4 Bad Habits Affecting Your Workout Goals

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1. Bad Form
Whether from a lack of proper guidance, not asking for advice, or being new to the gym, many people don't realize the importance of good form when exercising. Exercising in the wrong way can be dangerous to your joints and muscles, and even minimize the effect of your workout. Make sure you learn the right form from a certified instructor or expert from the get-go. Bad habits can be difficult to get rid of later in the game.

2. Exercising on an Empty Stomach
Experts recommend fueling your body before you start exercising. Jay Cardiello, a fitness expert and ISSA and NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist, says fasted cardio—AKA doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning—can be both good and bad for your body, but it's not sustainable. Instead, he suggests getting in your glucose before starting your workout. That's because when your blood sugar is too low, your body extracts glycogen from the muscle tissues once it runs out of available glycogen. What does that mean, exactly? You start losing muscle instead of building it. Yikes. Not to mention low blood sugar can also cause dizziness and weakness during training, so eat a banana, berries, or low-fat yogurt 45 minutes before working out to skip those negative side effects.

3. Too Much Cardio
Cardio can burn a lot of calories , but overdoing it can minimize strength, cause muscle atrophy, and even lead to fat-loss plateaus. And, if you're on a strict diet plan and combine it with an overdose of cardio, it can take a toll on your muscles. Karina Baymiller, a powerlifter, suggests "a few 15-minute HIIT or conditioning sessions a week to keep your fat-loss rolling and strength maintained." ( These Instagram Girls Will Inspire You to Try Powerlifting .) Instead of overcompensating with cardio, focus on strength training and consider fine-tuning your nutrition habits—after all, a healthy diet is the foundation of any effective, long-term fat-loss plan.

4. Starving or Eating the Wrong Food
Too many people think that skipping meals can help them lose weight , but that's far from true. You need to eat after working out, and you need to eat right . Otherwise, "your body breaks down muscles into amino acids to convert into glucose," says John Ivy, Ph.D., chair emeritus of kinesiology at the University of Texas, and your body will essentially start sabotaging itself. Avoid eating refined or processed foods, and aim to have a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. (Here's 6 Smart Snacks to Eat After a Workout .)