Let’s face it — we all have made mistakes in our workout journey and have even experienced moderate injuries due to these mistakes. Here at Circuit Works LA, we notice that there are generally three common workout mistakes made in HIIT cardio classes by participants when they first join.
In this article, we’ll take a look at these common mistakes that you may not even realize you are making, along with tips and tricks on how to correct them and keep you safe from avoiding a potential injury.
Three common workout mistakes that can cause injury
Mistake Number One: Improper form
The problem: You began working out without learning the proper form first. Improper form during your workout can lead to injury, pain, and decreased effectiveness in targeting specific muscles. It only takes a few moments of inefficient movement to produce negative results. If you want to get the most out of your workout, it’s important to understand proper form when doing functional strength training or HIIT exercises. The right form and technique in your body posture guarantees that your body is securely engaged, to avoid injury. This can be especially important if you’re lifting heavy weights or doing any strength training exercises.
The fix: The best way to ensure that you are performing your exercises in a safe and effective way with proper form is to start with a personal trainer or join a fitness studio. They will teach you the proper form for each movement and make any corrections in real-time. Joining a fitness studio and working with a personal trainer when you get started will help you feel more confident, and also ensure your safety if you have existing injuries.
Mistake Number Two: Skipping warm-up and cool-down
The problem: You think that you can jump in and out of a workout without a proper warm up or cool down. We get it, sometimes you are feeling pressed for time and want to get right into your workout before warming up or leave without cooling down because you are in a rush. You’ll want to reconsider this for longevity.
A warm-up is essential before beginning a workout regardless of the amount of time or effort you plan on putting in. It will prepare your body for exercise, increase blood flow to your muscles, and raise your body temperature. It will increase your heart rate and blood pressure, and loosen muscles and connective tissues so they can perform at full capacity when it comes to strength and endurance. The warm-up should be specific to the workout you’re doing and mimic the movements that you will be including in your workout. An example would be if you are training legs and about to lift heavy weights on a deadlift or squat, you will want to start with walking, jumping jacks, and hamstring stretches.
Taking the time to cool down after your workout is an essential part of the recovery process. Cooling down helps your body initiate repair and prevents muscle soreness. During a cooldown period, your body’s heart rate and core temperature return to normal levels for maximum safety. It also provides an opportunity to stretch muscles, joints, and tendons to reduce any soreness you may experience after exercise.
The Fix: Set aside a few minutes at the start and end of your workout for warm-up and cool-down. Investing in your workout doesn’t have to be time-consuming. The American Heart Association suggests dedicating 5-10 minutes for warming up before you exercise and cooling down after you exercise, incorporating stretches. Those extra few minutes certainly seem worth it when you consider that you’re helping prevent injuries to your body, improve your performance, and aid your post-workout recovery. It can be the difference between feeling relaxed or sore – the better you feel, the sooner you’ll want to come back for another HIIT cardio workout. If you don’t have time at the gym, consider walking to the gym, walking home or warming up at home before you get to the gym and then leaving time to cool-down.
Mistake Number Three: Using the wrong weight
The problem: You are working out using weights that are too light for too long or jumping to a weight that is too heavy too soon. Forms of ‘weights’ can include resistance bands, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, and machines.
The Fix: Pace yourself on your journey, track your weight progress in a book, or consider joining a group fitness class. With a quick search of “group fitness classes near me”, you’re sure to find a local fitness studio with group classes. By being a part of a group fitness class, you will have trainers there to guide and support you, ensuring that you are using the proper weight for your workout and moving up in weight in a safe way. You can also get in the habit of tracking your workouts, including pounds used, numbers of reps, sets, and times of rest periods. This will ensure you are progressing at a good pace and not making drastic jumps.
Are you ready to rock your fitness journey and avoid making the common workout mistakes? Contact us to join a HIIT cardio class, functional strength training and burn more calories!
