Personal trainer Mike Douglass says the three most common mistakes people make in the gym are using incorrect form, lack of stretching and doing too much cardiovasuclar exercise.

“So many people are copycat trainers,” said Douglass, a former SDSU and NFL linebacker and owner of Alpine Fitness. “They see somebody doing something and assume the technique is correct.”

The exercise Douglass sees most often performed incorrectly is lat pulldowns. Too many people, he said, pull the bar behind their head, risking shoulder injury.

Douglass said people should lean back slightly and pull the bar down to the top of their chest.

Another common mistake carried out on lat pulldowns is leaning too far back while pulling down the weight.

“They're not using back muscles,” Douglass said. “They're using their body weight as leverage and getting no contraction of the back muscles.”

Douglass said trainers at gyms should correct people when they see poor form being used.

“If you're using a machine and don't understand how (the exercise) should be done,” Douglass said, “walk up to a trainer and ask, 'Can you show me the proper technique?'

“I blame a lot of the facilities for improper technique. There should be an instructor on the floor, keeping an eye out on people doing things improperly so it'll cut down the injury rate at the club.”

Regarding stretching, Douglass recommends that people warm up cardiovascularly for 5-10 minutes, stretch for 5-10 minutes, then begin their weightlifting routine. The first set, he said, should be performed with a lower weight and carrying out more repetitions.

“People walk into a gym, start lifting weights and then wonder why they're getting these injuries,” said Douglass.

As for people doing too much cardio exercise, Douglass said that the body will only allow you to burn so much fat per cardio sesson. After that, he said, the body begins tapping into your muscles.

For people who are not in good shape cardiovascularly, he suggests that they work out for a longer period of time but at a lower intensity level.

For people who are in good shape, he recommends that they work out for a relatively short period of time (30-45 minutes) at a higher intensity.

– DON NORCROSS