Excercise without hurting yourself
A high percentage of people who begin working out for the first time hurt themselves in the first month.The number-one priority is to keep from being injured then to build muscle, burn fat, increase cardiovascular capacity, or anything else. That's the only way you'll have a real chance of reaching your fitness goals.
The right way versus the wrong way to exercise; Form is the key!
It's not how much weight you are lifting or how many times you can perform an exercise; if your form is not correct, you need to reduce the amount of weight and/or slow down.
#1 Safety (Injury Prevention). You must master the correct form for any exercise or you will injure yourself. If you aren't sure if you are doing the correct form, get a competent professional to assist you.
#2 Effectiveness. If you want to get the most out of your workouts, you have to use correct form. There is a right way to exercise and a wrong way to exercise for every excercise you perform. Exercising is an art form that takes years to master.
Most people don't know how to do a proper squat, push-up, lunge, leg press or chest press. Lack of proper form is the number-one cause of injuries.
Repetitions/Sets
If you are trying to gain muscle or get stronger, you want to do low reps and higher sets. For example, you may be doing a leg press and you are trying to get stronger (hypertrophy), so you put on a heavier weight and do 6-8 reps per set for 4-5 sets. On the other hand, if you are just trying to build endurance and lean out, then you should do higher reps and lower sets; typically 15-20 reps per set for 2-3 sets. Now there are some middle reps and sets as well, like 10-12 reps/5-6 sets, but these are the basic rep/sets.
Right Way, Wrong Way: 9 Exercise Mistakes
Lat pulldown. The wrong way: pulling bar behind neck can cause serious injury to the shoulder. The right way: Pulling bar down in front of you while squeezing your back muscles (the rhomboids and latisimus dorsi).
Push-ups. The wrong way: You should never have a dip or arch in your back or lock your arms. The right way: Arms should be underneath you and not locked, back parallel to the floor. Engage your "core" the entire time (squeeze your glutes and draw in your belly button).
Walking lunges. The wrong way: When performing a lunge, extending the front knee past the front foot will cause injury at some point. The right way: When you are in a split stance, go straight down and do not let your front knee go past your foot.
Leg press. The wrong way: Your knees should not be by your ears; that is not a position your knees are used to being in, especially under heavy weight. The right way: Keep 80 percent of the weight in your heels; press out and go a little past 90 degrees.
Abs (crunches). The wrong way: Pulling the head up as you're doing a crunch. The right way: Relax your head and bring your shoulders off the ground, engaging your abs and rotating your hips to the ground.
Squats. The wrong way: Knees coming forward over your toes. The right way: Perform this exercise as if you were sitting back on a chair and putting 80 percent of your weight on your heels. Then lean slightly forward so you won't fall back.
Chest press. The wrong way: Lifting the weight using your back (high arch). The right way: Keep your back flat and relax your shoulders while lifting the weight.
Cardio. If you aren't planning to be in a marathon anytime soon, then don't do an hour. Try high-intensity training - for example, a 30-second sprint or quick walk followed by a 60-second jog, then another 30-second sprint, and so on; repeat that cycle about 10-12 times and you will get way more out of your cardio workouts in half the time. It works, trust me. Try it!
Frequency: Being too zealous and working out 6-7 days a week for an hour or more each time. Your body needs rest and repair after a workout, so pace yourself and make exercise a healthy habit, not an obsessive one. If you don't take this advice, you will start to develop chronic injuries or just get burned out and stop working out, which is not what your exercise program was designed to achieve.
Start Off Right
Exercise is an art form it takes time to master the proper techniques, get some expert advice prior to working out. Most gyms have personal trainers who will give you a free consultation and show you some basic machines and correct postures. I can also give you specific exercises and rehabilitation protocols. Learn the right way to exercise from the start. When it comes to fitness goals, it isn't about how quickly you achieve them, because more often than not, going too quickly will end up being the slowest, most painful route. Exercise the right way, stay safe, and enjoy the journey.
4 Movements to Avoid When Exercising
Using jerking motions, especially when lifting. Speed is fine when done appropriately, but you should always have fluid motion and proper form when performing any and all exercises; otherwise you could strain a muscle or even tear a ligament. Never lock your joints when working out; keep them slightly bent so the weight will not be transferred to the joints.
Arching your back.Lifting too heavy weight, chances are that eventually, they will start arching their back. Sooner than later, that back is going to give out and they won't be able to exercise for days, weeks or even longer.