Skip to main content

Common Fitness Mistakes And Training Misconceptions Encountered In Singapore

Recently, in one of my more contemplative moments, I decided to take a trip back in time, and tried to objectively compare the fitness scene now in Singapore with that maybe just 6-8 years ago.

And what truly amazed me is this: how interest and participation in Fitness & Health have truly skyrocketed in Singapore in just these few mere years! The ever-increasing statistics of residents engaging in sports and physical activities, a mushrooming and vibrant fitness scene where practically  EVERY imaginable kind, type and shape of fitness class, exercise course, event, race, competition and even training facility and venue - catering to every whim and fancy - have emerged in the country.

All in all, the evidence point to the fact that Singapore is indeed fast becoming a major Fitness Hub in the world - like it or not!

Fitness Classes Are Highly-Popular In Singapore!

However - and this is just my personal opinion - these outward physical, infrastructural and statistical upswing in the fitness scene in Singapore, do NOT seem matched to a corresponding increase in scientific fitness know-how, sound fitness philosophy, or even proper application among its residents.

Lest I may sound overly harsh in my opinion, let's consider the following observations that I have noted and made through my years serving as a Fitness Professional & Consultant in Singapore:

A) Tendency To Increase Training Resistance At The Expense Of Form And Technique

This problem has been around for as far as I could remember: simply too many gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts are still overly-obsessed with poundages, weight or resistance when it comes to strength training.

Just observe any individual performing a typical resistance workout, and you'll apt to find the form-book being thrown out of the window - sooner rather than later - in an attempt to satisfy one's EGO of handling ever-increasing loads of resistance.

As important as resistance is in any weight-training program, it should NEVER EVER precede Form and Technique - without which, serious implications such as overtraining, injuries and even death may occur.

Lifting Heavy Weights At The Expense Of Good Form Is Dangerous!

B) Preference For Training Only The Anterior Muscle Groups

The lure of VANITY has also resulted in many fitness enthusiasts today developing tunnel vision in their training - often focusing only on the muscle groups that are the most visible along the FRONT of the body (what fitness experts term the "anterior chain muscles"), while neglecting the vital posterior chain group of muscles running down the BACK of the body.

In a typical scenario, an individual would devote over 90% of his/her time and efforts on the Chest, Arms and Abdominal muscles, while conveniently 'forgetting' and neglecting the all-important middle-lower back combination group of muscles, gluteal muscles, hamstrings and calves.

Engaging in such a skewed program would ironically NEGATE whatever physical aesthetics and proportion one is pursuing in the long run (think: drooping chest, hunched back, flat butt, thin calves etc) and serve only to create further imbalances in the body and increase one's risk of attaining serious injuries in the long haul.

Only by including what experts term: Posterior Chain Training in our fitness workouts - would it help to correct many of the above faults and imbalances, and help the body to return to its proper equilibrium.


Working Only The Anterior Chain Muscles Will Result In Imbalances

C) Equating Effort (Sweat) With Progress

Frankly, I think the over-use and misunderstanding of certain popular terms in the fitness industry, such as - "Sweat It Out", "No Pain, No Gain", "Just Do It", "Go All Out" etc - are all to be blamed for this phenomenon - where one develops the FALSE notion or MYTH that the amount of sweat or effort generated during a workout would translate to an equal and direct gain in fitness progress or results!

Honestly, I've lost count of the number of times where I've come across individuals whose notion of a "Great Workout" is one where they claimed to have lost "buckets of sweat" or felt "wrung-out" or "shattered" or even "totally sore"!!

Sorry, folks. But let's get ONE thing straight - once and for all.

The amount of perspiration that you have lost and your sense of overall general fatigue and even your degree of muscle soreness are NOT accurate indicators of your workout performance or your progress!

These are merely temporal side effects influenced by a variety of factors, including: the temperature and humidity of your immediate environment, your hydration levels, your recovery abilities, your mental focus on that day, or even the amount of sleep/rest you got the previous night before etc etc .

Exercising To Fatigue Is Not Necessarily A Sign Of Progress!

