Your fitness journey is going to be a long one. But hey, as Lao Tze said before, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Sometimes, you stumble and fall on the first steps you make, and that’s what I did too when I started getting serious about becoming fit.
Throughout the few years, I’ve indulged myself into health & fitness, I’ve noticed a string or pattern of mistakes that your average fitness newcomer makes. Eventually, they’ll gain more knowledge and experience to realize what they were doing the first few months (or years!) was wrong or unnecessary, but I’m here to help you save some time by skipping those exact same mistakes.
If you’re just starting out to become a new, fitter you and randomly came across this article, lucky you! You’re bound to reach your goals quicker!
Fad Diets
Too many beginners overwhelm themselves with fad diets. Truthfully, I think they are a waste of time IF you can’t get yourself up to hit the gym and start eating nutritious food, to begin with. Diets such as the keto diet, paleo diet, Atkin’s diet, and many other diets benefit the user in multiple different ways, but many don’t realize how difficult it is to stick to one in the first place.
If you’re new to fitness, I would recommend you stick to a workout schedule you can adhere to, even if it means you can hit the gym only twice a week. If counting calories are a big deal, start with removing unhealthy junk food from your diet, and replace them with solid, nutritious meals.
The goal here isn’t to max out your gains in a month, but to slowly develop the discipline it takes to stick to a proper, reasonable, and achievable lifestyle in a month. You’ll notice that the longer you stick to a workout schedule and diet, the easier it becomes. Eventually, it will become a habit instead of a burden.
Once you’ve developed a solid routine, familiarized yourself with the right macros to gain muscle, lose weight, or whatever gets you closer to your fitness goals, then it would be appropriate to start choosing the right diet!
Not Protecting Their Joints
Everyone’s fitness goals are different. Some people are looking to shed some belly fat and maintaining a normal BMI, but others may be looking forward to getting strong!
If you want to get strong, you’ve got to train hard and intense. Your joints (especially knees) are prone to injuries, especially if you are using bad form. Have an experienced lifter or friend check your form the first few times and listen to your body.
You’re supposed to push through the difficulty, but not the pain. There are many ways to protect your knees, and ensure you can keep working out in the long run!
Ego Lifting
I get it, beginners are often very insecure about themselves when they start hitting the weights. If they can’t look big, the least they can do is look like they’re strong. I grew up skinny, and I know what it feels like. But here’s the truth: Almost no one in the gym cares about the weights you lift.
You shouldn’t be worried about the looks people are going to give if you can only curl ten pounds. After being in the gym for a while, I realize that most people just mind their own business. Lift with STRICT form, and don’t compromise on anything.
Your chances of injury are high if you compensate your muscles by throwing the weight around. This just results in delays in achieving gains, and it can get very demotivating. You’ll regret trying to show-off and just wished you stuck with weights you could handle.
A great tip I’ve been following when using machines or dumbbells is to exhale for two counts while in the lifting phase, hold it briefly during the top of the contraction, then slowly return to the original position, while inhaling for four counts.
I’m not only reducing injury risks with steady and controlled movements, but I’m less distracted by the people around me as I’m busy with the two and four counts throughout the set.
If you workout with strict form, push yourself to your limits without compromising your form and eat the right food, it’s so easy to progress to the heavier weights. You might even be surprised by how quick your progress is when you train slow and steady!
“The Gym is Boring”
I’m sure you’ve heard of this excuse somewhere along the road. I admit this is true. The gym can be a boring place, especially if you’re overweight and must emphasize more on boring cardio work.
Be creative with your workouts! As a beginner, you shouldn’t be too caught up on the exact number of calories you burn.
If walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes is dreadful, you could go for the bicycle or rowing machine on your next gym visit. You’ll realize cardio doesn’t have to be boring, and you could still get a brutal workout in!
Another form of training I’m a big fan of is High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. This is especially good for those with a busy schedule but want an intense workout!
This applies to strength training as well. If you’re tired of standing barbell curls, switch it to preacher curls. You’ll notice that the weight you use will be less, and that’s gonna motivate you to try to step it up!
The Treadmill as the Only Cardio
If your goal is to lose weight, it would make sense to hit the treadmill every time you step foot in the gym. However, many people aren’t aware that running isn’t good for your knees long-term, especially if you’re overweight or have had knee injuries prior.
When you run, imagine the impact each knee bears at a time as you land. Too much stress on the knees can wear down the cartilage of your knees, making you prone to conditions like arthritis.
I’m not saying you should skip the treadmill entirely, but I suggest you switch your cardio occasionally. The elliptical and bicycle are great cardio options as well!
“What Supplements Are You Taking, Bro?”
We’ve all met this guy before….
Listen, no matter how convincing supplement companies market their products as necessary for gains, for as long as you’re training hard and eat right, you don’t need supplements!
I think the only supplement you should consider purchasing if you’re a beginner is a high-quality Whey Protein. It’s hard to reach your protein intake goals some days when you’ve got a busy schedule, and whey protein will help you with this. You don’t need BCAA’s, Creatine, and all the other stuff.
Be disciplined on your workout schedule, eat right, and once you’ve gotten a hold of that, then it would be smart to learn more about the many supplements on the market. Remember, supplements are just going to help with that 1%.
Take-Home Message
There you have it. The six common mistakes almost every fitness newcomer makes!
Before you start a workout routine, it is advisable for you to have a word with a certified medical professional, especially if you’ve had a history with medical conditions and injuries. With this, I hope that you’re able to avoid common pitfalls beginners get themselves into, save a lot of money and time, and make some awesome gains!
