13 Oct Seven biggest workout time wasters

We’ve all done it – gotten ourselves to the gym for a workout and then wondered later why it didn’t go real well.
Chances are you wasted valuable time and that was why you had a sub-par day of exercising.
If people know what the problem areas are that can trip up a good workout, they’ll be less likely to fall into the traps.
To get you going full speed ahead in future workouts, here are the seven biggest time wasters:
* Poor planning – If you don’t schedule in a solid time slot in your day to work out, the odds really go up that you’ll get busy with other stuff and put it off or shortchange your session.
* The stall technique – Don’t be the person who winds up procrastinating to the point they miss their workout, or cut it real short. Some people find a bunch of other things to do instead of working out, such as dusting, folding clothes or alphabetizing the CD collections. Quit putzing around and get to the gym.
* The wanderer – Don’t be the person who stares and walks aimlessly around the gym looking like they’re lost. Have a workout plan you’re following and be focused. Work with a trainer to come up with a workout plan or experienced fitness person, or at least research it yourself.
* Tune out distractions – There’s nothing wrong with glancing at the TV at the gym, or watching it while doing cardio. But don’t watch TV between sets of other exercises. Also, don’t waste time talking or texting on the cell phone.
* Social butterfly, fly away – Be pleasant, friendly and give quick hellos, but don’t use the gym as a social club. You’ll waste a lot of time and lose focus by getting into involved conversations with people. If you must talk to a friend, by al means don’t do it sitting on a machine someone else might be waiting to use.
* Push yourself – I’ve seen some people lifting extremely light weights with the greatest of ease for 15-20 reps or more. That’s a waste of time if you are barely having to put any effort into an exercise. Bump the weight up and make it harder, otherwise you’re just spinning your wheels.
* Don’t get stuck in a rut – Change your workouts up every now and then so you’re not doing the same things all the time. This will help you have more efficient workouts and make bigger gains.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com