You put in the time and effort, show up at the gym, and pride yourself in not taking shortcuts. So why is the scale not budging? Chances are, poor exercise form or bad workout habits are costing you precious calories. Fitness experts reveal the most common ways people cheat at their workouts without even realizing it, and offer ways to kick those saboteurs to the curb.
1.Momentum comes in handy when you're attempting a long jump, but not if you're lifting weights. Each exercise involves two phases: a concentric (contracting) move and an eccentric (stretch) phase.
2.Grasping the sidebars when walking on the treadmill or hanging on tight to the handles of the elliptical trainer cheats you out of the largest possible calorie burn, says Rubenstein.
3.Holding a stretch for only a few seconds does little to increase your flexibility and may also result in injury. The right way to stretch: hold still (no bouncing!) for at least 20 to 30 seconds.
4.Few things are more frustrating than dealing with a crowded gym, especially when other exercisers occupy the machines and equipment you'd planned on using. But waiting around wastes valuable time, says Tom Holland, exercise physiologist and author of Beat the Gym.
Read more ways you're cheating your workout by clicking the link below.
From: abcnews.go.com
