So in today’s article I wanted to talk about the most common mistakes I see “newbies” make when they first join a gym.
It amazes me to see how many people do the same thing everyday at the gym but never notice that their physiques don’t change from their hard work.
Below I listed the top 3 mistakes that I feel every “newbie” should know to avoid
1. “The Cardio Newb” (Doing only cardio)
2. “The Confused Newb” (Not having a plan)
3. “The Timid Newb” (Being afraid to start)
1. Newb Mistake #1
Doing only cardio
This mistake is number one on my list for a reason.
Too many people rely on just cardio to help them reach their transformation goals. What these people have to realize is that cardio is part of the equation, not the whole solution.
A lot of the time these “newbies” spend one, maybe two hours walking or jogging on the treadmill or elliptical, and after their so called “workout” they call it a day, just to return and do it all again tomorrow
Now don’t get me wrong. Walking on the treadmill is WAY better then being sedentary but the take home message here is to learn about what it takes to accomplish your goal and working towards that goal in the most beneficial way.
If this sounds like you, listen up.
The truth is, cardio is good for you and if you want a strong cardiovascular system cardio should be a staple in your program. But there’s a much better and entertaining way to do cardio.
And that is…through your actual work out
I do this by keeping my rest periods short, this way it keeps my heart rate up.
Then I like to add in supersets or trisets, not just because they work more muscles in a shorter amount of time but because they keep me and my clients moving, which is also going to help keep your heart rate up.
Supersets: Performing 2 exercises right after each other with no rest
Trisets: Performing 3 exercises right after each other with no rest
For supersets I like to perform antagonistic exercises, so for example if I’m doing upper body with my client we would perform a push and pull movement. This would work on the chest and back muscles.
*Side Note
What determines whether I use supersets or trisets with my client is whether or not they have a muscular imbalance. For example most of my clients have desk jobs so a lot of them have a forward shoulder lean. To fix this I would use a ratio of 2:1 for back and chest exercises. This strengthens the back faster with out neglecting the chest.
For my lower body I use trisets most of the time. Hitting a major lift like the squat and then going into a unilateral exercise followed by a posterior chain exercise (your posterior chain includes your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back).
Using your body weight for resistance builds a much better foundation then running on a treadmill would. It also helps improve your mind and body connection which will help you tremendously down the road.
So now you see why I never recommend being a cardio ONLY “newbie”
2. Newb Mistake #2
Not Having a Plan
This mistake I see a lot of as well, people that come into the gym ready to train to just find themselves lost. So instead of leaving, they do exercises (with bad form might I add) that they saw someone else do and then call it a day. Training is so much more than that, some days I see people come in and go straight to the dumbbells for some curls.
Other days I see people go straight to the bench press and start lifting with heavy ass weight, without even warming up.
In my opinion going to the gym becomes a lot easier when you set a goal. Whether it’s fat loss, getting stronger, building more muscle or becoming more athletic. It doesn’t matter, just set a goal and take it serious.
That’s the first step.
Now you have to figure out how to go about that goal. Just like I had to do when I first started training, you have to do your own research. Read up on your goal and build a plan that supports it.
Luckily for you I’m here to make step 2 a lot easier. Below I outlined a generic workout focusing on the basic movement patterns (push, pull, squat, lunge) and stabilization of the core.
If you’re a beginner, doing this work out is going to be hard. But if you keep pushing forward and not give up. You’ll see a dramatic difference in the way you feel and look. (Quick note, make sure you perform these exercises with good form. If you’re not sure how to do it, ask a PT at your gym)
Seems easy enough right. If you’re truly a beginner take the needed amount of time for you to fully recover before continuing to the next round ( I’ve had people throw up doing this workout).
As the weeks go by you’ll be getting better at the basic movements and you’ll see a drastic decrease in the need to take long rest periods.
As this workout becomes easier you can progress to more advanced movements, increasing or decreasing reps and sets, adding weight and even throwing in some form of light jumping into the mix.
Below is a list of more advanced variations that work on the basic movement patterns in the workout.
3. Newb Mistake #3
Being Afraid to Start
After talking to many people I noticed that a major reason newbies stay in the cardio section or just take classes is because they’re too afraid to go into the free weight area.
I was surprised to hear this because I never really was intimidated by the free weight area, not even as a beginner. But after talking to some people I fully understand why they were or are afraid to get started with some serious training.
The advice I always give to them is to stop caring
People go to the gym to better themselves. In my opinion no one’s really there to judge you and if they are, that issue lies within their own insecurities.
Just worry about yourself.
Go to the gym, get YOUR training done and call it a day. Everyone else is there to do the same.
I recommend using headphones during your workout and listen to your favorite songs. This gets me in my zone and personally, it’s like no one else is there.
Just me and the iron.
I hope you enjoyed today’s article, if you did please share with your friends. I really appreciate it.
Talk to you soon,
