Building a strong and muscular physique takes time and determination. But overtraining is surprisingly bad for your muscle-building productivity – in fact, it is one of the top mistakes people make when they begin training. While there’s no denying that you need to train hard and exercise regularly, you need to do it in a safe and effective manner.
Sticking to one exercise
So, you’ve found a workout that you enjoy and which is showing you results…so you stick with it for the next three months. This way of thinking is popular amongst new gym-goers but is actually detrimental for your bodybuilding goals. You should only be working out your abs two to three times a week in order to get the results you’re craving. In order to work out more effectively, you should work a muscle group then let it rest for up to 48 hours. Your next session should focus on something different in order to keep your body working hard.
Training for too long
If you’re working out for more than two hours a day, you’re overworking your body. Instead, aim for a shorter session of 45 minutes to an hour. This is a good amount of time to work the muscles, raise your fitness and burn calories without working the body too hard. Do this four to five times a week and you’ll start seeing the sort of results you’re working towards.
Combining cardio and weight training
If you combine cardio and weight training, you run the risk of burning your body out and fatiguing the muscles. This way of training is too intense and won’t actually provide the sort of results you’ll be expecting. You should be focusing more on weight training, and using cardio more as a warm-up to get the blood pumping around the body.