Presented by Ford
You keep your body fit, whether by hitting the gym on the regular or playing your favorite sport. But there’s a chance you’re making some mistakes when it comes to your workout. Shaun T, creator of Insanity, Hip Hop Abs and Focus T25, shares his expert opinion on what you could be doing to improve your regimen.
Mistake #1: Only working out your arms
Your arms are ripped, but your legs are scrawny and undefined by comparison. “One of the most common mistakes men make when working out is that they only work out their arms,” says Shaun, who prides himself on doing just as much work on his lower body. “You need to load the lower body so that you get amazing results and you can be 100 percent proportioned.” While Shaun concedes that legs are genetic, and you might not have big thighs or big calves, he says that if you use the right load, you can bulk up those thighs and look good in jeans.
Mistake #2: Using the wrong weights or not completing the right number of reps
How heavy a weight and the number of reps you complete will determine the type of results you get. “Some people want to get big. That means you only need to do between 8 and 12 reps, and you need to max out,” he says. “By the time you hit that eighth rep, you need to be struggling, you need to be working, you need to be pushing through.” But if you want to be lean and get that nice cut in the arm, he recommends going a little bit higher in the reps using a lighter weight. You should only feel like you’re struggling and pushing through by the fifteenth rep.
Mistake #3: Skipping stretching after your workout
Shaun says men often skip stretching after a workout. “One of the things that guys do is they can’t touch their toes, and I’m like, ‘Yo, come on, guys, you gotta work a little bit harder than that, you gotta push through.’ Stretching is not a girly thing. Yoga is not just a girly thing,” insists Shaun. “Stretch. It will make you feel better. And believe it or not, it will make your muscles grow even stronger.”
Mistake #4: Not doing enough cardio
“When it comes to cardio, guys, I’m telling you, you suck! You need to do more cardio, and I’m not being mean when I say that,” says Shaun, who knows guys go right to the gym and the first thing they do is reach for the heaviest dumbbell. “To be in peak physical condition, you have to combine the weights with the cardio so that you can get amazing results with your body.”
Mistake #5: Focusing more on appearance than function
Men, you used to focus almost entirely on getting those big muscles, but paying attention to how our bodies function is key, too. Thankfully, Shaun says men are recognizing this more and more. “We are now focused more on the function of our body and how our bodies move. It used to just be lifting heavy weights and trying to get big, but what I’m noticing now with workouts like Crossfit or my workout Insanity, it’s really about getting the right form and function in your body so that you can get the best results.”
