Ouch! That’s the result when people usually start working out without knowing all to well what they are doing and getting themselves into. Luckily there are blogs such as these to help guide you in the early days of your workouts. Fitness mistakes are quite common but don’t always need to be made. In this article we will be looking at 9 common fitness mistakes that people make when they start to work out. So be sure to read all the way through in order to be aware of these potential pitfalls.
#1 Going To 100 From the Start!
Too often times do we find ourselves believing that we are able to handle very heavy weight plates or advanced exercises that will literally have your muscles trembling. It is simply not a good idea to force your body to take on such a challenge from the beginning. We recently wrote about 7 tips for building muscle with bodyweight training in which we highlighted the need to apply progressive thinking. This means the gradual increase in weights used along with exercise intensity through which your body is able to adapt and develop. Thus, it is important to learn what your body is capable of handling when starting to work out and build up from there, be it exercise complexity, amount of weights used or amount of reps and resting periods.
#2 Caring Too Much About the Numbers
Another common fitness mistake related to something very simple, numbers. In the case of losing weight and burning fat, many people make the mistake of caring too much about the scale and their current weight. Nothing blows the motivation out of you than having worked out all day and finding disappointing results on a weight scale afterwards. Instead of doing this, try to use other measures of improvement. For example, do you feeling any better afterwards? Science has proven that working out helps to make someone feel much better and alive for example. Other measures of improvement can be the way you look or whether your workouts are becoming easier to do.
#3 Making Guesses As To Equipment Usage
Some people tend to be shy or think that they can figure it all out when they start with their fitness training. Some of us are great at figuring things out ourselves, however when dealing with specialized equipment, it is often best to seek assistance as to how to use things. Not doing so is asking to get injured which is not something people want to happen to them when they start out.
#4 Giving Up Way Too Soon
Giving up early is one of the most common fitness mistakes out there. Our bodies are not machines. Thus, it takes effort and time in order to be able to see results. Many people who decide to workout choose to do so as they have a personal goal in mind, to improve themselves physically and health-wise. However, many people give up soon after they start out due to the (perceived) difficulties related to their training. However, fitness results are usually visible only after a period of time.
It is simply not realistic to do some training in 3 weeks and expect a major change in things, be it muscle growth or weight loss. Therefore, when you start out, focus on the journey as well as the goal. Know that you are getting there little by little with every workout you do. The end results always depend on the choices you make with regards to exercises, nutrition etc. Our bodies are also slightly different from each other, so comparing yourself with someone else might not always be a good idea.
#5 Starting Out With Advanced Techniques
Doing advanced techniques may seem like the coolest thing to do to when starting out, however it is of utmost importance to start with the basics first. Not only is this important for you to get the hang of things, but you also need to learn how to perform basic techniques in a safe way without injuring yourself. Only then are you able to move on to more complex techniques that are more demanding.
#6 Not Taking Things Seriously
Most people are busy with their jobs or pursuing things like education. Neglecting to take the time to work out or blaming it on a busy schedule is never the way to go about things though. This is especially true if you want to see proper results. If you find yourself thinking like this along the way then consider changing your way of thinking. Instead of spending time watching your favorite TV series, try allocating some of that time to fitness training. It is important to set clear goals for yourself, make a realistic workout schedule and stick to it. Consistency and hard work are the only ways you will be able to see a difference in things.
#7 Being Too Strict With Yourself
Treating your fitness training as military bootcamp is not the best option. If you are just starting out, remember that you are experiencing something totally new and that you need to be open for all things. Being serious about your workouts is good for motivation but don’t overdo it. It is way more important to have fun at what you’re doing and making sure that you are not forcing yourself at every step of the way to get results.
#8 Too Much Information
Approaching fitness training for the first time by doing some research on the subject is a great idea. It is very thoughtful to learn about various exercises, tips and potential mistakes (see pull-up mistakes) such as those outlined in this article. However, too much information and research may also have a bad effect on things. Spending lots of hours reading all sorts of articles related to gym workouts, fitness and nutrition will not get you any kind of results in the end. The only way to truly get somewhere is by starting to work out and learning what works for you and what doesn’t.
#9 Doing The Same Workout
Don’t be afraid of trying new exercises out during your journey. Once you have picked up a couple of exercises, feel free to learn about new ones and try them out. There are lots of technique variations as well which gives you plenty of things to try out and to learn from. Not only is it more fun, but you can truly learn more about what works well and what doesn’t.
In general, feel free to ask people for their input or to guide you with a new challenge such as fitness training. If you have never trained seriously before, then it is important to take the time to learn, progress and avoid being too anxious to see results. Forcing yourself is likely to lead to physical injury or a drop in motivation which does not help you achieve your goals. There are many fitness mistakes you can make but knowing about these will allow you to train safely whilst ensuring that you get somewhere by the end of the day.
Are you looking for a suitable pull-up bar for indoors & outdoors? We at Pullup & Dip offer you various high quality and unique pull-up bars. Go check them out now!
Recommended articles:
The five biggest mistakes in pull-ups - and how you avoid them!
