RIDICULE-WORTHY TRAINING MISTAKES

Avoid these surprising workout mistakes and don’t become a gym punch line.

Two guys walk into a gym and...
Yes, this sounds like a start of a joke, but these five punch lines aren't anything to laugh about. We asked a trainer for some of the mistakes he's seen at the gym that make his blood boil. Before you point your finger at someone else, make sure you aren't guilty of one of these ridicule-worthy moves.

WHAT NOT TO EAT AFTER A WORKOUT

Steer clear of these foods after workouts to maintain your fitness gains.

An intense, calorie-burning workout can do wonders for your physique, but it doesn’t give you the green light to go to town at the nearest Burger King once you’re done. If you’re serious about building muscle and losing fat, you need to get serious about your post-workout meals. After an exhausting workout, the body sends a signal to the brain that says something to the effect of “feed me dammit, I’m starving!” In an effort to quickly satisfy that demand, many choose the wrong foods, which are full of the wrong ingredients. While this is a bad move for anyone trying to maintain good health, it‘s especially harmful after exercising, since it will negate the efforts of your hard training. To get the biggest bang from your workout buck, it’s vital to replenish calories and nutrients with the right combination of protein and carbs. On the other hand, it’s also important to limit calories that come from unhealthy foods loaded with fat and sugar. Avoid eating these types of foods after putting your body through the paces, and chances are good you’ll achieve your fitness and weight loss goals much faster.

BELTS, STRAPS, CHAINS: WHICH ALT TRAINING GEAR REALLY WORKS?

The training equipment you should add to your regimen and the stuff you can ditch.

Hitting the gym isn't just about free weights, kettle bells, plyo boxes, cables and elliptical machines. What about the lesser known equipment that supplements your routines? What are they, what do they do and how effective are they?

THREE PLANE EXERCISES THAT WILL PREVENT INJURY

Avoid injuries and strains by fine tuning the three most common ranges of body movement.

injuries are a painful nuisance for any type of athlete that can put you out of commission from the gym or your sport—sometimes permanently. Aside from basic preventative measures such as warming up properly and stretching after a workout, training the body for all-around muscular balance and stability is an effective safeguard. We asked Naudi Agular, personal trainer and owner ofFunctional Patterns to help us identify ways to ensure you're training is balanced and as injury-proof as possible. Agular strongly recommends focusing on the three main planes of motion you use in your training: the transverse plane, the frontal plane and the sagittal plane.

5 Reasons Your Running Training is Stale

Can't go that extra mile or shed those extra seconds? Here's what's holding you back and how to fix it. 

 

Beating running distances and times, like anything else, requires practice, patience and commitment. As much as you're dedicated to your routine and determined to push yourself to new limits, getting stuck on a runner's plateau is a common occurrence. We've asked endurance sport coach, professional triathlete, elite runner and NASM certified personal trainer what things hold runners up in the pursuit of gold, and what you can do to power through these snags.

HOW TO BE A BETTER SPOTTER

Just because you're not the one on the bench doesn't mean you don't need to put in work.

 

 Working out can be alone time for some, while a source of camaraderie and support for others. Regardless of whether you chose to be the lone warrior or workout troop leader, being able to provide a solid spot is a must-have skill. Next time a fellow man is in need, have these five tips under your belt. 

Dr. Oz's Health Tips

Five factors that Dr. Oz says can help “extend your warranty”

 

Floss your teeth: This lengthens your life for a couple of reasons: One, heart attack rates are linked to gingivitis. If you floss regularly, you have a 50% less chance of having a heart attack. But you’ll also have better-looking teeth, which leads to better-paying jobs and people perceiving your IQ as being higher, so there are many long-term health benefits.

The Benefits of Cross-Training

Use this approach to change up your fitness program

 

In the pursuit of strength gains, improved performance and a chiseled midsection, it’s important to utilize every method at your disposal. Too many guys get stuck on a single technique or school of thought and dig themselves into a rut that’s hard to escape. We all experience plateaus, and to surpass them they need to be approached constructively. In order to grow, we need to reinvent ourselves and the things we do. In the gym, this involves stepping outside of your comfort zone and seeking fresh, dynamic programs. Cross-Training epitomizes this approach, drawing from a variety of disciplines and incorporating them into vigorous and supremely productive workouts. Cross-Training is the method of combining several different workout strategies (for instance, body building, track and field, and boxing) for a single, comprehensive training session. Remember the ripped guys from the movie 300 a few years ago? They relied exclusively on cross-training to achieve their collectively jacked look. Cross-training approaches are also becoming more and more popular in the military, NFL and NBA. So what’s all the hype about? Check out some of the benefits of cross-training below:

Fitness Secrets of Olympic Athletes

10 tips for training like a world-class athlete.

 

There are several “secrets” of Olympic training that can boost any fitness program, no matter the level. American Council on Exercise spokesperson Todd Durkin offers up 10 tips for training like an Olympic athlete:

Night Owl Training

 If you can’t handle dawn patrol workouts, make the most of your evening training sessions with these tips:

 

EAT A LATE-AFTERNOON SNACK
● “If you’re going to eat lunch at noon and work out at six or seven in the evening, you’re setting yourself up for a bad workout,” says Charlie Cates, a Chicago-based performance enhancement specialist. He recommends having another meal, even if it’s just a protein bar, so you refill your energy reserves before you hit the gym.