- Three personal trainers say beginners often make similar mistakes, costing them time and progress.
- Having a plan and going to the gym will help and motivate you to reach your goals.
- Warming up properly and using the 4-0-1 method will make your workout more effective.
Fine-tuning your workout routine can take a long time. Over time you’ll learn which exercises work best for you, how to create routines that meet your goals, and if you can, keep your form in check to prevent injury.But you already have all the answers Wouldn’t it be nice if you could start your journey with exercise?
One way to reduce the trial and error period is to consult an expert personal trainer. Chrissy Signor told an insider. She said that after years of working out and working as her personal trainer, she has learned so much that she wished she had known when she first started. , she shares these tips with her clients.
Like Signore the personal trainer Stephanie Zengas and celebrity trainer harley pasternak told Insider he made a lot of mistakes when he started working out and wanted to be able to go back and fix them. They also said they give beginners the advice they wanted when they first started.
These personal trainers tell Insider that planning and warming up properly is essential, among other tips, when starting a new exercise routine.
make a plan have flexible goals
All three trainers agreed that a mistake many beginners make is going to the gym without a proper training plan.Your plan should include strategy exercise It works towards long-term goals, Pasternak said.
A plan will not only help you move forward towards your goals in the long run, but it will also help you feel more accomplished and motivated as an exercise physiologist. Tom Holland previously told an insider.
While it’s important to set goals for yourself, it’s also important to be flexible with those goals and change them as you progress, says Signore. You may want to lose 10 pounds, but gaining muscle through exercise It could mean that the fat loss isn’t showing up on the scale like you thought.
less is actually more
Another common mistake personal trainers make for beginners is overdoing it.
“I have clients who believe that in addition to an hour of cardio, they need to exercise and lift six to seven days a week.
She also said many of the people who come to her for weight loss have the same strategy she had when she started working out. This approach can actually have the opposite effect, she said. metabolism Push your body to hold more fat.
losing weight too fast — About two pounds more per week, according to Signore — and puts you at a higher risk of putting it back on.
Pasternak said it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter. He said results come from being consistent with long-term planning, and when it comes to workout length, his sessions can last from 15 minutes to 45 minutes for him. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Warming up and focusing on mobility can help prevent injuries and make your workouts more effective
One of the biggest mistakes Zengas made when she first started was warming up Or working on mobility. Even at 26, she said, she consistently has injuries that could have been prevented with proper warm-up.
Signore says that a routine can be more effective if you work the muscles you’re trying to work out for a few minutes before you start your workout, and perform the full range of motion without weights.After your workout, she also said it’s important to stretch.
“The stretch at the end helps with blood flow and helps the muscles recover. Because the muscles are all very tense, you will have less muscle soreness and help reduce injury,” she said.
work on supporting muscles
Although he admitted he probably wasn’t interested in this advice as a teenager, Pasternak said it was important for beginners to exercise more supportive muscles. buttocks, triceps, and latitude.
Strengthening these muscles posture, It prevents injury and supports the muscles in the front of the body to improve appearance.
The 4-0-1 method helps improve power and muscle imbalances
One tip Signore said he wished he had known when he started was: 4-0-1 method.
She said she targets four seconds when stretching muscles during strength-training moves. When you’re done with that move, don’t pause and let the muscle contract her for 1 second.
Slowing the extension of a muscle strains it and strengthens the supporting muscles around it.
Develop a deeper ‘why’ for exercise
Trainers said their goals when they started were mostly aesthetic, but if you want to make exercise a long-term part of your life, it’s important to develop a deeper “why.”
While physical appearance is still important to Tzengas, she also prides herself on her physical fitness and believes exercise is essential to her mental health.
Signore said her reasons for exercising changed after working with a personal trainer.
“I went to the gym with a goal of, ‘I need to lose 10 pounds,’ but after working with a personal trainer, I was like, ‘No, I need to create this sustainable, healthy life.’ I got out of the gym with,” she said.
Ultimately, your goals will be personal, she said.