D) Neglecting The Vital Components Of Stabilization, Mobility, Recovery And More

In my opinion, too many fitness enthusiasts still train in a VACUUM today - whether they know it or not.

Meaning, some train purely for aesthetic changes - with absolutely NO notions or regards to functionality or skill transferability; while others train solely for very specific fitness components (e.g. training for either Strength OR Flexibility OR Endurance) to the exclusion of other fitness components.

Whichever of the above scenarios you look at, both, I feel, are equally off the mark, erroneous and dangerous.

Think about it: Fitness encompasses MUCH MORE than just those few components listed above; it includes many others such as Mobility, Stabilization, Recovery, Balance, Coordination etc etc.

Every single one of them is a VITAL component of an all-rounded, balanced fitness lifestyle, and should be given EQUAL weightage when it comes to training.

Yet, sadly, so many of us simply do NOT bother to engage them in our workouts, preferring to do only what appeals to us, or what is deemed popular or acceptable, instead of what is NEEDED!

In fact, neglecting any of them will only seriously jeopardize our overall fitness progress over the long run, and negate whatever fitness gains we may have achieved over time.

The solution to the above is to partake in what fitness authorities would call Holistic or Integrated Training - where ALL components of fitness are equally emphasized and worked upon. This will ensure equity and all-roundedness in any fitness regime.

Stability Training Is Important For All-Round Fitness

E) Relying On Popular Media For Fitness Guidance

With the advent of the Internet Age, more and more people are now turning to YouTube, Facebook and other popular social networking sites to get information on fitness.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the World Wide Web has always been - and still is (and perhaps even more so) - a deep PIT of unseen, lurking dangers .... so much so that most fitness (mis)information found on it, are at best: mediocre, questionable, unfounded or biased; and at worst: downright unreliable, inaccurate and even DANGEROUS!

The last thing you, me and anybody else would want is to bank our entire fitness success and progress on some face-less, online, pseudo-expert's idea of fitness training!

The advice to counter the mass of fitness (mis)information on the Internet is this: always seek to EDUCATE yourself first, by:

1) accessing and reading scientific exercise journals and serious health publications as a start - by the way, we are NOT referring to those off-the-rack, ad-laden, bare-bodied "fitness/health magazines" we find all over newsstands nowadays - many are just as BAD, if not WORSE - than the stuff you find on the Internet,

2) enrol yourself in short academic courses on holistic health, fitness, nutrition etc, - and no, you don't have to consider changing jobs to be a personal trainer or fitness coach in order to do that too,

- BEFORE actually accessing all the Internet videos, audios, images and what-nots - so that you are equipped with sufficient knowledge to separate the chaff from the wheat.

Alternatively, do seek out any reputable and qualified fitness sources here in Singapore in order to verify or clarify any doubts you may have regarding what you read/see/hear on the Internet.


Internet Mis-Information Can Jeopardize Your Fitness Progress

F) Relying On Fellow Gym-Goers For Fitness Advice

Many times, we have the WRONG notion that just because someone who is in a Better Shape than us, or who is Stronger than us, or who simply Seems To Be More Knowledgeable than us when it comes to exercise and training, is necessarily someone worthy to seek advice from.

How wrong we are! In fact, this is often a classic case of where Appearances Flatter To Deceive!

In this scenario, the person concerned - usually a fellow gym-goer or exerciser - while seemingly knowledgeable when it comes to training his/her OWN body; in reality, may have absolutely NO CLUE whatsoever - when it comes to the health, fitness and bodies of OTHER people!

More crucially, he/she may NOT even possess the basic credentials nor formal education to be able to guide and to coach us safely and correctly in our fitness pursuits!

As such, don't ever make the fundamental mistake of treating your gym buddy, your workout partner or your fellow gym-goer as a TRAINER, COACH or MENTOR.

Keep the relationship simple, straightforward and the way it is meant to be: he/she is just someone to accompany you in your training regime, to buddy-up for certain exercises, and at most, to shout words of encouragement to you or spot you with a heavy weight as and when the need arises.

