5 Mistakes Beginners Make At the Gym

Learn about these 5 mistakes beginners make at the gym.

So you decided to join a gym for the first time. Although it might sound easy to just go and begin lifting weights, there are a few mistakes most beginners do that can be detrimental in the future. Make sure you are not doing anything that can hinder your fitness journey from the first few times in the gym.

The video below regarding mistakes beginners make at the gym was shared by John Meadows. “The Mountain Dog” was a professional bodybuilder, trainer and nutritionist who died in 2021.

Check out if you are doing any of these mistakes and fix them now.

5 Mistakes Beginners Make At The Gym

1. Form

As soon as you hit the gym the first few times, you might be going crazy to lift weights and begin building muscle. But the first thing you actually need to do is learn the proper form of any given exercise.

Proper form will not only target your muscle better, giving you the full experience of getting stronger, but it also is the best way to prevent any injuries. John Meadows says that you can learn a lot by reading about kinesiology to know how muscles work and how they move.

2. Tracking Progress

When you start training, you should get stronger very quickly if you are a beginner as you get these neural improvements. Write down on a log book how many sets, reps, and weight you’ve done and track your progress.

If you are not getting stronger as a beginner, something is wrong, be it nutrition, rest, or an injury. So have a way to track your progress to see how you are developing.

Related: How to Train Your Body to Crave Fitness

3. Master Basic Movements

Similar to the first in this list of mistakes beginners make at the gym, you need to master the basic movements with perfect form. These are squats, presses, chin-ups, rows, and deadlifts. “Those exercises will give you a lot of bang for your buck,” Meadows says.

As a beginner you want all your muscles to work together, so you won’t be necessarily focusing exercises that isolate only one muscle group.

Source: Unsplash / CrossFit Inc

4. Add Few Isolation Movements

Meadows explains that isolation movements should not take the bulk of your training, but there are three things isolation movements do that are incredibly important for beginners:

• Create mind-muscle connection
• Feel the tension in the muscle
• Develop a more complete physique

5. Your Weight Is Not The Biggest Thing

If you are trying to build muscle and look bigger, you will want to see your weight going up in the scale. But sometimes that is not going to happen and that is okay. It doesn’t mean your workout was a failure.

“In order to get to their best potential, they have to be very patient,” Meadows talks when exemplifying beginners.

Consistency and patience are key to getting to where you want to be.

If you want to know more about Meadows’ arguments regarding the mistakes beginners make at the gym, check out his video below.

VIDEO – Mistakes Beginners Make At The Gym

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