Reducing the risk of injury at gym

The biggest mistake fitness manager Peter Cannon sees at the gym is what he calls the “Groundhog Day” workout — the same exercises, every day, ad infinitum.

“It takes six weeks to adapt to the program you have,” says Mr. Cannon, senior fitness manager for the East Coast region of Gold’s Gym International Inc. His office is near Falls Church.

Within six weeks, or for some, four to eight weeks, gym members can hit a plateau and not see any progress once their bodies adjust to a routine.

“We want efficiency in movement, and we want inefficiency when it comes to burning calories,” says Katie Rubio, fitness director of Bethesda Sport & Health.

Making exercise challenging causes the body to work harder to burn more calories, while repeating a routine allows the body to adapt and burn fewer calories, Mrs. Rubio says.

“That’s why variety is good, because we can confuse the body and get it to burn more calories again,” she says.

Gym members might give up before they see any progress in their weight-loss, toning or muscle-building goals, Mr. Cannon says.

“I would say, stick with it until you see your results. It doesn’t happen overnight,” he says.

Metro-area personal trainers such as Mr. Cannon and Mrs. Rubio point out the most common mistakes people make at the gym and provide advice for establishing and following a cardiovascular and strength-training routine.

One common mistake is signing up for a gym membership, then not using it.

The attrition rate for new members is about 50 percent within six months of starting an exercise program, says Fabio Comana, exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a fitness certifying organization in San Diego that promotes the benefits of physical activity.

“People come in not ready to change their behavior,” Mr. Comana says.

Even if they are ready, they might not set specific goals that are measurable and attainable or allow for occasional missed workouts without giving up entirely or thinking of alternative exercises.

“You have to have some degree of flexibility in your plan,” he says.

Once inside the gym, there are more mistakes to be made.

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