Fit People Avoid These 5 Fitness Mistakes
When you make the motivated decision to take the fitness blow-torch to the “muscle mayo” (aka- FAT) you’ve stored up over the years, the first couple of weeks may seem easy. You’re fired up on motivation. The idea of coming out on the other side to a new wardrobe, flashing your new washboard abs, and people gawking at your new physique is appealing, to say the least. But then those fitness mistakes start creeping in.
Why Do Dedicated People Lapse on Their Fitness Goals?
First, a real-life case study from Dan:
“When I started my first fitness program, I was killing it. I was motivated like Rocky was in his boxing career. I could see immediate changes in my body. Then around the third and fourth weeks, something happened. I plateaued.
My weight wasn’t dropping on the scale. I didn’t look more toned. My clothes didn’t fit any better than before.
I became extremely discouraged. If I was doing everything right, so why wasn’t I seeing any results? Here I was, eating well (no “cheat meals”, no excessive calories) and was consistent with my workouts every day. I didn’t feel I was seeing results from all the work I was putting forth.
Still, instead of quitting, I kept at it. I redoubled my efforts. I upped my weight, squeezed out one more rep, pushed harder in cardio, and most importantly TRUSTED the program, knowing the results would come because I was applying the right choices to get there.
And guess what? It worked!
By week five, I tried on a “regular” shirt again (and by “regular,” I mean smaller sizes I didn’t have to hide behind) and my pants were loosening up. From there, it was progress week after week.”
In short, we’ve found that this happens to a LOT of people. They start off strong but a few weeks into it, they lapse because they stop seeing immediate results.
Weeks 3 and 4 are Critical!
We get it. It’s easy to get discouraged and take your “eye off the prize.” But giving up just sends you back to where you started. Staying motivated every day and pushing through your slumps gets you to that “highlight reel” body transformation.
Just remember: your battle for a total body transformation is an ongoing one, and results aren’t often dramatic in the first 14, 21, or even 30 days. There are quite a few ways to sabotage your excitement. The thing is, you don’t have to let it.
Your success comes entirely from you making the right decisions (eating right and keeping your workouts consistent), day in and day out, over the course of your journey.
If, after weeks 3 and 4, you still aren’t noticing any changes, you may be making one of these 5 common mistakes:
Fitness Mistake 1: Poor Nutrition
You can work out all you want but if your eating exceeds your activity level, you’re not going to notice much change. You can essentially undo everything from the gym with mistakes made in the kitchen.
Make sure to replenish your body with carbs, protein, and other nutrients you used up during your workout. Ensure that your meals are colorful (aka lots of veggies) and the portions are right. Many dietitians claim that 80% of weight loss comes from what you eat, and 20% comes from your exercise. Essentially, food consumption is key!
On the contrary, if you aren’t eating ENOUGH, you’re doing your body a disservice, too. Your body NEEDS calories (fuel) to burn fat. You don’t want to slow your metabolism for so long with so little that you completely stall.
At Kubex Fitness in Logan, UT, we offer a complete nutrition guide to help you build a customized meal plan. This nutrition guide perfectly complements your exercise plan to help you become the healthiest you.
Try our Logan, Utah health club for free with our day pass and visit our Nutrition bar.
Fitness Mistake 2: Bored Muscles
Your muscles become “bored” when you perform the same exercise day in and day out: in short, your body will adapt to new stimuli, so it’s important to keep pushing. When you keep doing the same workout (same intensity, same duration), your muscles aren’t challenged enough. They need variety- intensity, more volume- CHALLENGE. What’s hard today may not be as difficult in a few weeks. Change up your workout and PUSH so your muscles or aerobic capacity can adapt and compensate and… IMPROVE.
Basically, if you’ve mastered your workout, or it no longer seems challenging, chances are you need to change things up. Fortunately for Kubex members, our animations in each Kube guide you through your workout with fun, challenging, and engaging exercises, so you don’t have to worry about your muscles getting enough variety.
Check out our gym specials near me!
Fitness Mistake 3: Not Pushing Hard Enough
Your intensity level during a workout makes a huge difference in seeing real results. If you’re not raising your heart rate or breathing a little heavier, you may not be pushing hard enough. As previously mentioned, workouts should be a bit of a challenge. Raise your intensity, up your weights, or do more reps to really push yourself. It will shock your muscles, and force them to compensate.
One of our favorite sayings is, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” That’s how your body makes the changes you want to see.
Fitness Mistake 4: Negative Mental State
Your mind is a funny thing. It controls everything you do. If you have a negative attitude when it comes to exercising, chances are you’re not going to enjoy it. If you’re in a bad mental state, chances are you’re going to be more sluggish, less-motivated, and less likely to stick to your workout regimen.
Let’s be honest- for those cranking out of bed or visiting the gym after a rough day at work, getting a workout in might not sound like priority one. Still, experience has shown that once you get going, you’re going to enjoy it. That’s because exercising releases chemicals called endorphins that, when interacted with the brain, trigger positivity.
So next time you’re not “feeling it,” focus, crank up your favorite tunes and get to work!
Fitness Mistake 5: Compare Yourself To Others
This fitness mistake can be tricky. We live in a day and age where everywhere we turn, we see a “peak” into others’ lives. All it takes is hopping on to Facebook, Instagram or any other form of social media. We compare our “worst” to their “highlight reels.” We become discouraged when we see someone else totally killing it with their workouts and getting incredible results. You compare your body shape to theirs.
Stop it!
You don’t have to worry about comparing yourself to others. Everyone is built differently. We all have different bodies. Someone else’s success doesn’t make yours a failure. This philosophy is a primary mover behind our Kube system, allowing you to work and focus on YOU. The only comparisons made are how you crushed two more reps this week than last.
Come visit the best gum in Logan, Utah for a full-body workout with a day pass today.
If you MUST compare, compare to yourself. Track your changes. Take measurements, document weight loss with our Body Scans, and note the difference in reps/weight you did from the previous week. If you’ve made progress, even if it’s in the slightest, consider that a huge success!
Success in any endeavor starts with an understanding of where you are currently, where you want to be, and how to get there.
In this journey, there are bound to be discouraging days but know you’re on the right path. Recommit and look past the “right now” and focus on where you want to be 3 months from now. And remember, if you ever need help and a loving kick in the pants, we’re right here for you.
