Top 5 Fitness Mistakes By Beginners

1.  Not seeking a mentor

How can you expect to achieve results without some sort of mentorship whether you hire a personal trainer, buy some books, do some research online, watch youtube videos etc.  You should have no problem putting money aside for the sake of your health if you are truly serious but if you are not willing to do this or simply don't have the money you can still find more than you need to know on the internet (YouTube is probably the best option).  You can achieve results much faster if you have a good personal trainer or you have aqquired the knowledge you need to know by yourself.  You will make mistakes that may set you back and you will regret it when you look back on them and think why did I do that ?  For example if an athlethe goes into the gym and does a bunch of curls and other isolation exercises they will not be performing even though they may be killing themselves in the weight room. Don't think you know it all and always question your beliefs.

You will also find there are many people who have different views on issues such as high reps vs low reps and rest times in between sets it is your job to find out which works for you better and to search for many different opinions.  Take advantage of the fact that you will build the most muscle, strength and fitness at the beginning and after a while the results will come much slower.

2. Routine Maintainence

If you have hit a plateau after two months of doing the same routine and it seems like you havn't been getting stronger for a couple of weeks and you're a beginner you might want to think about switching up your routine although the longer you are training for the slower strength and muscle gains will come.  Sometimes you have to be patient but you really have to make the decision when is time to change your routine.  After a while your body adapts to your routine or program and this is not what you want.  You have to keep your body guessing.  If you want to stick to your routine you can try implementing tools like dropsets or supersets for a period of time and hope this may work.  You should also use different equipment as your body may respond differently and you might enjoy training more. 

3. No Warm up or too short of a warmup Or Cool down 

Without a warmup you are asking you're body to work before the oxegen and blood flow reach the muscles of the body and this is never good and can lead to injury.  You should spend at least 10 minutes warming up before a workout.  Some people prefer to go through the movements that they will be doing in the workout just with lighter weights as their warmup while others choose to stretch but that really comes down to personal preference.  The idea of a warmup is to prepare the body by gradually increasing the heart rate and circulation.  A warmup will loosen your joints and it will allow oxegen to reach the muscles.  A warmup will also prepare you mentally for a workout.  You should not static stretch straight away you need to raise your body temperature first and this is where dynamic stretching comes into play.  The purpose of the cooldown is to decrease the intensity of an aerobic session and return the body to a state of rest (lowering the heart rate). The cool down is just as important as the warmup.

4. Not planning a workout

Too many times in the gym you see people strolling around the gym wondering which exercise to do next.  This can be avoided by following a decent program e.g 5x5 is a good program for a begginer to increase strength and simultaneously build muscke but should probably only be done after about 6 months because your nervous system hasn't adapted to weights yet never mind heavy weights.  I highly advise having a workout copy where you can keep track of your workouts, plan workouts ahead, rest times, reps, sets, tempo, rest times in between sets or exercises, workout duration and many other things.  If you are truly serious you will do this.

5. Quitting too early

You cannot transform your body overnight its takes plenty of consistenty and hard work do that.  If it was easy everybody would do it.  Unfortunately, many people give up training after only a short period usually because of frustration that they didn't get the results they wanted after three weeks.  Set yourself realistic short term and long term goals and judge yourself off them.  For example if you training like a bodybuilder for a few months you cannot expect to look like Kai Greene.  In my opinion this is a good thing because fitness is more than just about getting to your goal it's about the person you become along the way.  The lessons you learn, the new friends you make, the accomplishments, learning from your failures etc.  If you find yourself giviing up and starting again you simply don't want it bad enough.  You come up with an excuse but at the end of the day nobody cares about your excuses, results are the only thing that matters. You don't have the mental strength to decide between what you want now and what you want the most.  This is not nice to hear but it's the truth.  It takes time to change your body.

Main Systems of the Human Body

The systems of the human body work together as a true cooperative to maintain the health and effeciency of the body. Each system has its own function.  The exact number and extent of the body's system is controversial for example the musculoskeletal system is made up of the bones, joints and the muscles. Although these systems can be given seperate categories they all work together as a unit and each one depends on the other for physical and physiological support.  Most systems have general body tissues such as connective tissues which support, deleniate and cushion many organs.  All the systems are essential for survival except for the reproductive system.

