This is a list of ten common mistakes made during exercise. Quite
often the exerciser and even the personal trainer or coach is unaware
of these mistakes, decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise and even
risking injury. This list describes each "mistake" but follows with a
suggested "correction". You may find this list helpful in grading
yourself or even your personal trainer.
Ineffective warm up prior to a workout
The
purpose of a warm-up is to gently prepare the body for the increased
stress from the upcoming exercise session. A 5 - 10 min bout of moderate
intensity cycling, treadmill walking or elliptical work or even sports
specific type movements to induce a mild, sustained stretch will be
sufficient. These activities have the effect of increasing blood flow to
the muscles (including the heart) and increasing the core muscle
temperature for improved joint flexibility and range of motion, possibly
helping reduce injury.
Quite often exercisers go to the extreme
when it concerns a warm up, they either do not perform one at all, or
"prefatigue" by running at a high intensity for 15 -20 minutes (or more)
before their session. This has the effect of draining valuable muscle
carbohydrate stores (glycogen) needed for the upcoming strength
training/bodybuilding exercise session.
If the goal of exercise is
to lose weight, it is actually better to perform extended aerobic
exercise or interval training at the end of an intense strength training
session as the body will be likely to burn more fat as a fuel due to
the decreased glycogen stores.
Ineffective stretching
Many
individuals and personal trainers lack the knowledge to perform
stretches effectively. For example, when performing a static hamstring
stretch on the floor with the leg straight up in the air it is essential
to press the opposite leg onto the floor to prevent excessive posterior
(backward) tilting of the pelvis. Posterior tilting will decrease the
effectiveness of the stretch.
When performing a dynamic stretch
like a lunge to stretch the groin and thigh muscles, the spine (and
pelvis) must remain erect and perpendicular to the floor otherwise the
effectiveness is lost. Exercisers that stretch in the standing position
while holding onto or pressing against some external source of
stabilization deprive themselves of full benefit.
It may
beneficial to perform dynamic stretches with good technique in
unsupported standing and lunge type positions at the beginning of the
session. This has the effect of simultaneously targeting balance (core
stability) and flexibility while preparing the body and joints for
movement during the strength training workout to follow. Static
stretching may be more effective at the end of the workout session as
the muscles will be warm and pliable.
Excessive use of machines
As
mentioned in other articles on this website, exclusive use of exercise
machines deprives the core muscles of stimulation and forces muscles to
work either in isolation or in static, non functional patterns. While
some machines such as leg press machines and assisted pull up/dip
machines have merit; exercises that accentuate the body's own internal
stabilization mechanism (core) are excellent for increasing movement
function and also allow for much more creativity and fun.
Exercise
machines are good for an introduction to resistance training and for
bodybuilding, but it is not advisable to use them as an exclusively. A
good suggestion is to strike a balance between exercises that challenge
the body's own stability and balance (free weights, standing/lunging
exercises) and traditional machine and supported exercises, which allow
for greater muscle work
Poor exercise technique
Ultimately
quality is the factor that matters most when exercising not necessarily
quantity. It is easy to sacrifice form for function and perform many
more repetitions of an exercise with poor technique than to perform the
same movement with strict biomechanically correct technique. It makes
sense then that correct technique is the most difficult aspect to learn
and control as it is often only gained through experience and trial and
error.
An inexperienced exerciser should invest in the services of
an experienced and credentialed personal trainer to minimize the
learning curve and get it right from the start. For example, an
excellent method of assessing the quality of you or your instructor's
form in a squat is to view the back of the head in relation to the back
of the heel. If the spine is straight (not curved) and the back of the
head remains in line with the back of the heel (flat) throughout the
entire movement, then the technique is good.
Essentially, the
barbell should move in a near vertical line throughout the movement.
Should the bar move forward, it places increasingly heavy loads on the
spine and intevertebral discs, much like the arm of a crane. Lifting in
this manner increases the likelihood of injury to the spine and the
connective tissues such as discs, muscles and ligaments.
Holding the feet down and throwing the legs during abdominal exercises
An
exerciser's feet should never be held down or hooked under a bed/door
when performing multiple sit ups as this will allow for a majority of
the work to be performed by the hip flexor (groin) muscles. The lower
abdominals are responsible for fixing the pelvis in a sit-up by pressing
the low back into the floor. If the abdominals fatigue or are not
strong enough to hold the low back flat and the feet are fixed, the hip
flexors may cause a forward tilting of the pelvis and the development of
a "hole" in the lower back.
Performing sit-ups with a forward
tilted pelvis tends to strain the low back and actually stretch and
weaken the abdominals instead of strengthening them. The same problems
can occur while lying on the back when both legs are raised straight
into the air and are thrown by a partner toward the floor. If the lower
abdominals cannot fix the pelvis flat as the legs approach the floor,
this type of exercise can seriously strain the lower back muscles. An
alternate leg scissor action is reverse curls or hanging knee lifts are a
better substitute for concentrating on the lower abdominals.
Holding onto the front or side rails of a treadmill
This
is a common sight in any gym of fitness facility - a person gets on a
treadmill and starts to progressively crank up the speed and incline.
The incline approaches maximal and the individual is holding onto the
front or side rails for dear life to avoid being thrown off the machine.
