Subj: 13 weight lifting mistakes and tips to train better.
When I first started working out I was clueless.
I knew I wanted to be in great shape but I didn’t know what I was doing. The worst part of it all was that I thought I knew what I was doing.
I saw the dudes on Men’s Health magazine and I wanted to be a buff guy too. Buff and ripped to be exact.
So, I did what 98% of all teenage males do when they start lifting weights – I trained the ‘show muscles’.
Show muscles are biceps, abdominals and chest. I did bicep curls, sit-ups and bench press exclusively. Every workout consistent of bench press, sit ups and curls for the girls.
This was the first mistake. What’s more, is that my workouts were sporadic. I had no game plan, no training schedule and no strategic approach. I lifted when I felt like it.
It wasn’t until I was a Freshman in Highschool that I had an actual training schedule. Thanks to my football program, I was in the gym three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Days went by, then weeks, then months. Eventually years passed. I got some results but looking back at my progress I was a bit disappointed. I left a lot on the table. I lifted a lot but had little to show for it. I wasn’t particularly big or strong. I was naturally lean but not muscular. The little muscle I did have showed through because I was so skinny.
Looking back, it is perfectly clear (and painfully obvious) why I was so skinny after training so hard for so long.
Mistakes Were Made
I made a lot of mistakes. I lived in a time of dial up internet so googling the information I needed wasn’t even a concept.
Boohoo, I had to learn the hard way, but hey I turned out fine so far. I would do things differently if given a chance to turn back the clock. Since that is not possible I hope this information finds those who need it so they can make the most of their training efforts.
If you’ve been around long enough, you’ll see history repeat itself. I see inexperienced guys in the gym all the time making the same mistakes I did.
I’m writing this article to help people avoid making the same mistakes I did. Hopefully my pain is your benefit and you can get value from my experience in order to get the results you want faster.
This article serves to help you avoid making mistakes in order to maximize your results.
13 Mistakes Beginners Make in the Gym
Ignoring Bodyweight Exercises
Beginners should start with simple bodyweight exercises to build strength, balance and coordination.
Pull ups, situps, pushups, dips, prison squats and bodyweight lunges should be your main routine.
Throw some sprints in there for good measure. Running full-speed sprints to exhaustion is one of the best exercises you can do.
Overemphasis on the ‘Show Muscles’
Focusing solely on biceps, chest and abs is detrimental to your physique development. Unbalanced training such as this causes nasty unintended consequences. Things like muscle pain, rounded shoulders, bad posture, and muscle imbalances. Not to mention it could cause an uneven chest.
Legs and back are your biggest muscle groups. Train them often to build the most muscle quickly. If you want to ‘fill out’ your frame then you must train legs and back. All athletes have a strong back and legs. So should you if you want to look and be athletic.
Avoiding the Hard Lifts
Squat, bench press, deadlift, rows, military press and power clean are required if you want to build a great physique. Make these lifts your new favorite exercises. Even if you hate them, make them your favorite.
These compound barbell exercises train your entire body as a single unit. They strengthen every muscle in your body from head to toe. Barbell exercises strengthen your central nervous system, making you stronger and more in control of your muscles. Compound exercises build ‘mind-muscle connection’ which is a critical skill to unlock if you want a noteworthy physique.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: The more an exercise sucks the more you should do it. Because that means it’s good for you.
Too Many Distraction
The power of focus cannot be understated. Gym time is gym time. Put your phone away. Do whatever you have to do in order to focus solely on your training while at the gym.
Plan your workout music playlist in advanced, so all you do is pop in your earbuds and hit play.
Don’t fiddle with your phone while training. Between sets you should be thinking about your most recent set, and how you can make the next set better. You should be thinking about your muscles, getting in touch with them. Feeling them work. Stretching between sets is good practice too.
Stay on task and don’t let your mind wander. Training in the weight room is a mental exercise too. Get control of your thoughts and force yourself to do what you came there to do. Make a plan for each workout and stick to the plan.
No Workout Plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Plan your workouts so you know exactly what you have to do when you get to the gym. Don’t waste time figuring out what muscles to train or what exercise to do next.
You should be on autopilot in the gym. Like a weightlifting cyborg.
Have a plan and work your plan.
How do you make a plan? It starts with a goal.
No Clear Goal
You can’t hit a target that you can’t see.
You should have a vision of what you want to be. Create goals to make that vision a reality. Your goal is your North Star. It provides direction. Then develop a plan to make your vision a reality.
You should have all kinds of goals. Big goals, long term goals, short term goals, daily goals and even goals for each workout.
