Amanda Edwards/WireImageThe hardest part about working out is getting there. Sound familiar?
But let's say you have been hitting the gym on the regular and you're still not seeing the results you want (or the results you deserve). It's a story all too true to many a gym-goer. Seriously: You're busting your booty daily, waking up at the crack of dawn, getting your sweat on before you even start your work day and you're even passing on after-work happy hours in lieu of a healthier, more fit you. What gives?
To address what you might be doing wrong, we asked three celeb trainers (who just happen to be responsible for the fit physiques of Julianne Hough, Carrie Underwood, Adriana Lima and more) from three different cities what's the one thing you're doing that's sabotaging your efforts.
Noah Neiman, New York City
Celeb Clients: Nina Agdal, Adriana Lima, Cindy Bruna, Amy Schumer, Jake Gyllenhaal
Noah's #1 Mistake: More often than not, the moment I ask clients about their dietary habits, they sheepishly hit me back with the blushing emoji. The answer, "I try to eat pretty healthy" usually falls from their lips. It is almost impossible to out-exercise a bad diet and often times people are so confused about nutrition, that they don't understand how bad their diet really is. Their definition of "pretty healthy" tends to be a croissant and coffee in the morning and froyo at night.
Noah's Advice: To unlock your fat-burning potential, keep it simple. Eat balanced meals full of real, whole foods. His recommendations: fats from avocados, animal meats, eggs, coconut oils and nut butters. Also, get carbs from whole sources (such as fibrous vegetables and limited fruits) and proteins from lean sources such as organic eggs, fish, chicken and red meats. Exercise is so important as well in fat loss, but you need to ensure you're eating enough clean calories to support your body's activities. Bottom line: Eat clean, supplement right (his favorite is Eat the Bear) and workout hard! The weight loss will come.
Erin Oprea, Nashville
Celeb Clients: Carrie Underwood, Kelsesa Ballerini, Kaitlyn Bristowe
Erin's #1 Mistake: Not maintaining full control of your body during workouts. I see a lot of people not isolating the exercise and using muscle groups not meant to be involved in the move. Engaging the right muscle group is key to getting the most out of your maneuvers.
Erin's Advice: Most often, engaging your core can fix a lot of this and fixating on the muscle group you're trying to work. For example, a simple crunch can be done without fully engaged abs and just using momentum. If you learn to keep your core tight, you will get so much more out of this. The same can be said for a lot of maneuvers, even the curl. Rocking back and forth and swinging the weight up and down uses the whole body to lift the weight when you want to focus on just that one bicep muscle group.
Astrid Swan, Los Angeles
Celeb Clients: Julianne Hough, Emma Roberts, Olivia Munn
Astrid's #1 Mistake: The biggest weight loss mistake I see my clients make is going to the extremes, like going for long cardio sessions and eating too little food.
Astrid's Advice: My clients get results faster by spending more time on strength training and quick H.I.I.T workouts, as well as eating the proper portions and calorie count. I also have them focused not on the scale but on how their clothes fit!
Are you ready to stop wasting your own time? Thought so.