Time is gold so when you go train in a gym, train smart. What you do should have a sound basis and should contribute in your improvement. A lot of things are plain common sense but nowadays vanity made common sense quite rare. So here are 5 things to avoid so as not to look like a fool in a weights room:
- Dropping dumbells on the floor
– dumbells are meant to be gripped and no matter how tired you are, you can always hold on to the dumbell until it safely rests on the rack or floor. Rare exemptions may be dumbells weighing more than 100lbs but again, treat the equipment properly, if they are not meant to be dropped, do not drop them.
– some dumbells are secured with screws and constant dropping loosens them. The plates may fall on somebody’s face hopefully on the one who likes dropping them.
– it is just my theory that people want to be noticed and the noise that the dropped dumbell creates says “hey! look at me! I am working out! yohooo… please look at me….”
- Reading or watching videos on the phone while doing leg press
– The leg press exercise requires some concentration, and for strength training it is loaded with heavy weights. Even when trying to improve local muscular endurance, the weight used is heavy enough to require some effort. You cannot expect to execute it safely when you are distracted with your phone.
– Training in a weights room, if done well, can be a very focused experience wherein distractions are set aside and you face yourself and exert a bit more effort. Effort may mean more weight, or more sets, or more reps, or more focused technique, or compound exercise as opposed to isolated movement. It is a chance to be better than your previous self.
– If your goal is to relax and watch videos, that can be done at the convenience of your home, while saving you from being looked upon as someone who wastes the space and oxygen in the weights room.
- Doing plyometrics on a thick Airex Foam
– Plyometrics exercises are done with a quick stretch to the agonist, followed by a forceful concentric contraction. The amortization phase, the time between the eccentric to concentric should be short so as to take advantage of the reflexive properties of the muscle-tendon series. Using a foam to cushion the fall would dampen the “shock” that stretches the agonistic muscle. This prolongs the amortization phase thereby rendering it ineffective to elicit the reflexive powerful contraction.
– If the objective is to strengthen the intrinsic foot muscles, towel pulling exercises with the foot (see related post) and simply walking barefoot over a grassy lawn for a few minutes would do the trick- and this is not a plyometric exercise.
- Using the foam rollers before training and having a massage later on.
– the foam rollers are a great tool in facilitating relaxation when the services of a masseur are not available. A massage is a lot better. Foam rollers, massage sticks, and similar gadgets are for those individuals who need to stretch and relax their muscles but cannot avail of massage due to some reasons. But if you can have a massage after training, save yourself time. You do not need to do foam rolling prior to having a massage.
– time is precious so the limited time in the gym can better be used to perform your main lifts. After your main training, then you can do foam rolling if you really need it.
- Posting “selfies” after every set.
– You do not need a psychiatrist to tell you that individuals who post photos of themselves every hour of the day have some disorder.
– Instead of just taking “selfies” with those labial like lips, it would be a lot more productive to ask someone to record a video of you doing any lift that requires technique. Ask that the video be taken from the side, yes, your face is not important in this one. It should show the start of the lift until the moment when at least one repetition is completed. It should show all of your bodyparts and the barbell or kettlebell. This will help you identify areas that need improvement. Better yet, show it to a Strength Coach knowledgeable in those lifts and ask how you can improve your lift. Or you can send your video to your “online coach” if you a have one. Only then can you post your video. It will help you and others, instead of becoming an hourly annoyance.
Think about it. Do not make a fool of yourself. Train Better, Live Better!
valstrengthtraining 