You're doing it wrong!

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I want to specifically help those out there who are hitting the gym but not seeing the results that they are trying to achieve.  There are many people who overcome the obstacles of finding the time and energy of getting to the gym, or even using home equipment or being active in some other way, but still do not reach their fitness goals.  And I am not trying to sound harsh when I say this, but, one of the  primary reasons that there are people and situations like this is simply because they are doing it wrong.  Although it isn't "rocket science", exercise and training is a science.  Personal trainers, athletic trainers, strength coaches and all the like need at minimum to pass some certification course, and most of the good ones will have studied exercise as part of an undergraduate, graduate or even post graduate curriculum.  Trainers are paid to help people attain their fitness goals not only because of their motivational techniques, but because simply put...they know what they are doing.  Most people will go to a mechanic when they have a problem with their car...they seek out professional help.  There are plenty of other examples like this and it is encouraged to do the same with your health and fitness.  But, there are some general rules to follow that can help most everyone.  So read some of the common problems of people I see that are doing it wrong at the gym.

          You don't see change - As I started this post, one of the number one ways you can tell that you are doing it wrong at the gym is if you are putting in the effort, but not seeing the body changes you are striving for.  Whether you are not seeing the body change you are looking for and/or you aren't seeing any gains in strength, chances are you are not following a proper exercise prescription.  Again, with exercise being a science, there are proven exercise prescriptions that will help you get to your goals.  You shouldn't go to the gym to just move weight and/or spend countless minutes on a cardio machine.  Doing it the correct way means following the proper exercise prescription suited to your individual goals.

         You aren't sweating - If you are at the gym and you are not sweating at some point, chances are you aren't working out at a high enough intensity level.  While I do know that there are people who need to be working out an extremely high intensity level in order to start sweating, and you may be one of them, if you are also someone who is not hitting their goals, there is a good possibility that you are not training intensely enough.  I often say that it is called "working" out for a reason...you need to be putting in the effort to get something out of it.  If you are not challenged enough, your body will not change.

         You can talk while training - If you can have a conversation while you are actually performing a movement, then you are definitely not training hard enough to see a body change.  If you can carry out a full conversation with the person on the cardio machine next to you, you are doing it wrong.  If you can talk to your trainer throughout the weight training set, both of you are doing it wrong.  There is even a partially subjective assessment used by trainers called the Talk Test to determine exercise intensity level.  If you are able to have a conversation with the trainer while working, you are doing it wrong.

         You are in pain while exercising - This one might not apply to everyone, but it is certainly one that everyone should avoid.  The saying "No pain, no gain" should not be taken literally.  Figuratively, it refers to training the correct way, by training at an appropriately high intensity level...see the first three above.  But if you are in actual pain while training, and/or you are making an injured part of your body feel worse than when you walked into the gym, you are doing it wrong.  with many of my clients there is an ailment at some point that I need to consider.  With my clients I always tell them that there are thousands of potential exercises that can be performed, and if one is causing them pain, we stop it, and choose another one that does not illicit pain.

         You are not using the correct muscles - Another common problem that I see many inexperienced exercisers have is that they do not use the muscles that they are trying to target.  This happens typically for one of two reasons.  One reason is that people will use momentum to move weight instead of engaging the muscles required for the movement.  This is troublesome for many reasons including the fact that using momentum over muscle activation can lead to injury very easily.  Another reason is that by just moving weight and not actually focusing on the muscle contracting and relaxing during the movement, you are wasting your time and energy.

          If you are finding the time and energy to get to the gym you deserve to make it count.  If you are one of the people who are performing the exercises but not getting the results, you most likely need to make some changes to your routine.  Did you fit into any of the categories I mentioned above?  If so, it isn't too late.  You can still make the changes and you certainly deserve to.  Seeking professional advice, just as you would if you had a car problem, is recommended.  Making the most of your time in your physical activities is the proper way to reach a fit new you!