News

Here Are The 6 Biggest Mistakes You Must Avoid To Get The Lean, Toned, and Sexy Body You Really Want

Jan 22, 2019

Mistake #1: Doing Isolated Exercises

One of the biggest mistakes I see is people going to the gym and spending a lot of time on isolated exercises like bicep curls and calf raises. These will not get you the results you want.

When you do these “one muscle at a time” moves, you just don’t recruit enough muscle fibers to make a significant difference, and you are not burning enough calories to make a difference. You are losing on both sides which makes you. If your goal is to get lean and toned, you have got to do compound, multiple muscle movements, and workout the larger muscles like your legs and back which burn more fat while building lean muscle. Now isolated exercises are not bad and they have a place but you should prioritize compound movements first and foremost.

Mistake #2: Working out with machines

I will try not to go on a rant here, but if you want to get the body you deserve, you should not plan on using weight machines to get it, machines are not optimal. Although machines look really cool and are expensive, they are only good for certain exercises or if you have specific injuries. Machines lock you into a range of motion that may not be best for your body type.

Machines are not the best for movement. They alter your natural range of motion. If you can’t get a full range of motion than you will not recruit all the muscle fibers, which equals less fat burning and less muscle being recruited.

Mistake #3: Doing long bouts of cardio

Often times we see people running long distances for hours on end, this is good once in a while, but if you really want to burn fat and not hit a plateau you have to spike your heart rate up and then bring it back down. You do this with interval and sprint training. A maximum effort for a shorter period, mixed with short rest periods; as opposed to doing 30 -60 minutes on the treadmill. This will get you much faster results and is just a lot better time management.

Mistake #4: Doing crunches and sit-ups to get 6-pack abs

You can’t spot reduce fat; although abdominal exercises are a must, alone they will not give you the sexy midsection that you want. To get the midsection you want to show you have to get rid of the fat, and you have to burn it off you can’t crunch it off. You could have abs that are super strong, but as long as they are covered with a layer of fat no one will ever see them. The best way to burn off fat is, short burst cardio with a maximum effort, mixed with rest periods.

Mistake #5: Doing the same workout routines over and over

Repeating the same workouts over and over is a surefire way to STOP getting results. We all tend to get comfortable and do the same things over and over; humans are creatures of habit. This is not good for your workout; when you repeat the same routine, your body adapts and does less and less each time as it becomes more efficient at completing the prescribed sets reps and time. You see; your body has an amazing ability to adapt quickly and when it does, you hit the dreaded plateau and you stop making progress. That’s why at Elite Edge Transformation Center we constantly mix up the workouts so you will never do the same workout twice. We do this by using kickboxing, kettlebells, agility drills, sprints, and much more to make the workout not only fun but always challenging, exciting and never boring.

Mistake #6: Doing long workouts

We have all heard our friends bragging about how they spent 2 hours in the gym and how much they did. On the surface that sounds really good; 2 hours must mean tons of calories burned and better results, right? We often times look at these people with awe and admiration, but I want you to start looking at these people as big time wasters. In reality, you can’t work out at a strenuous pace in the gym for more than an hour, your body just can’t handle it, it’s simple as that.

Then you ask “what the heck are these people doing for 2 hours?”. In reality, they are probably wasting a lot of time with chit chat, checking out the opposite sex, or just plain old being lazy. So from now on, I want you to look at these people as big time wasters and I would go out on a limb and guess they are not getting the results they want in the gym.

Or maybe you have just been slaving away at the gym and your body isn’t visibly changing, you can’t do more of the same thing and expect a different result. In this case, you need a qualified pro to coach you through the workouts and plan them out. You are missing the proven tools and strategies to get there – you may be running east looking for a sunset. You might be Usain Bolt, but if you are running the wrong direction you’re not going to get there, you need to turn around and start heading west!

When it comes to getting lean and fit, your body responds to quality over quantity. I can show you how to get twice the results in half the time and give you more time to spend on what’s really important, your family and friends and doing the things you love, at the end of the day your workout should increase your quality of life not take up your entire life.

Stop doing the same old boring routine that isn’t getting you results, pick up the phone… and give us a call 515.987.8100 for your free consultation and I promise you will get better results, cheaper, easier and faster!

Achieve Fitness Goals You Once Thought Were Impossible. Start Now.