Curated By: Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
“Resident BAMF” & “Lead Badass” at WCFnation.com
Creator: #GetJacked Project

We've all done shit to try & have better workouts.

I know when I wanna head in & hit a PR on one of these workouts, then I'll often dose myself with some caffeine or chug an energy drink.  The right type of music often helps, too. So does watching a motivational youtube video or reading a story about someone that's kicked some serious assgetting in shape or achieving their goals.

Some stuff, however, is a bad idea & can do more harm than good.

The Generation Iron website put out the below list, & I gotta say, they've all screwed me at one time or another.

So you might wanna make sure they don't screw you, too.  lol

"4 Things You Should Never Do Before a Workout"
Don’t Set Yourself Up to Fail Before You Even Start.

Everyone who’s looking to make some major improvements to their physique heads to the gym with that fire and vigor to push their transformation. Sometimes we can get so fired up that we forget to worry about what comes before a hard day in the gym and skip right to the training. When it comes to hard training it’s as much about preparation as it is about working yourself hard.

So sure, we all take some pre-workout to get us in the mode, but that alone isn’t a major concern when it comes to pumping iron. There are habits that many people fall victim to that can hurt their gains more than help. If you’re looking to have a successful, injury free lifestyle, then you’re going to want to know what not to do as much as what is necessary before hitting the gym. We have a list of things you should avoid for your overall bodybuilding success.

Resting Too Much

If you ask most trainers and athletes, they’ll tell you that one of most important aspects of training is rest. But there’s a difference between getting rest and oversleeping. We’ve all heard of a power nap before, but there can come a time when you’re receiving diminishing returns. Napping for more than 30 minutes can make you feel lethargic once you’re ready to get up. Limit your naps for 20 mins in order to re-energize before heading to train.

Over Doing Pre-Workout

Remember all that talk about pre-workout? Well it can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Sure it may provide you with some great energy for your workout if you consume the right amount, but if you overdo it, the consequences could greatly effect you workout. Rapid heartbeat, anxiety, and even nausea could be a consequence of too much pre-workout.

**Wiggy note - I've done this before.  Trust me when I say it's NO fun...yeesh.

Stretching Incorrectly

Stretching can be extremely beneficial to your gains, but like everything else on this list there’s a right and wrong way of doing things. The difference between success and failure can be as thin as a hair. Stretching while your muscles are still cold can actually cause some severe damage. Stretching is great, but a bit of cardio before hand to warm up the body will help prevent injuries.

**Wiggy note - part of these workouts is (obviously) a proper warmup, but something that's really taken it to the "next level" was when I added a single round of a conditioning complex.  It not only gets me sweating & warms me further, but adds long-term to work capacity, cardio, & more.

Eating Too Much

Eating a nice carb filled meal can be great for boosting your energy before and through a workout, but there’s always a point of diminishing returns. If you eat a big meal before you head to training you can end up feeling a but sluggish and maybe even have an upset stomach during your workout. When you do decide you eat it should be something small yet reasonable, like a banana or an apple, slow burning carbs to give you energy throughout your training.

**Wiggy note - this is one of the reasons I like eating after I work out, & preferably just in one big meal in the evening

(Content found / originally published at Generation Iron; featured image from We Know Memes)