Posted on September 28, 2015June 1, 2020 by Prem Tiwari — 137 Comments

Top 5 Fitness And Nutrition Mistakes Women Usually Make In Gym

Being a gym owner as well as trainer in fitness and nutrition, I usually come across some of the basic mistakes made by women. Through casual conversations with women at gym and personal observations I found out various misconception women have regarding workout. Women usually join gym to look better, be it becoming leaner or acquiring curves. And the ultimate motive is to look better instead of being fit. The most common complain I hear from women is “I have been making efforts to work out and I can’t see any result”. Well, I’m about to reveal the most common five mistakes made by women during the workout. Have a look at these mistakes and see if any of these looks accustomed to you.

1. Excessive Cardio

Well, I don’t say that Cardio is bad, but as they say “Excess of everything is bad”, so is with Cardio. Cardio is good and necessary but too much of Cardio is “no weight training”. Hopping on a treadmill, stationery bikes, elliptical or stepmill for almost an hour and then heading for home, and not doing anything else is highly inefficient. Spending more time in a gym is not important; what’s more necessary is high intensity instead of long duration. And these cardio exercises are all low intensity exercises which do not affect more than half of our body muscles. And to burn fats and to gain lean and toned muscles one must lift weights. One must know that there is a place for cardio, if it’s done right but it shouldn’t be the only thing one does. There should be a proper combination of cardio and strength training.

2. Weight lifting with cute Dumbbells

Well you just got off the treadmill and are willing to lift weight; it won’t be of any good if the weights are too light. Until unless you are not regretting your choice of weight while weight lifting, you are actually lifting too light, just go for a heavier one. The simple principle that applies here is that your body will recruit your strength fibers only when you apply more force to it. Also, it is necessary to build muscles if you want any part of your body to be toned. Another misconception with weight lifting that women usually have is that they will start looking “Manly” or might get “Bulky” and might also lose their feminine look. Well, if you really think that pressing, squatting or curling your muscles will grow, than my dear ladies, you are wrong. Increasing weights is only going to make you more confident, stronger and you can still be graceful and feminine. Most of the women do not know their true strengths because they do not push themselves to find out.

3. Abs Obsession

Abs Obsession or as they call it “Absession”, is being only focused on working for the abs or the waistlines. Most of the women I come in contact at gym are obsessed with getting the flat belly. Their only aim is to get abs like Angelina Jolie. Well, let me get you straight, abs are created in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter what amount of crunches or planks you do, it won’t get you a flat tummy until unless you lookout for your diet. So as per the rule, if you are spending more than 5 minutes in abs, you are simply wasting your time. Unfortunately, any amount of crunches, twists or bends will not get you toned abs but lifting heavy weights and multi-joint functional movements (Dead-lifts, squats, pull-ups) might help in building abdominal muscles and will keep your abs engaged during the workout.

4. Ignoring Protein Intake and Food Fear

Not consuming the proper protein is a mistake made by both men and women alike. Protein is one of the most important nutrients that one needs to maintain for a healthy body, especially when we are exercising. It is because when someone is exercising, they are effectively tearing and breaking the muscle tissue. So how do you expect to begin the repair of muscle tissue? Well, protein does the repair part. So this is why it is necessary to consume daily protein especially post-workout. Another blunder made by women is depriving them of food. Ladies, you must know that eating is also as important as workout but in a healthy manner. One must focus on eating healthy rather than focusing on the crash diets. Eating high nutrition food in small quantity in regular intervals is a better way to stay fit.

5. Setting unrealistic Expectations/ Expecting Results too soon

There is a famous proverb that perfectly fits the situation-Rome wasn’t built in a day, so were your bulky hips and belly. It is necessary to set small goals for yourself and keep patience to get the end results. It doesn’t matter what they say, you cannot transform you body in a week or overnight. It takes time and it will. Make a change in lifestyle and you will get to see the results. Cook healthy, eat healthy and do something good to keep yourself healthy.

At the end I would just say that, “Strong women are beautiful women”. Go forth and just do the things right and see the transformation in you. You will be more confident and more empowered.

If you would like to share your story with us, do drop us a comment or email us at [email protected].