9 Worst Things to do Before a Workout

Published 2020-12-06
These are the 9 worst workout mistakes that you can make before going to the gym. Avoid these mistakes and have a better workout, more energy, and fewer problems. The gym mistakes discussed in this video are especially common amongst beginners so make sure to fix these.

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It's true that there are many things you can do to IMPROVE the quality of your workouts, but most people don't realize that there are also things that you should never do especially before your workout. These can range from small little mistakes that make you feel a little weaker or lower your rep count to much bigger mistakes that completely ruin your workout. So if you want to see optimal results from your workout whether you're trying to build muscle or burn fat, you'll definitely benefit from this video because I'll be going over the 5 main things that you should definitely avoid doing before hitting the gym. 

and the very first one is to never eat a big meal too close before your workout. Now there are a couple reasons why this is a bad idea. First of all when you eat and you start digesting the food your body will naturally direct blood flow to your digestive organs. On the other hand when you workout your body will naturally direct blood flow to your extremities, specifically to the muscles that you're working. This puts digestion and exercise at competing odds...so essentially both are fighting for more blood flow and neither gets the amount of blood flow necessary for either optimal digestion or optimal performance. So while the food sits in your stomach you can easily wind up feeling bloated, heavy, and nauseous and you can potentially even throw up. But even if you don't full out vomit it will take away from your ability to perform at your best. Another reason why you should avoid eating a ton directly before your workout is that digestion itself requires a lot of energy. That's why after a big meal at a buffet or at a thanksgiving gets together, you feel like all you want to do is go to sleep. So you definitely don't want to feel lethargic and tired before or during your workout. Now unfortunately not everyone digests food at the same rate so there's no one size fits all answer, some people will need more time to fully digest their food but in general, as long as you finish eating about 2 to 3 hours before your workout you should be okay. Just keep in mind that meals that are high in fat or just contain a really large amount of food will take longer to digest, so plan accordingly. 
Another mistake revolving around taking in excess is drinking too much coffee or pre-workout before you start working out. Caffeine is a very common and helpful supplement to take before your workout. There's no doubt that it can help give you more energy, lift more weight, and boost motivation as well as focus. That's why caffeine is the main ingredient in pretty much any pre-workout supplement on the market. The problem is that taking in too much caffeine can lead to more contractions in your colon and induce more bile production which will increase bowel movements. This is why caffeine is known as a natural laxative. So you definitely don't want to have too much coffee or pre-workout or else you'll find yourself sitting on the toilet in between your sets. On top of that, having an upset stomach or feeling more urgency to use the bathroom will be just the beginning of your problems. That's because If you have too much caffeine before your workout it can create a whole slew of side effects that can legitimately ruin your day. Some of these side-effects include restlessness, insomnia, rapid or abnormal heartbeat, anxiety, heartburn, and increased blood pressure. And just one of these side effects like heartburn for example is already enough to significantly decrease your performance. So don't go having cup after cup of coffee before your workout and if you're taking a pre-workout supplement make sure you're taking the recommended dosage on the back of the bottle.

The next big mistake that I see so many people getting wrong is stretching before lifting weights. And not all forms of stretching are bad before a workout, but most people will engage in static stretching and that's something that you don't want to do until after you're done working out. Now for those of you that don't know static stretches are done by stretching or elongating a muscle and holding it in that stretched position for a given amount of time, usually 20 to 30 seconds. An example of this for the hamstrings would be the sit and reach. Dynamic stretching on the other hand is an active form of stretching where you move back and forth through a full range of motion rather than just holding one position. An example of this for the hamstrings would be a stretching drill known as Frankensteins. While dynamic stretches like Frankensteins help prepare your body and your.

All Comments (21)
  • @hhfbko
    0:35 Never eat a big meal too close before your workout 2:05 Drinking too much coffee or pre work out before you work out 3:23 Stretching before lifting weights 4:50 Performing cardio directly before lifting weights 6:04 Drinking too much water before a workout 7:08 Shouldn't drink alcohol before a workout 8:32 Never train your core directly before a weight training workout 9:56 Taking some sort of pain reliever before a workout 10:53 Don't take a long nap before your workout
  • @ericka.5240
    Anyone else got click-baited cause the thumbnail showed the guy taking a shit
  • @Paladin_Zero
    the thumbnail showed pooping as being bad. I'm sorry but I have to poop otherwise it'll come out during the workout
  • @tombadrick
    I came here to find out why I should hold my poops until after my workout is done. I think I was mislead.
  • Finally the conclusion is there:-- 1:- don't eat big meal before workouts 2:-don't take to much cofee and pre workout 3:- don't stretch before lifting weights 4:-don't perform cardio before lifting weights 5:-don't drink to much water before workout 6:-don't drink alcohol before workout 7:-don't do core training before weight training 8:-don't take pain relievers before workoutsm 9:-don't take long nap before workout
  • No hate, im a big fan but can we just agree he takes a billion years to get to the main point
  • @DejGarrett
    Thank you for this informative video. I'm in the military and besides the basics we have to do our research which is what I'm doing now. This video helps a lot and I look forward to seeing a lot more of your videos. (For those of us who aren't so gym/ pre/post workout knowledgeable).
  • @tapatiosweb
    BEST WORKOUT ADVICE EVER thank you Max Posternak
  • @newjack2957
    First, have a big 3 course meal, then have a few beers to wash it down, then take a 30 minute nap and drink a triple pre work out shake to wake yourself up. Take an ibuprofen to prevent a hangover and slowly stretch all muscles for at least one minute. Then start the session off with some cardio followed by some ab work for a warm up.
  • @davidfarnell512
    Ok. These make sense. I saw the thumbnail and was like “I can’t take a sh!t before a workout? You know what’s worse than going before a workout? Shitting your pants while deadlifting.”
  • @eo3432
    Thank u so much. Very clear as always and perfectly explained. High valuable source of information.
  • @prosperon6741
    I just wanna say Max thank you so much for what you do I don't know if you get it alot but I appreciate everything you do bud I probably have watched all your videos and I take in all the knowledge you give so thanks again it's amazing brotha that you just spread wisdom 🙏🙏🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️
  • @DavidJDiehl
    I poop myself before every workout. The thumbnail got me again.
  • @jackel77X
    Damn it’s like he watched my workout routine
  • @jameskirimi3442
    Thanks alot for your constant tips,, having very nice results since I started paying attention
  • I have been training for years but i am still learning a lot from you and actually all the points that you mention in all of your videos are really valid and practical points , thank you so much for your effort and for your accurate researching and information
  • @mrbunniesedits
    "..Never Eat a Big Meal too close Before your workout".. Goku: Imma pretend you didn't say that rn.
  • @buckeyes2387
    I've done squats after a big core workout. Thanks for this info. When I do core workouts I do light weight lifting on those days. But when I lift heavy and do squats I'll save the core workouts for a different day. I do yoga too either before bed or after my regular schedule workout. That seems to work very well and helps relax the body after a high intense workout