USE YOUR GYM RIGHT! 11/26/07
People who know how to work out are often amazed by those in commercial gyms who don't know what they're doing. Some mistakes may be obvious---the person lifting too much weight in a bicep curl, who has to lean back to get the lats to help out. Some wastes of time may not be obvious---such as the person who uses the same machine in every workout without thinking about the targeted muscles, who has been lifting the same weight for so long that the now-easy exercise can be done without thinking.
Even athletes make waste-of-time mistakes in the gym. So here are important basic facts to remember, in order to make every minute of your workout more efficient:
First: Learn your body. Look at an anatomy chart, see where the muscles start and end, prepare to be surprised. Don't think about working 'arms,' think about biceps, triceps and deltoids. Don't think about working 'legs,' think about calves, quads, hamstings and hip flexors. Know that if you exercise one muscle (biceps, quads) you must exercise the opposing muscle (triceps, hamstring). For an excellent free anatomy chart, google the site "Human Anatomy Online," click on "muscular."
Second: Get a staffer to show you how to use the machines and free weights---again. You may have had an introductory crash course on using gym equipment when you first joined, but you may have forgotten a lot or overlooked some valuable equipment. Even experts skip important exercises like deadlifts or shoulder shrugs. Ask the desk clerk what machines to use for various muscles, and have them show you how to use each one.
Third: Practice range of motion, especially with machines. A machine uses only one range of motion, so only part of the targeted muscle is worked. To work the entire muscle, make changes in the width or angle where you hold a weight or pressure a machine. For example: on a leg press, pressure the plate on the left side of both feet for a few reps, then on the right side, then press with the front of the foot, then with the heels. On a lat pull, vary the width of your hands every few reps. Try to use each machine in several slightly different positions.
If there are two machines for the same exercise, use them both. The range of motion will be different on each machine, so you'll get more of a workout.
Fourth: Change your workout often, about every three weeks or so. The body adapts to exercise quickly. That's why you can now do more reps or lift a weight more easily than before. Once your body adapts, muscles start going soft again, your revved-up metabolism goes back to relaxation mode. Change the resistance, change the number of reps, even change exercises for a few weeks. If you keep your body busy trying to adapt---but not succeeding--you will be a lot leaner and stronger.
Fifth: Keep a workout journal in a small notebook. Write down every exercise; with the reps, sets and pounds you did. A journal is a major resource for gym efficiency. Did you do an arm workout last session? If so, do a leg workout this session. When did you last exercise your lats? Wow, it's been two weeks since you worked your obliques! Your journal is a portable memory.
It can also be a source of pride and encouragment. If you lose enthusiasm for going to the gym, just look back a few months in your journal. When you see how much you've added to your bench press, desire will return, you'll pump a fist and go 'yesss!'