FAIL: Rushing Your Reps

iVillage.com: 10 Common Workout Mistakes – How Many Are You Making?

It’s tempting to try and get through your reps at lightening speed. But you'll get better results if you dial it down a bit, says Rubenstein. Referred to as "time under tension," the amount of time it takes for you to complete your repetitions plays a role in building "tone." Using momentum by speeding through your reps also increases your chances of injury and decreases effectiveness, says Holland. For strength and tone, Holland recommends a two-second count on the concentric phase (contraction of the muscle) and a four to five second count for the eccentric (lengthening or stretching phase) of each move.

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FAIL: Being a W...

We know work and family can limit gym time to Saturday and Sundays. But, if you only workout on weekends, you put yourself at a greater risk of injury, says Tom Holland, author of Beat the Gym. "Often women will want to take advantage of the time they have and will go all-out on weekends after doing no exercise or training all week," says Holland. "This can contribute to shoulder, elbow and even back injuries that can worsen and progress over time."

To reduce the risk of injury Holland recommends a thorough warm-up before any sport or workout and weaving in a few minutes of exercise during the week as well. "Do core exercises like the plank while you're watching TV at night. Even one minute twice a day will reduce your chance of getting injured," he says.

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FAIL: Hanging on...

Hands off! Your hands should stay firmly at your sides when on the treadmill. Holding on makes it easier, which translates to fewer calories burned, says Irv Rubenstein, PhD, exercise physiologist and founder of S.T.E.P.S., a fitness facility in Nashville, TN. Rubenstein suggests that if you're supporting five percent of your body weight on the treadmill, you’re actually reducing your calorie burn by the same amount. If you're walking for 30 minutes at a brisk walk (4 mph) and would normally burn 300 calories, you'll burn 15 fewer calories each workout. Do that five days a week for a year and you'll burn nearly 4,000 fewer calories, which amounts to more than a pound of fat!

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FAIL: Reading Wh...

Studies have found that listening to music while working out can inspire you to work harder. But reading requires more focus, which takes away from the intensity of your workout. "Rarely can someone maintain sufficient intensity of cardiovascular activity -- even on a stationary cycle -- while reading," says Rubenstein. "Long, slow cardio may be recommended for novices or for athletes working in a low-intensity phase of training that is before or after an event (such as a marathon)" but if it's fat and calorie-burning you want, put down the book. You want to focus on your activity.

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FAIL: Rushing Yo...

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FAIL: Walking wi...

If you're holding on to three to five pounds weights when you walk because you think it burns more calories, you may want to try picking up the pace instead. "Walking with hand weights has been shown to increase cardiovascular demand in terms of blood pressure and oxygen consumption, but it's not yet determined if this translates to substantial calorie burning compared to not carrying the weights," says Rubenstein. Even if it does, you would have to walk long and fast for it to make a difference over time. If you're carrying weights to tone your arms as you walk, the amount of weight you're able to safely hold on to while walking is likely not causing enough resistance to result in a change in the muscle (e.g. toning). Instead of hand weights, pick up your pace, use hills and interval training to get more from your walking workouts. Walking with hand weights while on a treadmill is even less recommended because it increases the chances of losing balance and falling off -- and that will get you nowhere fast.

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FAIL: Bouncing W...

In an effort to get a better stretch, you may be tempted to "bounce" your way into a certain position. Problem is, this "ballistic stretching" tactic actually backfires. A complex mechanism within the muscle contains a built-in safety feature that detects the bouncing and reacts by contracting. It does this to protect the muscle from becoming overstretched, says Rubenstein. "When you rapidly stretch the muscles by bouncing, the muscle spindles send a message to the spinal chord telling the muscle to tighten up. This then causes 'microtears' within the muscle itself," says Rubenstein. "Too much bouncing may actually lead to torn muscles." Prevent injury by stretching only after a warm-up (not as) and by holding each stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Only go as far as your body wants. Bouncing your way into that extra centimeter of stretch just isn’t worth it.

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FAIL: Channeling...

Remember big hair and leg warmers? If you do, you likely also remember aerobic class moves like the hydrants, leg lifts and side bends. Some are tried and true, others are potentially dangerous or, at best, useless, says Rubenstein. "Many were based on the spot reduction theory, where women believe they can reduce a specific area on their body simply by working that muscle, which simply isn't true." Other moves are performed so fast they don't allow enough time under tension to produce strength results and may even be fast enough to injure the hip joint. Your best bet? Update your workout and leave the Flash Dance moves in the 80s.

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FAIL: You Skip Y...

Saving time by skipping your warm up and cool down may leave you hurting. "The purpose of the warm up is to get the core temperature up, to get blood flowing to the muscles, to lubricate joints and to get mentally prepared for your activity," says Tom Seabourne, PhD, exercise physiologist and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Quick Total Body Workouts. "The cool down helps your cardiovascular system and central nervous system regain homeostasis (its pre-exercise stable state), therefore preventing injury." If you don't have time to do a full-blown warm up, Seabourne suggests simply beginning your activity very slowly. "For example, walk for five minutes at a brisk pace before you run; mimic some of the lifts you will perform in the gym at a very light weight before your actual lifts.”

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FAIL: You Have N...

If your workout plan varies according to the available machines at the gym, you're not working out efficiently. "An individual cannot jump from machine to machine each workout without considering safety, effectiveness and efficiency," says Karin Richards, the director of the Exercise Science and Wellness Management Program at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. " Without a set routine the person may be focusing upon the same body part(s) without cross training other muscles." If you are winging it every time you go to the gym, you also probably don’t know the machines well enough to know what weight or seat/equipment height you need to achieve the most efficient and safe results. Take the time to cultivate and understand your routine. Consistency is key for setting and achieving goals and commitment, says Richards.

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FAIL: You Work o...

Do you do the abductor and adductor machine (inner and outer thigh) furiously, hoping the machine's magic will make your thighs bikini ready? Well, we got news for you. "There is no such thing as spot reduction and yet we tend to think if we work one body part to exhaustion it will get toned and we will lose body fat," says Richards. In addition, training a single muscle group risks an imbalance in your musculature, which can cause injury, says Seabourne. "For example training your quads (fronts of your thighs) and disregarding your hamstrings puts you at greater risk of injuring your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament -- a stabilizing knee ligament).” A better approach? Overall conditioning for a balanced body.

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