Other than that, ONLY you - and perhaps, your personal doctor, fitness trainer or health coach - should be the ONLY other persons you should ever trust and seek - when you need professional advice on your health and fitness matters.

A WRONG Training Partner Would Do More Harm Than Good!

In conclusion, most, if not all, of the above fitness mistakes and training misconceptions can be AVOIDED if we bother to put in some effort and time into educating ourselves, into searching out the right sources of information, and in seeking out reliable and reputable professional fitness guidance when we need them.


Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice and very informative post..

    Thanks for sharing such a valuable information..

    Online Personal Body Transformation Training

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very informative post about the common mistakes happens in the gym, but to neglect these kinds of problems we need a professional male or female fitness trainer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips! I was looking for some good natural beauty tips that are toxic free and this blog has helped me to find some
    lifestyle fitness blog . Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Functional Fitness Tools For The Older Adult And Senior Population Groups

As we age, the importance of staying active , independent and functional takes on greater meaning and significance with each passing year. In fact, today, more and more older adults and seniors are making exercise an integral part of their lives in order to safeguard and upkeep their own health, fitness and overall well-being. However, as we all know, in the realities of life, not every mature adult will have access to a gym or a fitness facility; nor necessarily need to or want to .  And despite body-weight training gaining in popularity as a practical and versatile system of exercising for anyone - regardless of age - having a spread of different training options is always still preferable and useful - especially from the standpoint of novelty and variety. This is where the role of functional fitness tools comes into the picture. To be exact - and to avoid any misinterpretations - the above term is used here to refer ONLY to those fitness tools that are not only functional , port

Overcoming Common Barriers To Exercise And Fitness Among The Older Adult Senior Population

Throughout the years, studies and research have consistently shown that regular planned and structured exercise together with an active lifestyle are crucial factors in ensuring good health, well-being and longevity among our seniors and older adults. For many of us, as we age over the years, not only can exercise help us to maintain a high degree of physical functionality, mobility and independence, it can also boost our energy levels, facilitates restful sleep, and even assists in the management and control of any existing or current medical conditions that we may have.  What's more, physical exercise has even been proven to be able to reverse many medical symptoms and conditions associated with aging!  However, despite all the above proven benefits of physical exercise , too many seniors and older adults among our midst are still NOT incorporating sufficient regular exercise into their daily routines.  In fact, many are simply too sedentary and passive for their own good! Up

Fitness Mistakes Commonly Made By Mid-Life And Senior Adults

Most middle-aged and older adults are more than aware of the many health benefits that come with regular exercise and active living. These benefits include:  stronger muscles, ligaments and tendons,  better heart-&-lung health,  improved bone density,  enhanced balance, coordination and mobility, as well as  reduced risk of developing chronic diseases and ailments -including maladies like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and various types of cancer. Thus, it is no wonder that more and more mature and senior adults are now actively pursuing age-specific fitness programs  more than ever before in our human history! As good as this may seem on the surface, unfortunately, there are also many in this population group who may actually be doing more harm than good to themselves by unknowingly committing various types of mistakes and errors in their own home exercise programs or outdoor fitness routines . The following will explore some of these commonly-seen fitness mistake

Improvising Your Home Workouts With Common Household Objects

With the COVID-19 pandemic still wrecking havoc throughout the world, and with most commercial gyms and fitness facilities operating with severe capacity limitations and restrictions, more and more people are now turning to in-home workouts to meet their fitness needs. In fact, home workouts have become so popular in recent times that many stores carrying home-based fitness equipment have reported soaring sales, with even some having sold-out many of their most popular home fitness items!  For those of us who could not get our hands on any commercial home fitness equipment - either due to the current insane demand, or because of one's own budgetary constraints - fret not.  In this post, we're going to look at various common household objects found right within our homes that could easily be used to substitute traditional fitness tools, or even used as standalone fitness props by themselves. Without further ado, the following are some great alternatives and substitutes that

