New to the gym? Not sure what to do? Before even beginning to list and explain the top 3 mistakes made by beginners in working out. It is important to acknowledge that exercise science, nutrition, and supplementation is extremely complex, and reaching your fitness/bodybuilding goals starts with educating yourself.

I could continue writing common mistakes for countless pages of the things that I see and hear at the gym almost on a daily basis. As a result of all the many examples and suggestions that can be given to trainees of all experience levels, it is paramount that a list such as this feature only the 3 essential mistakes that will interfere with gaining proper experience and slowly progressing to reach the bigger goals down the line.

1. Lift Smart

Without a doubt the number one mistake that beginners make is going into the gym and trying to lift heavier than they are able to before perfecting their form. What often results from this is putting yourself at a very high risk of injury with a very low risk of actually activating the muscle group properly for the intended exercise.

Instead a beginner should consider the weight he or she is using as nearly irrelevant for at least the first few weeks of training, and then they should slowly increase the weight as they come to feel more comfortable with the different movements involved in their weight training regimen, because as a beginner, good form should be a number one priority.

Actually I would reccomend that someone new to weight training spend the first week of their routine using low weight that they can handle easily and practice keeping their form perfect. Because it is much easier to teach someone the proper technique and then increase the weight as they go than it is to try to get someone who has been using bad technique for ten years to try to change their bad habits. So just take it slow, bodybuilding is a marathon, not a sprint.

2. Avoid Overtraining

The next most common beginner mistake that can derail someone from making good gains and progressing is overtraining. Many beginners are under the impression that the longer they stay in the gym the bigger they will get, which is simply not true! Because newbies are not used to consistently enduring physically taxing workouts they are the most likely to easily overtrain themselves into catabolic states causing their bodies to breakdown and feed on muscle, rather than an anabolic state of growth.

Rather, a beginner should limit their workouts to around 45 minutes. They should try to be patient and learn that rest is essential to growth. Overtraining often leads to many negative results such as:

• Weight loss (Lean mass)
• Chronic Fatigue
• Loss of Strength
• Reduced growth hormone (GH) release, which related to reduced muscle mass and strength, increased fat tissue, a weakened immune system and other health declines
• Reduce protein synthesis
• Increased protein breakdown , which can lead to muscle loss, bone loss, arthritis, and overall muscle weakness
• Immune system compromise with increased risk to infections, certain and disease.
• Thyroid function impairment resulting in decreased metabolism, and increased fat storage
• Glucose utilization and insulin function impairment resulting in higher blood sugar levels
• Salt and water are retention, which can raise blood pressure (this can be deadly if anabolic aids which can also raise blood pressure through fluid retention are also used)
• Increased blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels increasing the risk for heart disease
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Reduced R.E.M. sleep (Most productive sleep state for rest and regeneration)

It is obvious that there are many reason to avoid overtraining, especially for a beginner who certainly doesn't need to be set back any further than his starting point. As a result it is important to remember that you can always make your workouts gradually more intense as you progress but not to add too much before you are ready.

3. Make A Plan

The other biggest mistake made by beginners that I will mention is not having a set workout and nutrition plan. One common way this problem is seen in beginners is that they tend to just go in to the gym and sort of do whatever they feel like and then leave. This is no way to approach bodybuilding or strength training whatsoever. You should begin with a structured, planned workout to ensure that you are getting balanced and consistent training.

Also this lack of an organized planned workout tends to result in guys that do chest and biceps 4 days a week, because thats what they feel like doing when they get to the gym. And it is those type of misplanned routines that send you back up to number two on the list (overtraining). Also many beginner intend to eat well but then they get hungry and don't have the right foods around and end up eating fast food; which is just one example of how the mistake of not planning ahead your meals leads to lazy last minute choices to eat poorly.

You should have a specific plan for reps and sets and know what bodyparts you are lifting on which days. Also when you got up in the morning and are making breakfast, you should already be thinking about what you are going to eat for each meal throughout the day and ensure that if you cant come home to get it that you have healthy food with you that you can eat on the go. Perhaps a can of tuna and some whole wheat bread. This type of structure allows the trainee to make sure that everything is accounted for and also begin to over time see the bigger picture of the sport and start to learn that you must plan for success, you can't just get lucky.

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