01 Jul Common Mistakes Made by Beginners at the Gym

Joining the gym may be the first step towards a healthier lifestyle and an improved self esteem, because regular physical activities are necessary for the proper development of the human body, and should not be neglected in any case. Modern times dictate a lifestyle which is not in harmony with true human nature – sitting in front of a computer for prolonged periods of time, eating processed food, breathing pollution and looking at sharp edges is not really what we are made for. This kind of lifestyle is responsible for many modern day diseases such as obesity and diabetes. It is quite irresponsible not to think about your health until you start having health problems, and that is just what the majority of so called civilized human beings is doing. So, if you want to start working out on a regular basis, that’s great. However, you need to be aware that it is not as simple as it might seem. In order to effectively lose weight, build muscles and improve your physical strength and endurance, you have to be aware of a certain number of facts regarding your workout and diet plan, because if you are not, all of your efforts may be in vain. In this article, I would like to present some of the most common mistakes done by the newbies of the fitness world, and try and point out what to do instead.

I’m skinny, I should eat as much as I can

This is sooooo far from the truth. I mean, if your goal is to just gain weight in the form of fat, this sentence is true, but if you want to build a lean muscle mass, a well balanced diet is more than important. If you make your body go through some kind of hard physical activities, such as lifting weights for example, you have to provide it with all the nutrients it needs. Your body is a machine, it needs proper fuel in order to function as well as it is supposed to. If you stuff yourself with junk food and sodas, chances are that you will become fat, not bulked. This is because junk food and fizzy drinks are full of fats and sugars, which your body needs, but not in that form, and definitely not that much. If you want to gain weight in a healthy manner, you should eat healthy carbs, coming from rice, oats, bananas and apples, not chocolates and sodas. The protein intake is also essential for gaining muscles; some of the good sources are turkey, chicken, fish, such as tuna and salmon, eggs, milk, etc. You should also have at least five portions of fruits and veggies during the day because vitamins and minerals will provide you with the energy you need and help your immune system remain strong. They are also a good source of dietary fiber which is crucial for proper digestion. In order to build muscle mass, your body needs 2–2.5g of protein per kilogram of your body weight, divided into several meals, each meal containing no more than 40g of protein. Make sure to eat a lot of carbs before your workout and right after it, since your body will need the energy. Before a workout, it is advisable to eat some slow release carbs such as whole grains – oatmeal being the perfect choice, and after a workout, some fast releasing carbs in form of bananas or potatoes. Stay away from processed food because it is mostly just packed with empty calories and nothing else.

I’m fat, I should eat as little as I can

This is also untrue. Undereating can be a problem, too. You won’t burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach. Chances are that you will start burning muscle tissue if you do this often, which is extremely unhealthy – you can even get dizzy and faint at the gym. If you want to lose weight efficiently, eat more fruits, veggies and proteins, and lower your carbs intake, but not drastically, because you need carbs for the energy, and if there is not enough of them in your diet, you won’t be able to do your workout properly. The best solution for you would be to have your carbs before and after a workout, and have several smaller meals made out of proteins and minerals for the rest of the day. This way, you will have the energy you need for a workout, and stop the fat storage in your body.

Working out randomly

This is one of the most common mistakes made by the beginners. I agree that any kind of a workout is better than no workout at all, but doing random exercises every time you go to the gym will have no benefits whatsoever. It can even be dangerous because your muscles need rest as much as they need work in order to progress properly. Working out without a plan may lead to overtraining, which will slow down your progress very much because you won’t be able to workout for at least a couple of months, or you may cause your muscles to develop improperly, which can lead to further problems, one of them being you looking like a freak – and believe me – that is not the worst among them. What you need to do is to set some kind of a goal and develop a plan which you are going to stick to, at least for some time. If you plan on going to the gym three times a week, it would be smart to do a workout for two muscle groups each day, followed by a 15 to 20 minute cardio. For example: Monday – chest and biceps, Wednesday – back and triceps, Friday – shoulders and legs. You can do some exercises for abs every time you workout, because they need less time to rest and recover.

Lifting too much weight

Many beginners tend to do this, I could never figure out why. Maybe because they think that by working out as hard as they can, the progress will become visible in a shorter period of time. But this is not just how things go. The first couple of months of your training should be focused on executing the exercises in their proper form, because if your form is sloppy, no matter how much you lift, your progress will be sloppy too. The golden rule of working out is QUALITY ABOVE QUANTITY. Don’t let your ego tell you what to do. You are not less of a man if you don’t lift enormous weights right from the start. Do your exercises properly, and in time (even less time than you might think), the strength will come, I promise. Give your muscles time to adjust to the effort and you will be rewarded by the result. If you perform exercises in an improper manner, chances are that you will get seriously injured or have your muscles improperly developed which can be pretty harmful for the skeleton. Take your time and use your brain, don’t rush yourself, it won’t get you anywhere.

Taking dietary supplements from day one

This is an issue that has to be talked about. First, you don’t need the supplements before your muscles are even formed. These things are made for serious athletes, and shouldn’t be taken lightly, because even though they may speed up your progress, they can damage your health even more if you don’t take them with precaution. After working out for some longer period of time, if you feel that your body has reached some sort of peak, taking some supplements isn’t a bad thing. On the contrary, it can be quite beneficial, but only if you consult your physician first, since he can explain to you what each of the supplements does to your body, what may be the consequences and how to avoid them. But for the first several months, I would advise you to workout without the little helpers and get to know your body before you start experimenting. The worst thing to do would be listening to advice from some kind of gym know it all, who says that those are not steroids, anyone should take them and so on. This is not true! Some supplements can be really dangerous for the stomach, the liver and the kidneys if not used with precaution. The main goal of working out is supposed to be health – try not to forget this along the way.

Following the same plan for too long

Don’t be ideological about your workout plan. Trust me, no plan is perfect for eternity. If you follow the same program for too long, your muscles will get used to the same kind of effort and your progress will stop. Changing your workout plan every two to three months will give you great benefits, since you are probably aware that muscles aren’t built for doing the same thing over and over again. If you do various exercises, your muscles will become more functional, thus your strength will improve as well as your looks.