The year was 1970, and the University of Nebraska football team had just won back-to-back national championships. Their new strength coach, who shaped their training regimen, was credited with playing a role in their success. This marked a turning point for Strength Training as fitness professionals worldwide took notice. Despite fifty years of learning, many adults still make muscle mistakes today. Here are five common mistakes and their solutions to help you get the most out of your next workout!
Overemphasizing Core Muscles. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me they needed to train their core, I’d be a billionaire! Core training, which refers to your abs and torso muscles, has been touted as a solution for every fitness issue known to humanity. However, it's important to note that 'core' isn’t a legitimate medical or physiological term. It was popularized by the Reebok company in 2000 as part of their Core Training program. Focusing solely on core training at the expense of other muscle groups is a big mistake. While many people possess weak abs and torso muscles, they frequently have weak shoulders, hips, hamstrings, etc. Training your entire body is not just a trend; it's a smart and efficient way to improve your functional strength and overall health.
Getting Caught in the Speed Trap. Walk into any fitness center, and you will see people caught in the speed trap! What is the speed trap? It's a preoccupation with completing repetitions no matter how fast they are! In most cases, repetition speed increases as fatigue increases. Despite being a common practice, the speed trap goes against evidence-based Strength Training principles. Lifting and lowering weights quickly introduces momentum, which reduces muscle tension and the training stimulus. Ultimately, you get less out of your workout (i.e., fewer benefits). At MEDFITNESS, we value your progress. That's why we use a combination of slow training protocols (i.e., ten by ten, five by five, etc.) to stimulate muscle improvements safely. A best practice within the MEDFITNESS Workout is to use the MEDFITNESS Clock as a time management tool! Starting each exercise on time (waiting for the second hand to get to a number) allows you to track your repetition speed, thereby avoiding the detrimental effects of the speed trap!
Combining Strength & Skill Training. Combining Strength Training with Skill Training sounds like a good idea but is unnecessary. A typical example of this misguided approach occurs when sports skills (i.e., swinging a golf club, baseball bat, etc.) are performed with added resistance, such as a heavier golf club or weighted baseball bat. This type of training leads to 'negative transfer,’ which can make you less skilled at the activity you're trying to improve. For instance, swinging a weighted golf club develops the motor pathway associated with that activity, so in effect, such activity trains the muscles to swing the club slower. A slower club speed decreases power (P = Work / Elapsed Time) and drive distance. Therefore, to perform your best at a specific skill (such as golf), keep these activities separate: build strength in the gym and skill on the course.
Overlooking Age. The average adult begins losing muscle in their late 30s and continues losing muscle every year. Past 40, the average person loses at least ½-pound of muscle every year. With muscle loss comes strength loss, which means your muscles generate less force. The weaker you are, the more rapidly you become fatigued. Simple activities also become more difficult (i.e., working in the yard, walking, golfing 18 holes, etc.). For senior golfers, this means club speed and power output also decrease. But don't worry! Adding Strength Training to your lifestyle will solve this problem. Strength training is the only way to prevent and reverse dynapenia (age-related strength loss). A productive, full-body strength workout can reverse a year's muscle loss in less than 30 days. Imagine the possibilities! Within six months, you could drive the ball like you were ten years younger, reaping the benefits of your hard work and dedication.
Overlooking Protein. With billion-dollar marketing campaigns promoting fast food, it can be easy to neglect good nutrition. Here are two easy-to-apply tactics that will maximize the benefits of your workouts. First, consume at least .18 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight (i.e., your target weight) per meal. For example, I weigh 185 pounds. Therefore, I need at least 33 grams of protein per meal. Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, so ensuring you're getting enough in your diet is crucial. See our Protein Guide at our Learning Center for help (www.medfitnessprogram.com/blog). Second, consume 12 ounces of water (or other non-caloric liquids) approximately 30 minutes before your strength workout. This will increase blood volume and cardiac output during your workout. Increased cardiac output delivers more oxygenated blood to working muscles while reducing circulatory stress.
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Stay Strong,
Richard J. Wolff, RDN