Top 10 Workout Mistakes -

9. Time is of the essence.  One of our most valuable resources is time.  We can find time hidden everywhere if we look for it.  We can also let it become lost in the daily shuffle.  Once you have decided to make time for your workouts, you need not waste it.  Spending more than an hour working out isn’t necessary.  If designed properly using all the suggested strategies thus far, you can build and complete a dynamic workout that will get you the results you are looking for including warm up and stretching in as little as 20 minutes and as much as 45 minutes. 

RESOLUTION:

Efficiency lends itself to productivity.  We are the most productive humans to ever walk the earth.  We get more done in a day than ever before.  Now I’m not here to say that we use all that productivity wisely because if we did, we’d most likely be a whole bunch healthier right now.    

So, how do we find ways to be productive and efficient within our workouts?  One method is called super setting.  This means we take two non-competing exercises and perform them back to back without rest.     

Once one “super set” is complete and you’ve rested your allotted time, follow the same tactic to finish out 1-4 more sets of the same exercises.  Start out with one to two sets of each “super set” and progress accordingly as your fitness level improves. Once your entire “super set” is complete for the two exercises, select the next two exercises on the list and complete the intended sets until “super set” #2 is complete.  Choose 6 compound exercises per workout (that’s 3 super sets), complete each in the described fashion and you’re done.

Example:  Super Set #1
                 Squats (8-12 reps)
                Pushups (8-12 reps)
                Rest 1:00

               Super Set #2
              Body-weight Row (8-12 reps)
             Lunge (8-12 reps)
             Rest  1:00

           Super Set #3
          Chin up (max reps)
          Plank (1:00-2:00)
         Rest 1:00

Keeping your rest periods down to a minimum will also save time and challenge your conditioning.    

Another time saver to consider is the method called circuit training.  This is a great way to get a total body workout while saving time with the added bonus of challenging your cardiovascular system.   

Example:  Squats 
                  ushups  
                  Lunge  
                 Body-weight Row  
                 Single Leg Ankle Touch 
                Plank  
                Rest  1:00-2:00 minutes
            Repeat (1-4 more times)

10. Knowing is only half the battle.  So now you know what you can do to get back in your clothes and have them fitting better than ever.  Are you doing it?  Playing the hit and miss game with your workouts and nutrition program is detrimental to long term success.  Eventually, you’ll tire and burn out from less than productive results and quit all together thinking the program isn’t working.    Let me be the first to tell you that being healthy and fit takes EFFORT.  It doesn’t take a lot of time but it does take effort.

RESOLUTION:

Follow all the suggestions mentioned thus far and get your workouts “done”.  Once you follow the plan religiously for 60-90 days, not only will you see results, you’ll also develop better habits which simply means that eating well and working out consistently will become part of your everyday life.

There you have it.  The Top 10 Mistakes…and Resolutions to turn your efforts into results.