Muscular System:

The muscles of the body work together with the skeleton to provide the pulling force for varied degress of movement. These movements range from powerful to finely tuned.  Involuntary muscles are the muscles which move mostly automatically to control internal processes of the body.  The muscles require nerves to control them and blood to keep them supplied with oxegen and energy.

Skeletal system :

The skeleton is defined as a solid framework that supports the body. The bones work as levers and anchor plates to allow for movement.  Bones also play a part in other body systems.

Nervous System :

The brain is the seat of both conciousness and creativity and through the spinal cord and nerve branches, it controls all body movements using its motor output.  The brain also receives sensory information from outside and within the body.  Much of the brains activity happens unconciously as it works with the endocrine glands to monitor and maintain other body systems.  The Nervous System can be broken down into smaller systems which are part of the nervous system such as the autonomuic nervous system which consists of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous sytem. 

Endocrine System :

The glands and cells of the endocrine system produce chemical messengers called hormones e.g testosterone which circulate in the blood and other fluids.  Hormones also govern long term processes e.g growth.  The endocrine system has close links to the nervous system.

Cardiovascular System:

The most basic function of the cardiovascular system or the circulatory system is to pump blood around the body.  It supplies all organs and tissues with freshly oxegenated nutrient-rich blood.  Any waste products of cell function are removed with the blood as it leaves.  The circulatory system also transports other vital substances e.g nutrients and hormones.

Respiratory System :

The respiratorty system is the only system that is not essential for us humans to survive.  The respiratory tract and its breathing muscles carry air in and out of the lungs.  As this happens gases are exchanged the body inhales oxegen from the air while carbon dioxide waste is passed back into the air on exhalation.  A secondary function of the respiratory system is vocalization (speech).

Integumentary system:

The skin, hair and nails together form the bodys outer protective covering.  They stop hazards such as physical injury, microorganisms and radiation.  The skin also regulates the body through sweating and ahir adjustment. A layer of fat under the skin acts as an insulator, an energy store and a shock absorber.

Lymph and Immunity System:

The immune systems inticate and interrelationships of physical, celllular and chemical defences provide crucial resistance to many threats e.g infectious diseases.  The slowly circulating lymph fluid helps to distribute nutrients and also collects waste.  It also delivers immunity-providing white blood cells when needed.

Digestive System:

The process of digestion has many stages.  The digestive tract's nine metres of tubing which runs from mouth to anus has a compolex range of functions. It chops and chews food, stores the food and then digests it. It then eleminates the waste and passes nutrients up to the liver. Healthy digestion depends on the proper functioning of the immune and digestive systems.

Reproductive System:

Unlike any other system the reproductive system is not essential for maintaining life and it differs dramtically between male and female. It only functions for part of the human life span. 

Omega-3

Omega-3 refers to Omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats. Fats are vital nutrients and should be in all of our diets but fats from healthy sources such as nuts, fish, avocados, cheese, whole eggs, grass fed butter, etc. Omega-3 comes from both plant and animal sources. Marine animals such as fish provide Eicosapentaenoic acid (E.P.A) and Decosahexaenoic acid (D.H.A) which are promoted for their protective effects on the heart. Flaxseed, chia seeds and a small amount of other foods provide you with Alpha- linoleic acid (ALA). (E.P.A) and D.H.A) are the most important sources of Omega-3 while (A.H.A) will provide you with very little Omega-3 because (A.L.A) is converted in the (D.H.A) and (E.P.A) in your body at a very low ratio. This processs only happens when there are sufficent enzymes. This essentially means you should consume Omega-3 from animal sources but plant based foods which contain Omega-3 are not harmful or unhealthy by any means in fact Chia seeds are a superfood.(D.H.A) can affect your childs learning abilities and behaviour in a positive way. I once read about a study on achild who had very bad hand writing before taking an Omega-3 supplement every day for a month and the childs handwriting improved dramitacally. Laqck of Omega-3 has been found to contribute cancer and heart disease. Statistics are showing lack of Omega-3 may be the cause of almost 100,000 deaths every year. Most women have major deffiencies in Omega-3.Omega-3 can reduce the risk of abnormal heart rythm.The AHA says taking up to 3g of fish oil a day in supplement form is considered safe but this figure will vary for different people as we all have different nutritional needs. I would advise you talk to your doctor if you are considering taking any more than 3g of fish oil (in supplemantation form). For people with very high triglyceride levels perscription Omega-3 preparations are also available. Overall Omega-3 is extremely healthy and if you are Omega-3 defficient you are losing out on the benefits of this fatty acid. Omega-3 supplements are arguably the most important supplents of all.

