Having been a fitness professional for a few years now, I’ve seen my fair share of insanely idiotic things in the gym. I’m pretty accustomed to it considering I practically live in the gym. I’m not one to ridicule anybody trying to better themselves, but it drives me nuts when I see methods of training that raises an eyebrow.
1. Skipping The Warm-Up
Yes — something as simple as warming up is often overlooked. You want a surefire way to decrease performance and increase your chances of getting injured, skipping the warm-up will do that. When you’re a beginner it’s easy to go in with guns blazing, but you have to appreciate the necessity of a thorough warm-up. The whole idea of warming up is to create a thermic effect in the muscles. How well you do that is going to dictate how well you’re going to perform. More importantly, though, it’s to minimize the risk of injury.
Seriously, set aside 10 minutes before you start hitting the weights. Even hopping on a cardio machine to get your heart rate up can get the dice rolling.
Sample Non-Individualized Warm-Up:
- Foam Roll Glutes, Quads, Lats, Calves
- 90/90 Hip Flow
- Wall Hip Flexor Mobs
- 1-Leg Glute Bridge
- Side Plank
- Walking Spiderman
- Power Skips
Rest assured you can perform these within 10 minutes.
2. You’re So Functional!
Training on an unstable surface has been the trend for a better part of the decade. What initially started in the rehabilitation realm, quickly transitioned into the fitness population hoping it would produce specific results. Question is: does it really have a carry over?
The widespread belief that training on an unstable surface will improve your balance, core stability, and strength is asinine. Studies have shown that training on an unstable surface does absolutely nothing to improve strength and athletic performance. Remember: progressive overload is a key determinant for growth. You won’t be able to use as much weight on a BOSU ball as you would on a stable surface. Less weight = less calories burned. If it’s not for rehabilitative purposes, re-think your training program. Stop training for the circus.
There’s nothing good ol’ fashion strength training can’t do. Simple ain’t sexy, but it gets the job done.
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Dre Delos Santos 