People have different reasons for why they want to start working out. It could be to get stronger, look better, improve sports performance, or to have more strength to complete their daily tasks.

Whatever the reason, here are some pitfalls to avoid when starting a weight training program.

Leave your ego at home 

It’s natural to feel a little shy or intimidated when you go to the gym for the first time. Please don’t compare yourself to anyone because everyone is at a different fitness level. You’re not there to compete with them; you’re there for you. Besides, everyone was a beginner at one time.

As a beginner, never attempt exercises that require a high degree of skill, or lift weights that you can’t lift.

You’ll learn and grow over time. Do what you can do, even if it seems like everyone else is capable of doing more! It’s your fitness journey, and you’re building a strong body by lifting what you can safely manage.

Ego is a big pitfall for beginners; so, leave it at home.

Compare your performance only to your former self

We just said not to compare yourself with anyone else at the gym. The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday.

Sure, the person next to you might be sculpted or picture-perfect. Or the magazines you pick up to learn more about fitness will have cover models with perfect (and photoshopped) bodies. Although it’s good to see what’s possible, why should you compare your journey to anyone else’s?

Live your life.

Compare yourself only to your former self – to the person you were yesterday, last month, or a year ago.

Your competition is you.

So, stay focused on the kind of person you want to become. Be consistent with your fitness routine. Making progress in your life and health will inspire you to stay the course.  Comparing yourself to others will discourage you; besides, it’s pointless.

Compound lifting is best for beginners

When new to lifting weights, keep things simple by centering your workouts around compound lifts.

Movements like bench press, deadlifts, squats, and overhead press are compound lifts. Your priority should be to perfect your form on these compound lifts.

Increase the weight slowly at a rate that allows you to safely perform these movements by making your muscles do the work. It’s hard on your joints when the weight is too heavy. It’s better to go lighter and focus on making the muscle move the weight.

Set reasonable training goals

Beginners tend to do too much too fast because they feel so motivated!

Let motivation fuel you. Just don’t be over-zealous and get burned out, or, worse yet, suffer an injury.

To keep this from happening, set reasonable and attainable goals you can stick with. For example, as a beginner, maybe set a goal to go to the gym 2-3 times a week instead of 4-5 times; this is something you can stick with, and it builds momentum.

Nutrition goals

When you start working out, you’ll need to focus on nutrition and rest. With regards to nutrition, set reasonable goals. There’s no need to eat brown rice and bland chicken breasts all the time!

Make simple changes at first, like adding more nutrient-rich foods to your diet, and reducing junk food and sugary drinks; these simple modifications are a great way to see big changes. And you’ll feel so much better too!

As a beginner, it’s important to focus on a weightlifting routine and nutrition plan that you can sustain over the long haul.

Stay focused and on track by avoiding the common pitfalls that discourage so many beginners.

Remember, it’s your life and fitness journey!

Image by Ichigo121212 from Pixabay

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Some people really love working out, but most want to get their workout done as fast as possible. They’re always looking for the ultimate bang-for-your-buck workouts that get them the best results in the shortest time!

Compound exercises are the easiest way to take your workout from good to great without spending more time in the gym. Working multiple muscles at the same time will help you to gain more muscle and burn more calories in less time.

Here are three of the most effective and time-efficient compound exercises.

Burpees

The best thing about burpees is that they require nothing but your bodyweight so you can do them anywhere, at any time. They are great for conditioning and strengthening your entire body.

Burpees can be a bit challenging for beginners, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them. Just add a squat in between the standing and the plank position.

Start the exercise by standing straight, then squat and place your hands on the floor in front of you and jump backward. If that’s too hard, replace the jump with a walk back. Lastly, jump forward and stand up (or drop to your knees, step forward, and then stand up).

Dumbbell Deadlift

Deadlifts are a great exercise. They target the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, upper back, and core muscles all at once, leading to huge improvements in strength and stability. This exercise improves posture and makes it easier to perform daily tasks. Lastly, deadlifts are the ultimate time-saver. Instead of using three different machines, you can get the same workout with just a pair of dumbbells.

