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BY TARA ZIMLIKI

Bootcamp Founder and Nutritionist Tara Zimliki Explains Top Common Fitness Mistakes:

Too often people perform exercises that yield little to no results after weeks or even months of effort. The problem is many people are performing exercises incorrectly. Did you know that correct form protects you from injury and helps you gain the most benefit from each exercise? Tara Zimliki, founder of Tara’s Boot Camp, has helped countless clients turn their tired and poor form fitness regimens into fat-blasting, muscle-sculpting workouts.

“I commonly tell clients to focus on form not speed since people that rush through an exercise tend to

sacrifice form,” says Tara. A few of the exercises that are most often performed incorrectly are the lunge,

squat and the plank. After years of experience, Tara has found that the key is targeting various parts of

the body at once, without spending countless hours at the gym. “When it comes to building a better body,

less is more,” Tara adds.

Below, Tara comments on ways to correct 8 common fitness mistakes and offers dynamic tips to help you

on your way to achieving fitness success.

top 8 common fitness mistakes:

1) Targeting and Isolating One Muscle Group.

Leg Extensions and the leg press isolate an individual muscle group which does little for your body and

may even cause an imbalance. By isolating an individual muscle group you risk overdeveloping one

muscle while neglecting a muscle that counterbalances it. Exercises like lunges and squats work multiple

muscle groups.

Trainer Tara Tip: Add tricep kickbacks while doing a lunge or squat so you will work the larger and

smaller muscle groups at once and create a muscular balance.

2) Doing an exercise incorrectly.

Exercises like the squat, lunge and plank are often performed incorrectly. For example, when doing a

squat you it is important to extend your knees beyond your toes in a squat. The correct form for a squat

is seated position with your hips, feet and knees pointed forward. It is important not to extend your knees

beyond your toes when performing a squat to avoid injury and to get the benefits from this great exercise.

Often you will see people in a gym incorrectly perform a squat and hyperextend the knees beyond their

toes. By performing an exercise incorrectly you will not only risk an injury but also miss out on the

benefits of the muscles that the exercise works.

Tara’s Trainer Tip: Considering hiring a trainer to teach you correct form and create a customized

fitness program based on your goals. If you do not have the financial means to hire a trainer on a

regular basis consider hiring a trainer for 3 or 4 sessions so they can teach you correct form.

3) Focusing on weightlifting and avoiding cardiovascular workouts.

Often weight lifters focus their time and effort on weight training and limit or avoid a cardiovascular

workout. Remember physical fitness is having muscular strength, cardiovascular strength (keeping heart

healthy) and flexibility. It is important to focus on all three so stretch, lift weights and get a run, walk,

swim or any other cardiovascular workout in. If you limit cardiovascular exercise you may still see the

aesthetics of your weight lifting but will not have the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise. In order

to have successful fitness results it is important to achieve balance.

Tara’s Trainer Tip: Access your fitness goals when creating your training program. If your goal is to

lose weight you must focus on weight training and 45 mins of cardio 6 days a week. If you are naturally

thin and looking to have more sculpted muscles you can do cardio 3-4 days per week. To achieve fitness

and health success know your goals.

4) Performing hundreds of crunches.

Gone are the days when people would perform hundreds of abdominal exercises and expect to see the

results of lean, sculpted abs. Focusing on hundreds of abdominal exercises can strain your neck and back.

Recent studies have shed light on the benefits of exercises like the plank for strengthening and toning

your abdominal muscles and core. Just remember to perform the plank with your body in a straight line

from head to toe with your forearms, hands and feet touching the floor.

Tara’s Trainer Tip: Set a goal of performing the plank for 3-4 days for 1 minute to build your core

strength.

5) Avoiding a rest day.

By lifting weights you are breaking down muscle fiber so it is important to alternate days to focus on

muscle groups and it is just as important to give yourself a rest day. By giving yourself a day off you will

have a chance to recover. Recovery days are essential for optimal results and also to limit the risk of an

injury.

Tara’s Trainer Tip: Plan 1 rest day a week to recover. Set up an ice bath to help relieve your muscle

soreness from your hard week of workouts.

6) Ignoring your lower body workout.

We have all seen the individual that walks around the gym with a large muscular upper body and pencil

legs. Does this look balanced to you? Often people tend to focus on upper body exercise when weight

training and they limit the lower body exercises. This creates a muscular imbalance leading to injury and

often creating lower back pain. It is essential to focus on the lower and upper body when creating your

fitness program.

Tara’s Trainer Tip: Create your weekly fitness program to include exercises that work the small and

large muscle groups divided evenly.

7) Exercising in sneakers that are worn out and not exercise specific.

Make sure you have proper shoes that are not only well fitted but also exercise specific. If you are weight

training and running make sure to have good running shoes. It is also essential to make sure that your

shoes are not worn out. Having proper shoes will not only help your performance but also limit the risk

of a back injury.

Tara’s Trainer Tip: Visit a specialized sports store to have a shoe expert fit you properly based on your

foot arch and sport specific.

8) Avoiding hydrating through your workout.

It is important to stay hydrated throughout your workout by drinking water or any sports drink. best. By

staying hydrated you will not only optimize your performance and limit muscle cramping but also aid

your muscles in a quicker recovery. So drink up that H2O!

Tara’s Trainer Tip: A healthy option for a drink is coconut water because it is loaded with potassium,

in fact much more than any sports drink. Potassium helps to maintain water balance and helps trigger

muscles to perform.

Remember to focus on form when performing exercises to get the most out of your workouts! And as a

result achieve the results you have always dreamed of!

About Tara Zimliki

Tara Zimliki is a Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Tara’s Bootcamp, the Premiere Bootcamp of New Jersey. She has completed 19 marathons, hundreds of 5ks and has trained with top athletes at the University of South Carolina where she was awarded a full cross country scholarship. Tara has a B.A. from Rutgers University and specializes in fat loss and nutrition. In 2005, Tara ran the NYC Marathon while 8 months pregnant with her 2nd daughter, Ella. In 2008, Tara placed in the top 500 women for the NYC Marathon. And in 2011, Tara ran the NYC Marathon 6 months pregnant with her 3rd baby, Brent. Tara has been featured on many television segments including Fox, WPIX, NJ 12 and written dozens of articles on health. Tara’s practices what she preaches in all aspects of fitness and health and for this reason she is a trusted trainer that produces results. For more information on Tara visit www.tarasbootcamp.com.