5 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting At The Gym
Starting a new realm of exercise can always be challenging and hard to understand. Luckily this process can be made easier by learning from other people’s beginner mistakes. Though the team here at Muscle Maker now have many years of experience in dieting and training, we were once beginners too. So here are 5 mistaks to avoid when starting at the gym, we think will help you as you start your own fitness journey to make the process more sustainable and provide better results.
- Don’t Set Unattainable Goals
When first starting, most people don’t understand the time and commitment it takes to achieve their end goal. The first thing you need to know is that wherever you want to get to, it is going to take time and effort, and the results aren’t going to appear overnight. For these reasons, it is important to not set goals too far from your reach in the beginning as after weeks/months of training and dieting you still may not get there. This is why it is important to smaller consistent goals such as weekly and monthly goals before setting ones that will take 5 years to achieve. Smaller goals will come more frequently and keep you more motivated and driven to reach the ultimate end goal you have.
- Don’t Over Restrict Yourself
It’s very easy to become over restrictive when dieting and training, specifically when motivation is high as a beginner because you want to get the most results as quick as possible. Though it is great to be motivated and have drive towards your goals, stopping yourself form enjoying little things like eating out with family and friends or cutting all foods you enjoy can lead to burning out quickly and ultimately falling off from your original plan. It is far better to find an enjoyable balance in which you can enjoy yourself and get results, even if they might take slightly longer to achieve. Remember to treat this as a marathon not a sprint.
- Don’t Be Scared of Strength Training
Some beginners have the misconception that lifting heavy weights will turn them into a ginormous bodybuilder overnight. This is certainly not the case and if anything lifting heavier weights with good form in a strength training style can benefit you and your results majorly. Utilizing compound lifts such as the bench press, squat and deadlift as a beginner and aiming for progressive strength gain is an exceptional way to achieve better muscle development and more strength that will carry over into all of your other movements which will ultimately allow you to lift more, providing more stimulus for muscle growth and fat loss which will get you to your desired goals more effectively.
- Make Sure to Implement Rest Days
It is easy in the beginning to get carried away training everyday as hard as you possibly can because of the initial drive and motivation you have. Though this may seem like the best thing to do, it is not. It is important to implement rest days and ensure you aren’t over working your body, as this can quickly lead to injuries or low immunity/sickness which will ultimately keep you out of the gym for longer periods of time than if you were to implement one or two rest days a week. The best way to figure out the best amount of rest days for you is to listen to your body and adjust accordingly. 5 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting At The Gym
- Not following a Training Plan
Too often when beginning people just accept that going to the gym and working out is better than not doing anything at all. Though this is very true, you can make much better use of your time in the gym by following an effective training plan. The reason for this is that a well-designed plan will have you bettering your lifts and performance by applying progressive overload through implementing more sets, reps or weight each week. It is also an excellent way to ensure accountability when training even on days when you may not feel like performing 100% or training a specific body part.
- HAVE FUN
BONUS TIP! Having fun training and enjoying yourself in the gym is one of the most important things you need to do in order to stick to this long term! Love the process and the results will come. Even though there will be days you don’t want to do squats or hop on the treadmill, you should enjoy training most of the time and work your program/plan around what you like to do in balance with what you have to do to achieve your goals.
We hope these tips help you in your fitness endeavours and make it slightly easier for you to get the results you want! Remember consistency and hard work is what will get you those results, but these tips are so very important to implement for long-term adherence and the best results you can get! 5 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting At The Gym
