False Assumption Of Bulking
In general, every woman's fitness goal is to get toned — but most women don't understand the fact that to tone up means having increased lean muscle mass with reduced body fat. In order to accomplish this, you need to lift weights. Many women shy away from lifting weights and gravitate towards cardio workouts due to the fear that lifting heavy weights will bulk them up.
Lifting weights will not cause women to bulk and look masculine, as women don't naturally produce enough testosterone — the hormone responsible for building muscle mass and size. Another chief determinant of bulking up is consistently having a higher calorie intake. Weight lifting and resistance training will help increase your metabolic rate, shed body fat, and achieve a sculpted, firmer, and toned physique.
Ladies, give the treadmill a break and pick up dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells instead.
Also Read: Top 5 Strength Training Workouts For Women
2. Not Doing Warm-Ups & Cool Down
Women need to fix the habit of jumping right into workouts without doing warm-ups and cool-down. A proper warm-up for 10 minutes before the main workout prepares your muscles, heart, and lungs for physical activity, increases blood flow to the muscles, raises muscle temperature for optimal flexibility, decreases muscle stiffness, reduces chances of injury, and increases the range of motion.
A cool-down after physical activity returns the body to pre-exercise conditions — your heart rate and breathing rate return to normal, and lactic acid gets dissipated from the muscles (which can otherwise lead to muscle cramps).
Don't ignore the warm-up and cool-down; spend some time warming up beforehand and stretching afterwards.
Also Read: 8 Best Warm-Up Exercises To Do Prior To Your Workout
3. Distractions
Getting distracted during training sessions can lead to subpar performance. In the world of social media, one quick Instagram or WhatsApp scroll between sets can turn into 5 minutes of sitting around near an exercise machine. Sometimes, a quick hello to your buddy at the gym can turn into a 10-minute conversation.
Using a cell phone during workouts can lead to postural instability and predispose you to musculoskeletal injuries. Being concerned about what other girls are wearing, and taking selfies during workouts are all major causes of distraction.
Place your cell phone in the locker, be more focused on your performance, and remember the purpose of why you started.
Also Read: How To Make Time For Workouts In Your Busy Schedule
4. Overdoing Cardio
When you exercise, you should make sure that you are not burning muscle for fuel. Women with particular weight loss goals tend to overdo it with cardio. If you overwhelmingly focus on cardio, you will end up losing muscle mass. Running on a treadmill at a moderate pace for long hours will neither help burn body fat nor help you lose weight. Toning requires building muscle, and cardio alone will not help you accomplish this goal. You must make strength training your priority if you want to build lean muscle and burn more calories at rest. Your cardio training should be coupled with resistance workouts.
The key to getting more out of your workout is strength training.
Also Read: Cardio Vs Weight Training – Which Should You Do First?
5. Improper Fueling / Inadequate Hydration
Women pay less emphasis on quality protein intake post-workout. This practice could be counter-productive. Adequate protein intake post-workout helps restore energy levels, boost metabolism, maintain positive nitrogen balance, prevent muscle loss, and stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Poor nutrient intake pre-workout will cause you to become fatigued soon and show poor performance. You must eat a variety of whole food sources to obtain adequate amounts of macronutrients. Optimal hydration also plays a vital role in fitness — it prevents metabolic strain, muscle cramps, and dizziness, helps replenish fluid losses during training, and facilitates thermoregulation.
Your pre and post-workout nutrition with adequate water intake keeps you going.
Also Read: When Is The Best Time To Consume Whey Protein Shake
6. Inconsistency
Consistency is arguably the most vital component for accomplishing any fitness goal. Whether your goal is to build muscle, reduce weight, or bulk up, you should ensure consistency in both your workout and nutrition. Going to the gym for a couple of days and then giving up complaining of muscle aches, or working out for a month and quitting because of not getting expected results — these are common pitfalls. Our bodies adapt gradually to exercise, and being consistent in our efforts alone can help us reach our goals. Unrealistic goals and weekend diet slip-ups can make you inconsistent at the gym.
Your workout routine should become a way of life rather than something of low priority that you do only when you find free time.
Also Read: Fitness Resolution For New Year – These Tips Will Help It Sustain
7. Making Comparisons
Frequently comparing yourself with other people can sabotage your success at the gym. Your gym-mate and you may be putting in the same effort, but she may be making more gains than you. Comparing with others makes you feel discouraged — the mental distraction you create will throw you off your game. Everyone's body is different, and their abilities are different.
Next time you feel like making comparisons, do it with yourself. Your ultimate competitor in the game should be you and only you! Always wear self-confidence, not self-doubt.
Comparison causes you to focus on others rather than yourself. Have patience in your path to progress.
Also Read: 5 Major Reasons You Are Not Getting Results Of Muscle Gain
8. Improper Recovery
Ladies, you need to chase performance, not soreness. One of the most important contributing factors to achieving your fitness goals is recovery after exercise. If you work out every day without giving your body time to adapt to the stresses it underwent, your body becomes susceptible to injuries. Spare two days a week for recovery to allow your muscles time to repair — otherwise, muscle tears will get bigger, causing inflammation. Muscle soreness may also interrupt your sleep cycle, leaving you feeling exhausted and demotivated to go to the gym.
Proper recovery is a must to achieve good results from training.
Also Read: 5 Easy Ways To Maximize Your Post-Workout Recovery
9. No Plan / Improper Technique
Many women stick to the same pattern of workouts — if they are used to the treadmill, they are seen hanging around it every day at the gym. Women are often found doing isolation workouts (which work a single muscle group). As much as possible, stick to compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Common form mistakes include letting your knees fall out while doing squats, hunching your back while doing deadlifts, using your neck to rise to a sitting position, not maintaining proper seat height while cycling, and raising your glutes while doing planks. If you have never trained before, you can't suddenly start working out 5 days a week — you'll tend to give up by the end of the week.
Improper training form leads to injury and inhibits calorie burn.
Also Read: Learn The Importance Of Proper Recovery After A Workout
10. Wrong Dietary Habits
A slice of cake, pizza, or sugar-stuffed doughnuts may be enticing — but remember, you must make conscious food choices if you want to be fit. Avoid eating packaged foods that don't provide your body with any nutrient supply. Include more whole grains and whole foods in your diet. Eating healthier food doesn't mean you can eat them unlimitedly; you must also count your calorie intake. If your calorie intake exceeds the amount you burn, you'll add to your waistline. Conversely, if you are eating too little out of fear of adding pounds, or not consuming sufficient protein, you'll have difficulties adding muscle.
Always keep healthy food items around you so that you don't get derailed from your healthy eating goals.
Also Read: How Do Fast Foods Impact On Fitness & Muscle Building
To get the results you want, you don't have to be extreme; you have to be consistent, persistent & focused…
Ladies, don't limit your challenges; learn to challenge your limits, because being strong is the new beautiful!!
Also Read: How To Start Eating Healthy? 6 Tips For Healthy Eating
Follow our Instagram page for the latest updates: badalkhudko