Beach-bound students hitting the gym this summer will make a lot of mistakes. Some of these blunders will compromise their workouts, but others will put their muscles, hearts, or overall health in serious danger. Staying informed about what is and isn’t okay for a person to do at the gym will protect their body, while helping to burn those extra calories or pack on those biceps.

1. Remember to eat

When a person starves themselves, it causes serious damage to their body. Calorie intake is restricted too much, and the body goes into what fitness experts at Livestrong.com call “starvation mode”.

The brain assumes that the body has limited access to food, so it begins to break down muscle to keep organs functioning. Any small amounts of food eaten while in starvation mode turn to fat, as the body attempts to hold on to the consumed calories. When a person does start eating again, they will have gained back all the weight, possibly even more.

2. Sweat does not equal weight loss

Robert Bell, Plant’s football coach for 20 years, and track coach for 21, lets students know how dangerous “plastic shirts” are to kids pursuing weight loss.

Bell used to see the wrestling team run around with them in the hot sun. “You don’t lose fat, you lose water weight from sweating. You gain back the weight when you drink water, so all you’ve done is raise your body temperature to [unsafe levels].”

3. Be careful lifting weight

Coach Bell saw more mishaps years ago. He told a story about a student who tried bench-pressing 140 pounds without a spotter. “The bar came down hard, and I saw it bounce off his forehead. Curling weight is okay, but [the rule is] whenever you raise weight over your head, you need at least one spotter.”

4. Don’t overreward

It’s normal for people to feel like they need a treat, especially after a cardio session. When a person starts doing cardio, their body’s cells burn glycogen to gain energy. As these stores become depleted, the body starts burning fat. An individual needs to do at least 20 minutes of cardio before their body starts tapping into their fat stores.

After a workout, such as running, the body craves sugar and fats to replace the glycogen stores in cells. This leads to people feeling “run-gry”, but pigging out on fatty foods can reverse the healthy effects of a cardio session. Instead, eat a healthy snack with carbs and protein to help tired cells recover.

Exercise is important to maintain weight and build muscle, but it’s easy to get carried away with those cosmetic features. Think about heart strengthening, and the way the body’s internal cells respond to the stress of exercise. Remember, the point of working out is to be healthy, not to look like unrealistic, airbrushed Hollister models.