The men's fitness blog

Even with the best intentions, some fitness enthusiasts aren't making the most effective use of their workout time. This post details some of the more common mistakes - if you remember these and avoid them, you can quickly come closer to meeting your health and fitness goals.

Over-socializing at the gym

Just showing up at the gym is not going to increase your fitness. Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "I go into the weight room to make progress, not friends". It’s important to enjoy working out, but make sure that your focus remains on physical activity.

Eating too little or eating the wrong types of food

Not eating enough can be as detrimental as eating too much. When the body is not fed consistently, it goes into a starvation mode. Eating small, regular meals throughout the day will ensure that your metabolism runs smoothly. Just be sure to control portion size. Remember to eat the right types of food, mainly protein or carbohydrates, for muscle training and endurance training, respectively. See the Fitness for Real Men nutrition pages for more nutrition guidance for muscle building

Not Staying Hydrated

It is important to drink enough water on a daily basis. When you exercise you need to consume even more water. Plus you should try to consume about a pint (3/4 litre) of water before you begin working out. This can be mixed as a protein shake if desired.

Working out too hard or too often

No matter what your fitness goals are, you should always allow your body to recover from aches and pains: over-exercising is counter-productive, and can even be dangerous. The aches are it's way of telling you "I need to repair myself". Consider reducing the intensity of your workouts, or resting for at least 2 days every week.

Too Much, Too Soon

Many fitness beginners try to lose weight or tone up too quickly, by exercising too frequently or trying exercise programs that are too difficult for their fitness level. Start with an exercise schedule that takes your current fitness level into account. Fitness for Real Men has customised training schedules for all fitness levels.

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website: FitnessForRealMen - proven muscle and strength training techniques; fitness and nutrition tips

Labels: fitness advice, fitness mistakes, fitness pitfalls, muscle weight gain tips