AskMen reports on the most common training mistakes being made at home and how to correct them according to HSS exercise physiologists Max Castrogaleas MA, CSCS, TSAC-F, EP-C, FMS, FRCms, Aaron Karp, MS, ATC, CSCS, and others.

Moving on too quickly to the next exercise or using a heavier weight, when the initial exercise hasn’t been thoroughly completed, will do the body a disservice. “Although progression is required in order to continue to see improvements, always have movement quality and safety in mind,” cited Castrogaleas. “Before you decide to add an external load or try a more challenging exercise, check to see if you are performing the current exercise with proper technique. You can also make the current exercise more challenging by either changing the tempo or by increasing the time or repetitions,” he suggested.

While workouts at home are not as intense as they were at the gym, the body still requires time to rest and recover. “When you exert stress on your muscles during exercise or physical activity it results in muscle tissue damage. The muscle damage that occurs has been associated with DOMS (Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness), which is typically characterized by muscle pain, tenderness, and swelling,” explained Castrogaleas. While muscle damage can be good for your body - “it is an important factor for muscle hypertrophy/muscle growth” – too much of it without recovery time can negatively impact performance and increase your risk of injury.

Additionally, a common mistake made in home gyms that is unrelated to the actual workout itself, but critical to remember, is safety. “Gyms typically have specific equipment which they maintain regularly, while an individual may have old equipment at home that could potentially break,” noted Karp. For instance, he referred to heavy weights that can cause even more damage if not maintained, inspected, and used with caution.

Read the full article at Askmen.com.