We all mean well when we go to the gym, but Waterford personal training professionals see some pretty crazy things in their workspace! For instance, they’ll see people texting on an elliptical machine, talking on their mobile phones on the treadmill, or even answering calls during their one-on-one personal training sessions. Not only is it often rude to those around you, but it’s also a huge waste of precious workout time. If you’re not breathing too hard to carry on a conversation, then you’re not pushing yourself hard enough, Waterford personal training experts say.

Another thing Waterford personal training professionals frequently see are people who act as creatures of habit – coming in the same time every day, working out on the same machines, with the same level of intensity. Is it better than sitting at home and watching TV? Yes! But are you getting the full benefit of your workout? No! The main problem is that the body is designed to maintain homeostasis – meaning that your body will quickly get used to that drab routine you’ve drawn up.

If you want to lose weight and improve your overall fitness, you have to throw your body a curve ball. You have to keep your body always repairing, rebuilding, dipping into its fat reserves, and adjusting. That’s what causes real weight loss anyway.  Instead, a Waterford personal training class would have you doing shorter intervals on the bike, elliptical, and treadmill. You would set the machine to have you climbing hills and doing “intervals” that alternate periods of high intensity followed by brief periods of recovery. Also, when you work with a personal trainer, you will never do the exact same workout twice.

People are stuck on this old-fashioned notion that crunches yield six-pack abs. The unfortunate truth is that we all have washboard abs already: some of us just can’t see them beneath layers of fat! Local trainers stress that six-pack abs start in the grocery aisles and at home. Limiting calories and getting your BMI down should be your primary goal. If you would like to strengthen your core (torso, stomach, back and hips), then try doing “planks” instead of crunches to avoid injury and achieve more benefit. To complete this exercise, lie face-down on the floor and raise your body up onto your forearms and toes, holding for 20 to 30 seconds, then lowering your body to the floor.

Another common exercise Waterford personal training professionals warn against is the overhead shoulder lift. Many weightlifters find it customary to lift weights over their heads to boost shoulder strength. Yet, especially as exercisers get older, the number of impinged shoulder joints and damaged tendons rises. Instead, try “scaptions,” where you hold moderate weights in both hands and raise the weights to just below the shoulder, pushing your elbows out at an angle.

Get the most out of every workout with Waterford personal training!