I love working in the fitness and nutrition industry but it can be incredibly frustrating as well.   Not only am I up against the entire internet with never ending information, I am up against many influencers, uneducated fitness professionals, supplements and even pharmaceutical companies.  

Fitness and exercise and even basic nutrition does not have to be super complicated but that does not mean it is simple either.   Especially when there is so much noise out there and forever changing theories, concepts and research.  

After being in the industry for 21 years, I have seen a lot of trends and fads.   Research has even changed in the past two decades.   In undergraduate  school long slow cardio and 8 – 11 servings of grains a day was recommended.  Just a few years later when I was in graduate school,  high intensity interval training and the Keto diet were being touted as best practices.  10 years later, both of these philosophies differ than what I would recommend to a client today. 

Even with all the knowledge on health and fitness at our fingertips, I still tend to see the same fitness mistakes over and over.  Below are the most common mistakes I still see.  

1.  Not prioritizing strength training. 

I am not sure where the idea of doing cardio first to lose weight before adding lifting ever came about but it is just plain wrong.   There is absolutely zero validity to the idea that you should do endless hours of cardio to lose weight before adding strength training.    Strength training increases your muscle mass which increases your metabolism which will help you become leaner.   If you are interested in becoming stronger,  maintaining or gaining muscle mass, changing the shape of your body, helping with many age related physical declines and even help with hormone function, lifting should be a priority.   The best part about lifting is that you do not have to spend tons of time doing it to reap the benefits. 

2. Not lifting heavy enough.

For years, the ‘skinny’ look was in and many women did not want to lift heavy in fear of getting muscles that were “too big” (LOL, that is literally my goal).  But in general, women do not produce enough testosterone naturally to get really big muscles.  Lean muscles, yes, but huge amounts of muscle growth is not likely without some type of drug.   Overloading your muscles and lifting beyond what you are used to is how you get stronger and build and maintain lean muscle mass. 

3. Feeling the need to constantly change exercise routines. 

Though I do change up my workouts often and change up the workouts that I teach in my classes this is definitely not needed to see results.  Oftentimes, repeating workouts can be beneficial because the first time going through a specific workout might be a bit awkward or challenging.   You likely need to repeat that same workout to really reap the benefits.   Doing the same thing over and over can also hinder results but I do not think we have to change our workouts every single day to maximize benefits and results.

4.   Too much moderate cardiovascular exercise. 

Cardiovascular exercise has incredible benefits.  It is good for the heart, the lungs and not to mention the mental health benefits.   It definitely has a place in a well rounded exercise plan.  However, I still feel that many people spend too much time in this moderate heart rate zone.  Don’t get me wrong,  I love going on a bike ride or run but I also notice on those days that my hunger increases.  If you spend too much time in this moderate zone, it often can increase hunger and cravings and decrease muscle gains.   A well balanced cardiovascular program should also include working at high intensities for a short period of time (think HIIT, Tabatas, MetCons etc.) and very slow cardio such as walking or easy swimming.   If you find yourself hungry all the time or not seeing changes in your muscles, try swapping cardio for lifting.   

 **The exception to this rule would be if you are training for a specific type of race or event.   For a specific race or event, you would want to focus on the distance/intensity of that race.   However, I would not recommend participating in a race or event if your goal is weight loss or strength gains.   

5.  Not enough daily movement. 

As a society we still sit too much.  At our desk, in our car, on the couch.  As a species we are meant to move.    Trying to move, stand and walk as much as possible throughout the day can really make an impact on our mobility as well as our metabolic rate.  Even fidgeting can help and there is research to prove that!  NEAT or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is the amount of calories you burn when doing non-exercise activities such as standing, light house work, fidgeting and more.  Though these might seem like minimal movements, over the course of a day and weeks, they can really add up.  So though you have heard it a million times, “take the stairs,” “park further away,” “stand up often,” these movements can add up and help with your overall caloric expenditure.  

Fitness is not complicated but it is not necessarily simple either.   Find a type of movement that you love, walk and move as much as possible and ideally lift weights or complete some type of resistance training a few times a week.

Need help with getting back into a routine now that school is back in session?  For the first time in a LONG time, I am putting together a 6-week Fall Fitness Challenge!  The program will include workouts, healthy family dinner recipes and even the option to coach with me!  Fill out this interest form if you would like more information!   Program will go on sale next Monday, August 19th and we start September 3rd!