Common Mistakes Everyone Makes In The Gym
Most people who’ve been going to the gym for a few years feel pretty confident in themselves.
After all, they’ve worked hard and have earned their status.
But, though it may come as a surprise, even experienced gym-goers make mistakes that can sometimes derail them and slow down their progress.
With that in mind, here are the four most common blunders to keep in mind:
1. Not Training Hard Enough
As we gain momentum with training, we tend to get comfortable with our training and forget one simple fact:
Training is supposed to be tough and unpleasant.
Instead, folks find themselves going through the motions of training, rarely working hard to break a sweat. As a result, their progress stagnates, and they find themselves asking, “I’m training consistently, so why can’t I seem to build muscle or get stronger?”
In many of these cases, simply working a bit harder is enough to kickstart progress.
- Not Having Clear Objectives In Mind
Having goals is not everything. You still need to put the work in. Plus, successful and unsuccessful people often have similar goals, yet their outcomes differ significantly.
But having clear objectives for your training is still vital because it allows you to set a direction for your efforts. Think of it like this:
You know where you want to go before you enter your car, right? That way, you can pick out the best route that will get you there. The same goes for training:
Setting clear, realistic, and time-bound goals allows you to create a plan that will get you there. For example:
“I want to bench press 225 pounds in the next six months.”
The goal is clear, time-bound, and, depending on your current strength, even realistic.
- Not Trying New Exercises
Look:
The more we do one thing, the more we close ourselves to new ideas and tactics. In the case of training, most people start by exploring all sorts of exercises because they feel enthusiastic.
But, after years of training, the enthusiasm tends to fade, and trainees find themselves doing the same few exercises over and over for months on end.
The issue is that doing the same thing repeatedly makes your training dull, so you find yourself feeling bored. Workouts no longer feel like this fresh thing to spice up your day. Instead, you go in to get it done and go home.
By switching up your exercises from time to time, you get to keep this fresh and engaging. Plus, you get to train in a slightly different way, which can positively impact your progress.
This isn’t to say you should change exercises every week. Instead, we recommend doing so every few months.
- Not Breathing Correctly
Yes, yes. Breathing is about as exciting as going to the dentist. Yet, we need to pay attention to it because it makes a massive difference in how we feel and perform.
The reason is, good breathing allows us to produce energy aerobically (with the assistance of oxygen). This, in turn, allows us to train harder, get tired more slowly, and recover better between individual sets.
Plus, good breathing patterns allow us to brace well, remain stable, and lift heavier weights. For example, learning how to breathe deep into your belly and brace your midsection is vital for squatting heavy weights.
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