Have you just started on your fitness journey?
Are you ready to take it up a notch and experience the next level of fitness?

Many people who are wanting to add bulk or muscle to their physique may use alternative or extreme methods to get there. Pushing your body to its limit should also have its limit. Pushing too far can lead to damage to certain areas of the body, including your vital organs.

Here are a few ways that you can actually take your fitness game a little too far and some alternatives that offer a more healthy approach.

1. Competitive Sports 

Training for sports, especially competitive sports can be tough on your body. Hours each day spent doing strength training and aerobic exercise can be hard on your body, that’s why it’s important to stretch and rest in between workouts and game playing.

Excessive wear and tear on certain parts of the body, such as the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL can lead to sudden pain and discomfort. Tearing this ligament means you’ll need to seek proper treatment and a referral to an orthopedic surgeon for acl tear surgery as soon as possible.

In severe cases where ice and anti-inflammatory drugs don’t seem to help alleviate pain, such surgery is not only recommended but required.

The result is having to refrain from sports and strenuous activities during recovery. Physical therapy follow-up will likely be recommended to help improve mobility.

Always seek assistance from a sports trainer to make sure your workouts accommodate the sport you play in. 

2.  Weightlifting

One way to improve muscle mass and add bulk to your overall frame is to start weightlifting. Most individuals start off with a minimal amount of weights to bench press or curl with and over time build up the stamina and strength to push further.

Oftentimes a combination of a high protein, high-calorie diet, and nutritional supplements are used by individuals who want to see results faster. This can allow the body to replace fat with muscle and increase weight as well. Sometimes, individuals may turn to steroid use to bulk up quickly. Both methods can be very unhealthy and have troubling effects on your overall health.

Taking these types of supplements and increasing your protein intake well above the daily recommended values can be hard on your kidneys and other vital organs.

Anabolic steroid usage can have long-term effects that include liver damage and an increased risk for heart attack, even in otherwise healthy individuals. If you feel you have a problem with steroids or excessive use of nutritional supplements, above the recommended use, seek professional help right away. If you want to lift weights, start off slow and rest in between reps. 

3. Intermittent Fasting

Losing weight is something that many people wish to accomplish as they embark on their fitness or weight loss journey. It could also be that you’re looking to maintain your existing weight too. If this is the case, you may have considered fasting or not eating in order to achieve these goals.

Intermittent fasting is slightly different and suggests withholding food and even drink at certain times of the day. Any type of fasting can be extremely dangerous to your overall health unless it’s advised by your doctor and under his supervision.

Fasting can trigger immense fluctuations in your body’s electrolytes that can directly affect your vital organs, such as heart rhythm as well. Changes to your heart’s electrical system can lead to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Speak to your doctor about how many calories you should take in each day based on your height, weight and overall health. Failure to follow your doctor’s orders could result in serious health consequences. 

4. Interval Training

Staying healthy while losing weight and exercising can be challenging if you’re participating in things such as interval training. Interval training occurs when you alternate highly aerobic activities such as running or cycling with more lower impact aerobics such as yoga or walking.

Interval training is a popular method in overall weight loss because it increases the heart rate and can help boost metabolism. When utilizing interval training in your fitness routine, you need to be careful. If your body doesn’t allow itself enough time to rest in between workouts, you’re susceptible to muscle tears and strains.

Be sure that you give yourself enough time to relax muscles and use ice if they were overused to help prevent excessive swelling. 

Conclusion:

Taking care of yourself starts with a good fitness routine. Making sure you don’t overdo it is important to ensure the best results.