It has always been hard for me as a newbie in weight training to know which workout is healthy for my body and right for my age. When I was in high school I've always wanted to get that 6 pack abs that some of my colleagues had with no sweat at all. The picture that's been stuck in my mind ever since I had the aspiration to get that 6 pack abs was to hit the gym and burn the fats that are covering my (abs?) which I believed that is already there. So I started to sneak through the gym with out paying the dues and unfortunately without enjoying the benefits of being thought of the proper program for my muscles and the proper diet. Lift that, raise this, carry this today and again tomorrow and the same heavy weights the next day. No eating of breakfast (what i believe is the best way to loose fat) and when its lunch and starving, eat a platter of rice and viand. I made all this mistakes sadly just to impress the opposite sex but then I ended up short and stout. Yet its still not the end of days...
I am writing this not just to humiliate myself but to propagate to every hopeless romantic out there or self-indulgent mutant like me(or is it just me?) to unwind and loosen up... I have tips for you.
To know what to do isn't just what is important, To know what not to do is crucial too...
Just to tell you I am hitting back the gym and I have learned a lot of things which I am going to share to you.
In this first article on work out programs, my goal is to cover what you should not do while lifting. Avoiding mistakes is as crucial as knowing what you are to do if you want success in the gym. Don't do any of these next six mistakes aside from the mistakes I mentioned earlier and you will go along way to success.
1. Don't Lift Without A Trainer.
Regardless of how many magazines you have read or how many videos you have watched, have a trainer to teach you what to do and have him or her watch you to make sure you are performing the exercise correctly. You could think this one is obvious. You might end up injured and quit workout forever. (Thank God it didn't happen to me!) There are right and wrong way to perform an exercise and you will not learn the right way if you don't have an expert to teach you. If you can't afford one, Forget it and go jogging in the plaza.....
2. Don't Be Afraid To Ask Questions.
You are not expected to learn everything in a day or two or even a week, a month or so. Everyone in the gym is learning and the only way you can learn is to ask someone. You can ask your trainer or for some reason you can't you can ask someone who's in between set. Most lifters would take a minute or two to teach newbies because somehow they can remember of being newbies themselves. Or if you are still uncomfortable then you get home, turn on your pc and browse on Google, There are plenty of web forums out there that you can post you question with. You will get you answers for sure.
3. Don't Try To Impress the Big Guys
I know how intimidating it is to be in the gym and the hottest guys on earth is there lifting every plates. You feel like you want to prove you belong and you try to set a world record and you might tend to carry sets that are out of your program and try to pretend as if you won't sweat blood out of it. You might laugh at some bigger guys who lift lighter weights than you do. They have their programs for them to follow and so do you. It is ok to start with a light weight to make sure you have the form down and know what muscles you are supposed to feel working. Eventually you will get to where you are lifting the heavy iron, but it takes time. That actually leads into the next tip.
4, Don't Waste Your Time On The Opposite Sex.
Let's be serious. We all started this endeavor for many reasons. One reason is common among all of us. We want to hook up with some hot girl and there is no shame in admitting it. The fact is though, although we all want to meet our future love interest in the gym, there is work to be done. You are not going to build up that body to impress the chick if you don't work at it. For now, avoid staring and trying to get the attention of the hottie and focus on the task at hand.
5. Don't Be Impatient.
I don't want to burst your bubble or your ego, but this isn't going to happen overnight. That is just a fact of life in bodybuilding and fitness. Have you ever heard the expression "good things come to those who wait"? wahaha Well, it kind of applies here. Although you should work at achieving your goals, being patient and knowing that it comes with time will keep you from getting frustrated and that will keep you motivated to train in order to eventually meet those goals. Deal with curling the 15's or 20's for now and with time and effort, you will get to the bigger dumbbells. Patience is definitely a virtue in this game.
6. Don't Be the "Intense Guy"
Conclusion
Now there are some things that just can't be taught in the weight room. A lot of knowledge in lifting comes with experience but these six tips I just gave you will go a long way in helping you master the iron and get you on your way to accomplishing all of your bodybuilding goals and then some. Best of luck on our iron journey!