The Importance of Meditation

Meditation is a way to reduce stress by concentrating on your breathing and eleminating all the thoughts in your mind temporalily. Meditation is free it does not cost you anyhting yet it has many benfits so why not give it a try ? Meditation has spiritual, mental and physical benefits.The benfits of meditation are both immediate and long term. Even if you are thinking throughout your meditation you are still recieving the benfits of meditation. Meditation can increase testosterone by reducing stress levels so you can make more gains and it also helps boost your metabolism so you can lose weight quicker and it increases your energy levels ! If you have a busy schedule even a few minutes of meditation is much better than none. In meditation we are in a state of restful alertness that is great for the body and the mind. Meditation reduces the risk of heart disease by up to 50% and other diseases.  Meditation can also improve memory recall. This information is all based on scientific studies. Meditation increases immune function. Meditation can lower inflammation and decrease pain.  It helps control your emotions which is very important for athlete's ( if you don't want to be sent off because of your actions). More importantly it leads to a better overall life and helps you appreciate it more.  Meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. To achieve the true benefits of meditation regular practise is definately necessary.

Misleading fitness content

Nowadays you must be very careful about which fitness content you choose to view as there is so much  misleading content  such  as  light weights "tone" your body when nothing could be  further  from the truth . Women should lift heavy  too  !  This really annoys me because it leads to many people  quitting on their goals  when they were destined  not to achieve them  because of this bad advice they have been given. I once watched  a programme on  television talking about getting fit. For the new year just out of curiosity. Anyway  the instructor said it only takes  three weeks to tone your arms .  A  good rule  to follow is any  time you  hear the word tone turn your attention to something that's not wasting your time. If it was true everyone would have '"toned arms".  As. Eric  Thomas says if it was easy everybody would do but that's the great thing about fitness you have to work to achieve your goals and the person you become in the process is a person who can achieve any goal and it translates into other aspects of your life. I have experienced it myself. You can't achieve a goal like having 22 inch arms in a very short period of time but there are things you can do to achieve your goal in a shorter period of time. The most important thing is to recognise the misleading content. Books are usually the best option. The morel of the story is you can achieve almost any goal but be careful where you look for content to try and help you achieve it some videos on YouTube are extremely misleading.

Pattern Overload 

Most people think that the best way to improve a certain skill involves in their sport with weight performing the same movement.  For a tennis player might be swinging a dumbell in the same motion as they would on the court or for a baseball player swinging a weighted bat. In most cases this is not training smart. Take a boxer for example if he punches a bag  500 times a day and then he goes into the gym picks up two dumbells and performs the same movement using the dumbells for resistance.  However this has a high possibility of leading to PATTERN OVERLOAD.

Pattern overload is the mechanical breakdown of soft tissue from repeated patterns of movement.

Pattern overload can affect sport by continually stressing the tendons, ligaments and connective tissues in the same type of motor patttern over and over again .  My point being is pattern overload causes instability in the joint which eventually leads to INJURY a nightmare for any athlete. You may even need surgery.

However this does not mean you shouldn't go to the gym or practise your sport scefic skill as this is necessary for maximum performance. Here is a list of things you should do at the gym

• For someone who performes a pushing movement countless times such as a boxer they should not be doing a lot of pushing movements especially horizontal pushing movements and they should do more pullling movements for the area where they perform a punch e.g dumbell row 
• Do not use machines- machines do not allow the body to move in it's natural range of motion. They do not allow the nervous system the freedom it needs to prevent the working joints and soft tissues from injury. Machines are one of the main causes of pattern overload. e.g a regular bench press vs a smith machine bench press
• Don't stretch the muscle in the direction of the pattern you reguarly perform but stretch it the opposite way 

The scientific concepts of neuromuscular isolation and intramuscular loading make sense with regard to building muscle and therefore bodybuilders have a great reliance of machines. However strength coaches and personal trainers have only just begun to realise a strong correlation between machine training and musculoskeletal injuries. Machine training if used at alll in any training program needs to be periodized and well structured in order to prevent Pattern Overload.

A good source of information about pattern overload is Elliot Hulse's strength camp videos about Patttern Overload on youtube. Hope you found this easy to understand.