Top 4 Beginner Training Mistakes
1. Skimping the Warm Up
Too many people develop tight musculature from hard training, reduced range of motion, and generally end up moving like a 2x4.
I see so many people walk in, swing their arms around wildly in semi circles, bend over and attempt to touch their toes twice and dive right in to their workout. Now, a warm up should not become an exhausting experience the lasts 30 minutes, but arm swings and a bend doesn’t cut it.
The warm up is an opportunity to prepare the body AND the mind for the training you’re about to do. You should prepare the tissues of the body, increase mobility, and raise your body temperature by warming up. There’s another aspect to a proper warm up though. You can work on incorporating neurological training (balance, agility, coordination), and technique review which increase your overall results.
At my gym, Enlightened Athlete, the coaches take all members through directed warm ups, priming the body AND the nervous system for training with a purpose.
2. Too much, Too Fast
Here’s a common scenario: Bob is a sedentary individual. Maybe he walks around the block once in awhile with the family. Bob decides he is going to get in shape. Bob is going to go to the nines and take on a brutal workout he saw on facebook. Halfway through, his legs are jello, lungs are burning, and he might puke.
For the next three days Bob is so sore that he can’t make it up or down stairs and needs handrails to sit down on the toilet. Bob stops working out due to the fear of that pain again. Thus, Bob’s workout career is over. Not great.
It’s ok to start small and build. If you’re doing nothing, anything will be better than that. You don’t need to go out and try to run marathons or crush an Olympic athlete’s workout. Start with a 30 minute walk and some bodyweight movements.
This is where having a qualified coach or trainer comes in very handy. They will be able to evaluate where you are now, and provide the proper amount of intensity. They will build you up over time and viola! You start seeing results!
3. Not Fueling Exercise
Nutrition is key to success when beginning a workout regimen. I’ve heard it time and time again that your body composition, what you’re made of (muscle vs. fat), can be influenced up to 80% by what you put in your mouth. Stated differently, what you eat largely determines the results you’ll see from ANY exercise program. You can’t out work poor nutrition.
Maybe it’s the fact that you are eating a steady diet of frozen burritos and fast food. For some it will need to be a reduction in calories (weight loss). For others it will need to be a surplus (muscle gain). You need to figure out your goals and have a professional help you decide where you can improve.
4. Not Prioritizing Recovery
“You need to help your body build back up after breaking it down.”
One of the biggest mistakes for a newbie gym-goer is under recovery. Not enough sleep, not planning meals, no static stretching or yoga. They don’t prioritize recovery methods. Getting to bed at the same time every night and getting 6 hours of sleep minimum. Foam rolling, banded distractions for joint health, and supplementation. These are all common methods that make you feel better and bring you more results.
You come into the gym, crush a workout, and do it again tomorrow. You need to help your body build back up after breaking it down. It can be confusing and difficult to start. This is where the theory of start small and build comes into play. Google workout recovery, ask for help from a pro, or grab some books. Just start somewhere.
What to Do Now?!
If you identified any of these 4 mistakes or have had trouble in the past, please feel free to reach out to me, Shae, at Enlightened Athlete with questions you may have. I'm happy to help!
If you've been putting off getting in shape due to the fear of injury or feeling lost; Schedule a FREE trial workout today to see what having a qualified coach who cares about your results can do for the improvement of your entire life.