Goals should be specific. An example of a good goal is “I will lose 10 pounds in 3 months by weight training in the gym 4 times a week for the next consecutive 12 weeks.”
Practice creating SMART Goals.
A SMART Goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound.
Goals keep you on track. Train with purpose and you will make progress. Your first goal should be to get good a setting goals. Goal setting makes your life way easier.
Wrong Mindset
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”
People think of training as a punishment. There couldn’t be a worse way to look at it.
I look at training as an opportunity to improve. It makes me feel good.
If you look and training with a negative mindset it will be a hard training session. If you you look and the session positively, it will be easy. It will be easy to psych yourself up and train hard.
Attitude makes all the difference. Serious athletes train with intent. The intent is to make THIS SESSION the best workout you’ve ever had, so you can be better than you’ve ever been.
Casual training yields casual results. A workout only takes one hour of your day. Focus on your training, get it done and move on with your day! You’ve got ass to kick.
Training shouldn’t take over your life. Just be 100% all-in for your workout, make it great then move on.
Train casually and you become a casualty. Wasted time = wasted life.
Kill your workout. Don’t just kill time and have nothing to show for it. Time is too precious. There are only 24 hours in a day so make the most of your one hour workout.
Every workout is an opportunity to get better. Make up your mind to train harder than you did last time. It’s the only way to improve.
Bad Form
Good form improves results and reduces injury risk. Don’t lift weights all hurky-jerky or you will hurt yourself.
I see this all the time – A guy lifts way more weight than he has any business lifting and cheats by throwing his whole body into the lift. That’s a low return and high risk maneuver.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a great physique. It takes a long time. Your job is to build your masterpiece brick, by brick. Lay each brick as perfectly as you can.
Doing too much too soon could spell disaster. Look at it this way – Slow progress is still better than a setback. You should push yourself, but be smart and don’t overdo it.
Proper form means keeping tension on the muscles, not the joints. It means bracing your body into position. Bracing mean flexing your entire body into position. It means eliminating momentum and allowing the muscle to do the work.
Terrible Nutrition
Improper eating was one of my biggest mistakes. I wasn’t eating enough and the food I ate was horrible.
I could have put on 15 pounds of muscle a year for my first 3 years of training, but I maybe added half of that.
Get your protein, carbs and healthy fats from 100% wholesome foods.
Eat your steak and eggs, lots of greens, and some whole grains from time to time. Eat whole, all-natural foods because they are REQUIRED for health and energy.
The quantity and quality of your food directly effects your results.
Using Machines Too Soon
Don’t touch the machines until you do you are well versed in free weight training. Don’t go near a weight machine until your can deadlift twice your weight. Bench press your bodyweight, and squat 1.5x your bodyweight.
Don’t even look at machines. Barbells are your buddy. Free weights are your best friend.
Training on machines too soon robs you of core strength and balance. You need core strength and balance to lift safety as well as build a balanced, symmetrical and healthy physique.
Curling in the Squat Rack
Beyond disrespectful. Don’t do it.
Not Keeping a Workout Journal
Write down every exercise, every set, reps performed each set, and the weight you use. This is how you push yourself to improve.
Jot down thoughts, ideas and training cues when the thought comes to mind. Review them and use the information to improve.
Track your workouts because everything that gets measured improves. Don’t rely on your memory. You should be focused 100% on your current workout. Not wondering what you did last time. Just look at the paper and it will be there in black and white.
Tracking progress ensures you’re making progress. Your training journal serves as a reference to capture valuable data about your workouts. Data you can use to make adjustments for continuous improvement.
A simple Moleskin notebook makes a perfect training journal. I alsouse it to jot down ideas that spark while training.
Taking Supplements
Supplement companies looove beginners. They see you as sucker that will fork over your cash for the promise of quick gains.
The supplement industry thrives on consumer naivety. Don’t be conned. Spend your money on good food and forget about supplements. There is no need for supplements if you are eating well.
Remember the Tortoise and the Hare? Slow and steady wins the race. This is true with muscle building. Consistency is key. Focus over time is how you build muscle, get strong and stay healthy and fit.
Go Forth and Crush It
Mistakes aren’t always a bad thing. If you aren’t making mistakes you aren’t trying enough.
There are some things only experience can teach you. Training is one of them. There is a lot of nuance in training. Training is a personal thing. You have to know yourself, learn what works best for you.
Making mistakes is OK.
Just don’t make the same mistake twice. Better yet, learn from other peoples’ mistakes to avoid them all together. This is how you accelerate your progress.
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