Non-Running Cardio Drills For Older Adults And Seniors

Running has been around for a long time and is a popular cardiovascular exercise for many. However, for some mid-life, older adults and seniors in our midst, running may NOT actually be a suitable exercise nor a viable option for them. Common reasons cited by those who could not incorporate running into their exercise routines include: "running hurts my knees", "it's too vigorous", "it's so jarring on all my joints" to "it's too boring and monotonous" or perhaps even "my doctor says I should NEVER run at all because of my XYZ medical conditions" etc ... As valid as many of these reasons are, it does not remove the fact that such individuals are at risk of missing out on an important component of fitness - cardiovascular training - if they shy away from jogging/running and lack any substitute form of cardiovascular exercise for their bodies. As such, as a senior/older adult exercise specialist , I would usually recommen

Essential Fitness Movement Patterns For Older Adults And Seniors

As we age, most of us would like to continue staying healthy , active and useful for as long as we live. In order to do so, and to get the most benefits from our respective exercise programs - regardless whether we're in our 50s, 60s, 70s or even more - it is essential that we include the various foundational movement patterns in our exercise regimes. These movement patterns are not only essential for our daily physical functions and for healthy living, they are also imperative to our quality of life, and possibly having a major impact on our eventual longevity as well. The following are the basic movement patterns that the Human Body is capable of doing and which we - regardless of age - should all be actively training for: 1) Squat This is the move that we use every time we transit from a sit to a stand position, and back from a stand to a sit position. It is one of the most basic and common movements that we do every day, from getting in and out of a chair to lif

The Greatest Fitness Lies Of All Time

Despite the massive slew of health & fitness information available to us in this Modern Era, many, unfortunately, are still falling prey to the same, old, myths, fallacies & lies surrounding fitness, training, exercise and nutrition. Sadly, these myths and misconceptions don't seem to be going away, and not only have greatly distorted people's notions of fitness and exercise, but have also led many to ineffective, harmful and potentially dangerous practices and lifestyles - all supposedly in the name of fitness. To address these concerns, I have listed some of the most persistent fitness lies and myths that I have encountered in my work as a fitness coach and personal trainer through all these years; and the TRUTHS behind them: 1) MYTH: I Need To Push Myself To the MAX Each & Every Single Workout Session In Order To Achieve My Fitness Goals. TRUTH: There is indeed a place and time for hard and intense workouts like HIIT , Tabatas, Plyometrics etc. Howeve

The Problem With Singapore's Gyms And Fitness Centres

Hi folks - New Year greetings and blessings to each and every one of you out there. It's 2012 - and this is my first blog entry for the year coming to you straight from the Republic Of Singapore. I would like to start the year by looking at some of the issues plaguing many of our local Singapore gyms and fitness centres nowadays. As most of you know, the fitness scene in Singapore has sort of EXPLODED in the last couple of years, and everywhere you turn, you could practically see gyms, fitness centres and exercise studios  mushrooming across the nation. Unfortunately, this exponential growth in the gym business has also led to the propagation and valorization of gym training through rose-tinted lenses - while ignoring the beauty and effectiveness of other non-traditional fitness approaches - such as outdoor fitness training - that are equally, if not more, effective. To be honest, many of these folks promoting the GYM as a "Be All and End All" of fitness - do

Home Workout Tips For Stay-At-Home Mums

Speak to most stay-at-home mums and you're bound to get the idea that MANY (if not most) have already given up on their dream of being able to fit in a regular exercise program into their weekly schedule, let alone attain a figure that is Lean, Toned and Attractive !  Indeed, having had the privilege and opportunity to work with many such home-based mums here in Singapore over the years (in my capacity as a Private Home Personal Trainer) , and having observed - first-hand - my wife's own stay-at-home child-care experience in the early formative years of my 2 kids, I can attest to the fact that it can indeed be a real challenge for many stay-home mums to even THINK of exercise, let alone DO it, when faced with the myriad of tasks they confront on a daily basis. Challenges Facing A Housewife Just think about this - the chores that every stay-at-home mum inevitably faces one day or another include: doing up the laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, vacuuming the house, was