First starting a serious weight-training routine can be a difficult task to execute properly. I've seen numerous mistakes take place in the weight room whether it be in my friends routine or my own. As we all know, lifting can be frustrating...very frustrating. Weightifiting as a hobby or sport can be analyzed on three different levels.

Your Mindset

The first level or first step starts with mentality or mindset . Motivation comes from your mind and your heart, and harnessing that motivation and using it to not only train hard, but to train smart is vital to our sport. I will discuss the idea of "goal setting" as the most common and important mistake people make on the mental level. The second level is obviously the physical level aka what we do in the gym!

This is often thought of as the most important level, but in my philosophy no more or less important than the others. How we train and how we treat our bodies is an area of flaw for almost all of us. I will discuss "lack of variation and stagnation" as the most prolific physical mistake. Lastly, there is nutrition. All of us that work out and eat right because we want to undoubtedly augment our diets with various types of concentrated and blended nutrients, however some mistakes are made by even the cleanest eaters. I will discuss "poor timing and loading" as the most common mistake on the the nutritional level. Hopefully with these three levels of analysis I can exhibit some simple mistakes that if corrected, can boost your mind and body!

Set Your Goals

The lack of a clear goal is the most detrimental factor in determining the results that a training program will bring. My personal problem has always been the battle between cutting and gaining. I could never commit to one or the other because I wanted both, but it is important to realize that in order for a program to be effective, your goal has to be very clear. If you want to gain, you need to think, eat, sleep and lift gaining. If you want to get lean you need to do the same but oriented towards cutting. This type of clarity will allow you to do all you can to achieve a specific goal. Another problem you can find in goal setting is in their magnitude.

If your goal is to look like Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman, it will most likely be pretty discouraging after months of working out and not comparing yourself to them in the mirror! It is imporant to set realistic goals, and work as hard as possible to achieve them. I want lose 5 pounds or I want to increase my Bench or squat by 10 pounds. Once you have this goal, find someone who you TRUST, whether it be a local body builder, trainer, or just a friend, to sit down with and devise a plan that caters to your specific goal. Once you have a realistic and clear goal, it is time to hit the gym!

When you're in the gym, equipped with a strong goal, how you use your time means everything. Although you might have an idea in your head about what exercises you like and don't like, it is important not to fall into the trap of doing the same thing every time. While weightlifting with proper form is effective no matter what capacity you do it in, in order to stimulate muscle growth, varation is a must! The way muscle builds is that it breaks down due to the activity you perform, and then repairs itself when you feed it. What happens if you do the same thing over and over again, your muscles will no longer breakdown, causing them to remain the same size and shape.

There are many different ways to vary your workout. Try doing different exercises, even maybe someones you don't like or ones that seem the same as what you're doing, because little changes make a difference. Also, try doing exercises in a different order, or for a different amount of reps. The point is, shock your muscles with new movements and weights, don't allow them to get used to your routine because it will render it useless.

Get Your Nutrition Right

Nutrition is the name of the game. How you eat, what you eat, and when you eat are all vital factors in catering to your goals. A common mistake people make in nutrition that I see is timing. Whether you want to gain or cut, your body can only process so much of a single nutrient at one time. Anyone can load their body with protein or carbs to try to gain weight, but to save yourself disappointment, do some research on how much protein or carbohydrates your body can process at once, and how long it takes to process them.

I usually have about 50 grams of protein every 2 and 1/2 hours. Any more than that I've known to store as fat. Also, another timing issue takes place in and around your workout. First, you must get some simple carbohydrates about an hour before your workout to ensure that you will have enough sustained energy to hit your weights. Then, as we all know, it is important to have a good protein immediately after your workout. What people often overlook is their glycogen stores.

During a workout your body will burn through carbs relatively quickly, and if you don't want your muscles to be depleted it is important to get some sugar in your system. Try for example drinking about half of a Carbo Force by ABB or Mass Recovery about halfway through your workout, or after about an hour. This will re-ignite your glycogen levels and give your body something simple to break down instead of your muscles!

In conclusion, when you first start working out, it is important to take little things seriously, otherwise maximum results won't be able to be achieved!

MuscleTech Anabolic Halo!

"World's Strongest Anabolic & Non-Androgenic Total Muclebuilding Cycle!"

Learn More!