To perform a dumbbell deadlift, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length, brace your core and lower your torso until it’s parallel to the floor keeping the dumbbells as close to your legs as you can throughout the movement (don’t arch your back; keep it flat/straight).

Squats

Contrary to popular belief, squats don’t just work your glutes. They also work your quadriceps and calf muscles. Squats help you build lean muscle, burn fat, strengthen your bones, and build endurance. They’re really easy to perform and can be done with or without weights.

To do a proper squat, stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width, sit into a squat position, keeping your chest up and your shoulders back. To avoid injury, keep your feet angled out about 30°. Also, start by mastering a regular squat before moving to weighted squats.

The best compound exercises put multiple muscle groups and joints to work in a single move. Therefore, by combining multiple compound exercises, you can get a good workout without spending hours in the gym.

Photo by Sergio Pedemonte on Unsplash

Photo by Your House Fitness https://www.yourhousefitness.com/

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So, you kicked off the New Year with a great resistance workout and left the gym beaming with pride, but now your muscles are so stiff and sore that it hurts to even walk. Should you give your body a break or grind through the pain and keep going, forcing your body to adjust to your new exercise routine?

There is no simple answer to this question because it depends on the intensity and duration of the pain.

How Bad Is the Pain?

There are two main types of muscle soreness associated with intense resistance training: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and Rhabdomyolysis.

DOMS – the Annoying Pain

DOMS is caused by microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. Although that sounds kind of bad, it’s actually part of the muscle building process. The amount of damage varies depending on the intensity, duration and type of exercise.

The soreness starts as early as 12 hours after an intense workout and can last several days. However, the worst pain occurs about 48 hours after the workout when you’re first starting out. Your body gets acclimated in a few days and the pain goes away.

Rhabdomyolysis – the Dangerous Pain

The second and more serious type of muscle soreness is called rhabdomyolysis. It occurs when a direct or indirect muscle injury causes the death of muscle fibers, releasing toxic substances into the bloodstream. This can lead to kidney failure if the kidneys are unable to remove these wastes from the body.

Rhabdomyolysis can happen to anyone, from beginners to pros. Its symptoms are muscle pain, weakness, problems with urination, brown or dark red urine, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and vomiting. If you experience these symptoms after a particularly tough workout, rush to the ER immediately.

Bottom line, if you’re only experiencing mild soreness that makes walking up the stairs uncomfortable, or when stretching your arms or legs in a certain way, it’s perfectly okay to continue your workouts. In fact, it’s likely that the pain will decrease significantly after you’ve been exercising for a few minutes and your muscles are warm and filled with blood. However, don’t push yourself as hard as you did the previous day; go lighter.

If the pain is bad enough that you think you might have sprained something, take a day off. However, keep in mind that a day can easily turn into a couple of days or week. Get back to your workouts as soon as the pain reaches manageable levels. Push yourself but in a healthy way.

How Long Have You Been Sore?

Other than the intensity of the pain, you should also consider the duration. DOMS should be gone within 3 to 7 days without any form of therapy. If the soreness lasts longer than this and your workout performance declines noticeably, your body may be trying to tell you that it’s time to chill out.

Take a day or two off and increase your protein intake to speed up muscle recovery. Alternatively, you can change your workout to give the sore muscles time to heal. If you have overworked your abs and arms, give them a break and focus on your legs for a couple of workouts – but remember to give your legs at least one day off between workouts as you should never work the same muscle group two days in a row (the exception to this rule might be abs; it’d be wise to seek advice from your personal trainer).

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness happens to everyone; most times you can push through the pain and discomfort. However, if the pain is too intense or lasts longer than a week, it would be wise to take a break and seek medical attention.

Always remember that an object in motion stays in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest. We were built to move! So, do what you need to do to be healthy and well, and don’t let pain keep you on the sidelines indefinitely (unless it’s an injury) because your body will start to deteriorate, which is much worse for your life and health in the long run.

(Photo credit courtesy of Trainer Academy https://traineracademy.org/) 

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