Five ways to waste time at the gym

1, Focusing on small isolation exercises only

Using exercises that only activate a small number of muscle fibres is going to get you nowhere when trying to loose fat and improve muscle tone. For women this normally involves using 2kg dumbbells for redundant shoulder exercises and for guys its often spending 45 minutes to an hour training only arms with isolation exercises.

Solution- Instead focus on big compound exercises that recruit the most muscle groups. This will give you the best bang for buck return for your efforts in the gym. Yes they feel hard, but that’s why they work!

2, Performing too much cardio, especially at steady state

Excessive cardio not only raises stress hormone levels further but it will actually make you fatter in the long run as your body breaks down muscle for fuel. Don’t be a cardio queen or make the mistake of doing cardio to ‘loose weight’.

Solution- Drop the cardio, especially performing it before you lift weights. Lifting more weights will not automatically turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger or Zena warrior princess. The majority of guys who go to the gym struggle to build muscle despite their efforts. It takes years of specific and targeted training and nutrition to build appreciable amounts of muscle. Weight training will however increase your metabolic rate and make you stronger.

If you still insist on doing cardio then leave it to the end and limit it to 10-15 minutes of gruelling interval training. Intervals are best performed in a park as getting some fresh air and natural light is good for you.

3, Doing stupid stuff because its different and looks cool

Jumping on a bosu ball to perform 1 legged squats or doing bicep curls on a vibrating plate is not going to get you any closer to weight loss success. This is no more than entertainment training. Sure it might feel difficult due to the balance involved but so would a tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon. Would tightrope walking help you loose weight more effectively though, certainly not!

Solution- Ignore the stupid stuff and stick to the basics, and especially don’t let amateur personal trainers misdirect your efforts in the gym trying to show you cool stuff. You want maximal return for your time invested in the gym.

4, Getting stuck in Ground Hog Day and doing the same thing all the time

Humans are creatures of habit and routine and like to do things a certain way. Unfortunately so is the human body and it will adapt to any physical challenge you give it within 6-12 weeks. Performing the same routine for too long is a game of diminishing returns, especially if you are not pushing yourself to make performance improvements, i.e. get stronger or do more work in less time.

Solution- Change your bloody routine and stop being so OCD about doing the same thing all the time! Give yourself some fresh exercises to do that are compound in nature and you’ll be surprised how quickly it has an effect on your body.

5, Trying to make up for an inadequate diet with more activity in the gym

If you eat like crap unless you are exceptionally gifted with a fast metabolism to burn it off then you will look like crap too.

Unfortunately even those gifted with a fast metabolism cannot stop the internal damage done by trans fats and nutritional deficiencies created by the lack of nutrients in processed/fast foods. Eventually it will catch up on them in the form of inflammatory conditions and illnesses such as, IBS, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, mental conditions and abnormal cholesterol levels. The clock is ticking.

If you want your body to be healthy and function well then you need to provide it with the right nutrients for it to function properly. Only YOU put the food in your mouth, making excuses because of cultural and social pressure is no excuse.

Rather than bitch about how you find it difficult to eat healthier when around your family why not take command and start steering those you love to you to a healthier diet. How many years of good health do you want to spend with them?

With over 60% of the UK population overweight these you need to be doing something different from the majority. Don’t let yourself remain part of the overweight and sick herd of sheep.

The government guidelines on how to eat quite simply suck and are not working. People are getting fatter and sicker than ever and health policies are heavily influenced by big food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies profiteering and filling their pockets at the expense of your health. Open your eyes!

Solution- Seek expert from a Bio Signature Practitioner or functional medicine doctor on correct nutrition. It you have been eating badly for a number of years then you are already going to have some nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that need to be corrected if you are to improve your health and loose body fat. A healthy body will drop excess body fat once it has been brought back into nutrient and hormone balance.