If you want the fastest results possible, make sure you aren’t committing these common weight-lifting mistakes:
1. Not resting enough. The No. 1 weight training mistake men make is overworking a particular group of muscles. Rest is as important to muscle growth as exercise, and cutting your rest days short will only weaken your muscles and slow your gains. Allow for at least two days of rest for any particular group of muscles for maximum results and to avoid injuries. Also, don’t forget to take your post-workout supplement after every exercise session to help your muscles recover faster.
2. Lifting fast all the time. Oftentimes, men make the mistake of using short, quick motions to work out, not realizing that they’re completely missing an entire set of muscle fibers that work in every part of the body. Fast twitch muscle fibers are responsible for explosive energy and that’s all that gets worked when a weight gets thrown around. Slow twitch fibers on the other hand are only engaged when the weight is moved in a stable, controlled fashion. Slow twitch fibers are critical for muscle growth and endurance and overworking fast twitch muscles can easily lead to peaking out well below your potential. Mixing slow and fast motions will help you target all fibers for maximum growth.
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3. Sacrificing proper form. You should avoid bad form at all costs. When using bad form, you stress joints, fail to engage stabilizing muscles, and fail to engage all parts of the main muscles. Men will often times rush ahead of themselves to weights that they can lift, but can’t lift with good form, thinking that this will help them push their limits. The reality is that good form is the only way to push past barriers to your development. It is far better to use weight that you can fully control than it is to use weights that go beyond your limits of control.
4. Doing the wrong stretches. Stretching is and will almost always be controversial because there are many schools of thought on the process, and many of them have valid points depending on the type of exercise. The mistake that is most often made is using the wrong type of stretch when exercising. When weight training, your muscles are undergoing very intense, very tightly focused stress and so your stretching routine should match this. Long duration stretches are fine for other activities, but have been shown to dramatically decrease performance and increase the likelihood of injuries when weight training. The reason is that long duration stretches make the muscles tight and tired. It is much better to warm up with a jog on the treadmill followed by a routine of very short duration stretches to limber the muscles without stressing them. Long duration stretches following an exercise routine can help reduce stiffness later, but this should only be done after completing the routine.
5. Not taking supplements. Although you can achieve a great body without the use of workout supplements, you’ll do so at a slower pace. Using workout supplements such as a tri-creatine matrix and a whey protein powder can help you get visible results faster. Just remember: Supplements are just that – supplements to a healthy lifestyle. If you don’t put in the effort to work out and eat healthy, supplements won’t help you. To find the right supplements for you, check out “The Best Supplements for Men.”
