Fitness Warnings from personal trainers you need to know

If you indulge in personal training, or you are a regular gym goer or or even total newbie, there are a number of warnings, cautions and concerns you should definitely pay close attention too. 

Not everyone is lucky enough to work with an Abu Dhabi personal trainer, but in this post we are going to let you in on a number of fitness warnings you need to know. Having safe, effective workouts is the key to unlocking your fitness potential. Without the guidance of a personal trainer, some gym-goers are a little bit left in the dark not knowing what the right thing to do is or the right way of executing an exercise. 

The list would be pretty long but we have condensed it to the most important pieces of information you need to know. Be smart with your training and careful when you train and you will reap the rewards. To have a safe and effective gym session ensure you take note of the following: 

You need a spotter

If you have a heavy lifting session planned then the last thing you should do is go it alone. If you are planning squatting or any upper body moves such as the bench press, dumbbell presses or anything similar then you need a spotter. Your personal trainer will always help you with this as a spotter will help assist you to achieve a personal best, but more importantly a spotter can save you from potential disaster! If you struggle alone you may drop the weights or injure yourself. Avoid potential disaster and always take someone with you.

Warm up properly 

A huge mistake many people make when entering the gym is heading straight to the weights area for a personal best without warming up. Heavy lifting is an assault on the muscles and if you don’t warm up properly then you run the risk of pulling, tearing or injuring a muscle. Proper stretching will allow you to improve your flexibility and motion in the muscle efficiently warming them up. Cooling down after your workout allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure.

Don’t go for a PB every week 

The temptation of trying to hit a personal best in the gym can be pretty great, but it's not great for your body or immune system. The problem with doing this is that heavy weights and heavy lifts can give your immune system a pretty huge battering. It literally takes it out of you and you may feel tired and lethargic for the week ahead. Ask your personal trainer in Abu Dhabi for advice or a plan, if you haven’t got a PT the try for PBs once a month to look after your body properly. 

Be careful not to overtrain 

Overtraining is a real thing and it can be very dangerous for the individual. There are a number of signs you may be hitting the gym a bit too hard. These can include constant muscle soreness as they aren’t getting any time to heal along with strains and joint pain. Occurring overuse injuries. Daily fatigue where you just feel run down all the time. Reduced appetite and weight loss can also be a sign as well as irritability and agitation. Another big sign of overtraining can be a significant decline in performance where you feel like you just aren’t improving anymore. Ensure you are getting enough rest days.

Use the correct form 

If you have an Abu Dhabi personal trainer they will always ensure you are using the correct form. Don’t be that person in the gym that does an exercise all wrong with the wrong form because you think you know what you're doing. If you have any shred of doubt then you must ask a qualified professional or don’t do it all. It’s too common for people going to the gym to make a complete fool of themselves by unknowingly inventing exercises because they execute it with such horrific form it's neither beneficial nor safe.

Pre-workouts

Be careful of the pre-workouts you decide to use. Some of them can be a little extreme and give you an unwanted boost while others are just enough. However, many experts say that they're potentially dangerous and wholly unnecessary. The problem is that caffeine contained in large amounts in most pre-workouts naturally raises your heart rate and combined with the stress of cardiovascular activity it can put excess strain on your heart. Make sure you do your research and get a safe one and take it as recommended, which is usually 30 minutes before the workout. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep hydrated and stay healthy. 

Youtube videos?

Unfortunately there are so many people on youtube who think they are personal trainers when they in fact have no qualifications at all! The only people you should be taking advice off when it comes to your fitness is personal trainers and fitness instructors. These are the professionals who have studied hard and one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to exercise regimes. There are so many different ways to train, be it Yoga classes, HIIT, strength training etc and some methods of training might be dangerous for people's health. It is always best to consult a professional before you embark upon a fitness journey. 

You don't need cardio…

Yes, there are actually people out there who think you can ditch cardio and just focus on weights, equally there are people who just do cardio and ditch the weights. The key to fitness is having a healthy balance of both. Cardio activity elevates your heart rate keeping your heart healthy and strong, especially if you partake in HIIT training. Weight training helps to stimulate blood flow and builds strong healthy muscles. Both have their positives and you should benefit from both, not just one. Don’t listen to these people who say they don't need to do cardio or they don't need to do weights as everyone needs both to maintain a strong, healthy body. 

Are you guilty of any of the above points? Correct them today and you’ll enjoy better and safer gym sessions forever.