Endurance training is a full-body approach to building fitness that increases strength and stamina in a number of ways. Routines to this end are specially designed to help you reach your fitness goals in a consistent manner through regular exercise.
However, when done without care for proper form and technique, this type of training can actually end up causing more harm than good. Injuries resulting from exercises are generally avoidable but only when the correct technique is adopted and adhered to throughout the workout. Let your concentration slip, or rush into the workout thoughtlessly, and an injury could have you out of the gym for far longer than you would like.
So to ensure that you avoid this and that you can work towards your fitness goals consistently, let’s take a look at the best practices when it comes to maintaining good form during endurance training.
Safe endurance training guidelines
Always Make Time for Warming Up
Before we even get into what constitutes as good technique when training, it is important to first consider the warm-up. A thorough warm-up should be done before any routine and, as such, should be the first thing you do when you get to the gym. Hopping right into your workout with a stiff body will not only hamper your performance but will almost certainly result in some kind of injury.
Your warm-up only needs to take around five minutes. So being in a rush is never really an excuse. If you are strapped for time, rather cut your routine short and ensure that you get the warm-up you need. But if you plan your workout schedule properly, time will likely never be a problem.
Quality over Quantity
More reps and larger weights might make you feel like a powerhouse but this is not the best approach to take. In fact, by pushing yourself with little regard for the quality of your routine, you aren’t just undermining your progress towards your fitness goals but are also opening yourself to the risk of injury.
Don’t push for more when you still need to perfect the form of your exercise. It is much better, during resistance training, to do less with fewer weights, while putting most of your concentration into maintaining good form while doing so. Once this has been programmed into your muscle memory, you can start pushing yourself further.
Work Towards a Goal; Don’t Jump In
There are a lot of people do this when they haven’t been working out in a while. Remember that getting to your fitness goals takes time and steady progress. Don’t expect to lift heavy weights and do more at the beginning. You likely won’t have the stamina to do it properly and may also injure yourself since your body is not yet conditioned to take the strain. Rather start at a point that falls just outside of your comfort zone and slowly grow from there.
Breathing is Important
You would be surprised how easily this most natural of actions can be forgotten during a workout. The body and its muscles require oxygen to function. Without it you will be hampering your performance and even contributing to the chance of sustaining an injury.
But breathing happens automatically, without us thinking about it, and so it seems strange to talk about needing to remember to breathe while working out. The fact of the matter is that while you are struggling through a routine, you aren’t concentrating on breathing. As a result you might end up holding your breath, taking breaths that are too shallow, or simply not breathing normally.
So spend a little time, while working out, thinking about your breathing patterns as you do.
Know Your Limits
One of the most common causes of injuries when working out is because people push too hard when they aren’t ready to do so yet. We all have limits, whether we want to admit to them or not, and those limits should be taken into account when working out.
Sure, it’s healthy – and even beneficial – to push your limits, even if just a little. But over-extending your abilities will only result in frustration, fatigue, and – almost certainly – injury.
Contact the Trifocus Fitness Academy for Details
There is a lot to consider when thinking about proper technique during resistance training routines. Keeping it all in mind is essential for avoiding injuries.
If you would like to know more about the professional world of fitness, why not start working towards your personal training certification with our online, internationally accredited fitness courses? Contact a representative from the Trifocus Fitness Academy today to find out more.
