Workout Mistakes to Avoid After a Fourth of July Weekend Binge

By: CAITIE ANDREEN

The Fourth of July is quickly approaching.  With all the parties and barbecues coming up, it’s bound to be hard to avoid giving in to tasty temptations. It might be easy to indulge in these patriotic treats over the holiday weekend, but if you’re feeling the calories Monday morning, it’s time to get back to those workout resolutions you made back in January. When you hit the gym after this weekend, don’t let these common fitness mistakes stop you from achieving your perfect summer body.  The following mistakes are brought by Dustie Watson, a trainer at Orangetheory Fitness Chandler.

Mistake: You don’t switch up your fitness routine

Don’t get too hung up on just cardio, or just weight training. Instead, incorporate both cardio and strength into your workout to burn the most calories. Cardio gets the heart rate up and burns fat, but strength training continues to burn calories even after you’re done working out.

Mistake: You target one problem area

Often when we only exercise one problem area, we neglect other parts of our body. In order to truly see full-body results (and burn more calories) you need to work out multiple muscle groups in various ways. Suspension training and body weight exercises like planks and pushups are great for working multiple areas at once.

Mistake: You don’t set specific fitness goals and track your progress

Tracking your progress is vital to keep you motivated. When the numbers show that your body is headed in the right direction, you’ll be continually motivated to keep going and it will only get better. But do not track your progress by the scale alone; keep in mind BMI and other important factors that may improve when you work out, like cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc.

Mistake: Your workout is boring

Find something that works for you. Whether it’s pumping up your music playlist, finding a workout buddy or signing up for a fun class, make sure you find an exercise you love. In the Orangetheory workout, led by personal trainers, participants use a variety of equipment including treadmills, rowing machines, TRX Suspension Training and free weights to break up the monotony of a workout. Coupled with a high-energy atmosphere and loud music, this workout is anything but boring.