The rail holding essentially cancels out the benefit of the increased
intensity demands gained from the incline since the arms are literally
holding the body up.
Holding the railings also negatively affects
natural walking/running biomechanics - the lack of arm swing may
unnecessarily strain muscles and connective tissue - especially those of
the pelvis and low back. Rail holding also has the effect of reducing
the core/balance training stimulus required to walk/run in the
unsupported condition.
Lastly, since most people use treadmills as
a means of performing aerobic exercise to lose weight why stop the arms
from moving as this contributes to energy expenditure?
Ineffective exercise progression
Any
exercise session should have some logical order to maximize results.
Often exercisers and trainers do not place a high priority on exercise
order; switching from one exercise to another with no apparent sequence.
Exercise order is very important on the eventual results and should be
motivated by the neuromuscular and energy system demands of the chosen
exercises. For example, core exercises which require a great deal of
concentration and precise form to perform effectively, should be
performed when the person is "fresh"- right after a short warm-up and
stretching.
Core training may be followed by power training (if
appropriate) since this form of exercise also requires that the
exerciser be rested and fresh to perform effectively. Multiple joint
strength training (exercises like squats, lunges, bench press, shoulder
press etc.) should follow power training since these exercises require
large energy reserves.
A good variation here is to alternate
between upper and lower body exercises or use the "pull/push" rule -
that is, follow a pulling type exercise with a pushing type exercise.
Since most isolation exercises such as tricep extensions, bicep curls
and sit-ups have much lower energy requirements, these can be performed
near the end of the session.
Trying to perform stabilization and mobilization exercise together
The
core muscles stabilize the pelvis in its "neutral" position (as in
standing upright with perfect posture). The muscles like the hamstrings,
large back muscles and hip flexors that are attached to the pelvis are
mobilizing muscles and do just what their name implies - they tilt the
pelvis forward and back, side to side and rotate it to allow for bodily
movement. It is very difficult to train stability and mobility in a
single exercise since technically they are opposite actions.
For
example, performing squats (requires movement of the pelvis) on a BOSU
ball or while standing on inflatable discs or foam rollers is probably
of little benefit to strengthening the core. Likewise, performing
curl-ups on an exercise ball is unlikely to improve core strength as
this exercise is targeting the muscles that tip the pelvis backwards.
Core
exercises are best performed in static positions such as bridging and
standing. It is beneficial then to concentrate on stabilizing strength
and mobilizing strength separately and not together. Build a foundation
of core stability and flexibility first before trying to work the arm
and legs. Much more leg strength can be trained when the foot is in
contact with a firm surface (like the ground) - besides this is how we
operate in daily life anyway.
Faulty exercise progression
Quite
often exercisers, personal trainers and even coaches fail to understand
functional exercise progressions. They observe other people performing a
particular exercise and decide to incorporate it in their or their
client's routine. It may be however that the person they observed
performing the exercise had progressed to that point correctly in a
functional and systematic manner. If an exerciser attempts to perform an
exercise that they are physically unprepared for, there is increased
risk of injury and performing the movement with poor technique.
The
brain remembers and stores both good and bad motor and movement
patterns, so the old adage JUNK IN = JUNK OUT holds true for exercise
too. A good suggestion is strengthen form the "inside out" and not the
"outside in" by focusing on flexibility and stability. These are the
prerequisites to the successful performance of functional movements such
as squats, lunges and sport specific movements.
So static
stability training and stretching progresses to dynamic stability
training, which then progresses to strength and finally power training.
To attempt to strengthen and condition the body from the "outside in"
instead of from the "inside out" will fail to give any satisfactory
results. Any exercise program should look first to develop a base (core
stability, cardiovascular fitness) and then progressively "build" on
this base to improve performance, strength and function.
Placing blocks under the heels in a squat
Placing
blocks under the heels is a common technique used by trainers and
exercisers alike to compensate for tight calf muscles (soleus) or to
concentrate work on the quadriceps (thigh muscles). Often exercisers see
other individuals performing squats in this manner and they aim to copy
them. This practice is not advisable since one is essentially "giving
in" to the lack of flexibility at the ankle and failing to increase the
quality of this highly functional movement.
Raising the heels also
places the ankle in an unstable, plantarflexed position making it more
susceptible to injury - specifically a lateral ankle sprain. In this
position, the body's center of mass shifts from the midfoot to nearer
the toes, increasing the likelihood of a loss of balance and possible
injury. A safer method to target either the quadriceps or the hamstrings
and glutes is to control the bar placement on the back.
In the
high position the bar rests on the posterior deltoids (shoulder muscles)
at the base of the neck, this has the effect of targeting the
quadriceps muscles. In the low position, the bar rests further down the
back across the posterior deltoid at the level of the middle trapezius
(top of the shoulder blades) this positioning will translate into a
greater load being shifted towards the hamstring and glute muscles.
This
article has aimed to highlight the common mistakes that people may make
in their exercise routines. Very often just an awareness of the
mistakes can often remedy the situation while other problems may take
time and experience to deal with like learning correct exercise
technique. It is hoped that this article served the purpose of informing
the reader so as to allow him/her to get the most out of their exercise
routine and allow them to make educated assessments of themselves and
other exercise professionals.
