3 Bad Bodybuilding Habits to Break

Image Credit: Princess Mérida (commons.wikimedia.org)

Whether or not you’ve been in the bodybuilding game for a longtime or not, you have to look closely at your personal workout routine and posture in order to determine if you are actually doing things right. 

Fact check: not everyone who enters the gym makes progress and achieves his or her bodybuilding goals because of improper bodybuilding practices. 

Here’s a list of common bodybuilding mistakes you should avoid. By doing so, you will be able to make the most of your gym experience. 

Skipping Stretches

Ideally, you should do some stretching at least 10 minutes before and after your training. Sadly, there are a lot of bodybuilders skip this process thinking they could go straight into the other exercises right away. This, of course, is a mistake you should not make in the first place. You are likely to get serious injuries if you disregard the importance of stretching.  

Eating Less

Another widespread error, particularly among newbies, is undereating. Some misguided gym rats think that it is perfectly fine to train without eating much. They think that this will ultimately help them burn a greater amount of fat but this is actually false.    

The truth of the matter is that you need to eat enough before workouts. In fact, much has been written about pre-workout and post-workout protein and you will benefit if you include that in your diet. Fruits, vegetables, pasta and others are also recommended. Additionally, you may also research about bodybuilding supplements to know more. 

You will perform a lot better (and even avoid dizziness) during the training if you do not have an empty stomach.    

Going Beyond Your Limits

While having a determined attitude leads to successful training, you really have to know and observe your limits. Resting and recovery is as important as workouts. You will be able to avoid fatigue, persistent muscle pain, weight loss, and other problems.  

A good way to tell if you are working harder than you should is if you are feeling less energetic after your training. Again, have some rest days to let your muscles recover before going back to the gym.  

Similarly, another warning for you is not to do extreme weightlifting. While it is a constant temptation to increase the amount of weight from time to time, you have to determine if you are already overdoing it. If maintaining proper posture is becoming a struggle, then it is highly possible that you are lifting too much.  

Related Articles:

6 Motivation-Killing Habits—And How To Beat Them! (bodybuilding.com)

Effects of smoking and drinking on a bodybuilder (fitorbit.com)

Recommended Pre and Post-Workout Diet

Photo Credit: Noodles and Beef (flickr.com)

The food you take before and after workout sessions can have a great effect on whether you get the desired results of your efforts or not.

To begin with, you need enough energy to spend quality time on the gym. Eating the right food will help you achieve that. Your body’s recovery will also be significantly better with good post-workout food. Accordingly, healthy meals are important as you go through the day. All the work you do in the gym will not mean anything if you mostly consume junk foods and soda.  

Pre-Workout

First and foremost, you need to understand that the amount of food you take is actually determined by your body size and your personal training goals.

If you are only doing short workouts to strengthen some muscles, it will mostly be enough for you to at least have 25g of carbs and 25g of protein. This will help you avoid muscle burnout while performing your exercises plus this will lead to greater muscle growth. On the other hand, you will likely need twice that amount if you are doing intense exercises such as deadlifts and squats.

Protein can be obtained from sources such as whey while carbohydrates can come from many different sources. However, do not consume fruits if you want to have the best outcome since they contain fructose – which can be good for the liver but not actually beneficial for increasing muscle energy.

Post-Workout

Again, it is not recommended to eat fructose-rich foods after a heavy workout. Muscle recovery is your real goal and you want to avoid having sugar on your liver. Also, your body’s protein and amino acids will be burned down and so sufficient protein intake is a must after your workout.

You can check out online sellers to find excellent sources of protein such as CytoSport Australia. This will help your muscles recover from the training and promote greater growth.

Staying away from foods that are rich in fat is also a wise idea before and after your trainings. The only exception to this rule is that you are allowed to have fat if you are doing endurance training and other lengthened exercises.

During the day, you can have fat from various sources such as fish oils, seeds, and nuts. You may also want to check out supplements (such as fish oil capsules) which are sold in different health stores online and offline.


Resource Link:
What to Eat Before and After a Workout (fitnessmagazine.com)
The Fit 5: Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition (mensfitess.com)