22 Common Gym Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid
Working out at the gym only benefits you if done correctly. An experienced athlete shares the common mistakes to avoid for effective training.
An experienced athlete shares insights on what not to do when starting gym workouts and how to structure your training properly.
Anatoly Shpakov
Rugby Master Athlete. Fitness Enthusiast. Travel Blogger. Superdad.
I've been involved in sports for many years: initially as a professional rugby player, and after retiring, I consistently hit the gym to keep my muscles toned and maintain fitness. In this article, I want to highlight frequent mistakes beginners make and explain how to avoid them.
Mistakes When Training with a Coach
1. Talking with your coach while performing exercises. Proper breathing is crucial during workouts, and chatting disrupts this process. Avoid conversations while exercising.
2. Lack of coach supervision on exercise technique. Watch demo videos of all exercises your coach assigns to ensure correct form.
3. Taking excessively long breaks between exercises. If you want to chat and waste your investment, go ahead. But if you’re here to work out, value every minute. Less talking means better results.
4. Sticking to an unchanging workout plan. Your coach should explain the training process clearly. You need to understand where you start, why you’re doing it, and what results to expect in one month, three months, and six months.
5. Training with an incompatible coach. You pay for results, so feel free to change coaches if needed. Find a professional who suits your goals, but avoid extremes where the coach overloads you excessively.
Mistakes When Training Alone
6. Not having a workout plan. It’s essential to have one, whether on paper, in a notebook, or on your phone. However, simply having a plan doesn’t guarantee effective workouts.
7. Using incorrect exercise technique. Proper form ensures effective training, muscle growth, and injury prevention. Learn correct techniques in advance.
8. Not using a spotter when lifting heavy weights. Always ask a trainer on duty for assistance—it’s their responsibility to help. Don’t be shy.
9. Sharing equipment or machines with someone else. You’re not obligated to share gym apparatus during your workout.
10. Feeling self-conscious. Remember, even experienced gym-goers started as beginners.
General Mistakes
11. Using the treadmill run as a warm-up. A proper warm-up is key to injury prevention. Perform it correctly, progressing from upper to lower body.
12. Attempting new exercises with heavy weights. Start light and gradually increase load. This approach promotes muscle growth and helps maintain good form.
13. Varying the number of sets per exercise. Perform 4–5 sets per exercise; 2–3 should be warm-up sets, and the rest working sets. This helps muscles adapt to maximum loads. Use 30–70% of your working weight for warm-ups.
14. Irregular or shallow breathing. Each exercise has its own breathing technique—learn and follow it.
15. Frequently changing workout programs. Change your routine at least every two months to maintain effectiveness.
16. Lack of progressive overload. Increase the weight slightly each session. For example, bench press 110 lbs for 10 reps on Wednesday, then 115 lbs for 10 reps the next Wednesday. If you can’t complete 10 reps, do as many as possible, then increase weight once you hit 10 reps. Continuous weight progression promotes muscle growth and elasticity.
17. Spending too much or too little time in the gym. Limit workouts to 80–90 minutes, excluding cardio.
18. Insufficient basic compound exercises in your program. These foundational moves are the most effective for specific muscle groups.
19. Overtraining with too many weekly sessions. While pros train frequently, beginners should stick to three sessions per week.
20. Harmful habits. Alcohol and fitness don’t mix. If you drink, avoid training for at least two days. Your heart isn’t invincible. Alcohol inhibits protein synthesis.
21. Lifting excessively heavy weights. Muscle growth depends more on time under tension than sheer weight.
22. Lack of consistency. Create a workout plan and stick to it. Start sessions with large muscle groups and finish with smaller ones.
Tips for Beginners
- Design a weekly workout plan and follow it consistently for at least two months.
- Three workouts per week are sufficient for beginners.
- Include 6–8 exercises per session with 10–12 repetitions each. Perform 2–3 warm-up sets (30–70% of working weight) and two working sets per exercise.
- Rest up to 90 seconds between sets and up to 120 seconds between different exercises.
- Always warm up before training.
- Progress from large muscle groups to smaller ones during your workouts.
- Learn and memorize proper exercise techniques included in your plan.
- Breathe correctly throughout your exercises.
- Ensure progressive weight increases over time.
- Minimize talking—focus on your workout!
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