Going to the gym can be tough, but not always
because getting in shape is hard work. For some, the problem is that… they’re
not exactly sure what they’re doing in there. The environment, the equipment, the exercises,
and heck, even the fashion trends can be difficult to grasp. To enlighten some of our fellow beginner bros
and broettes, and even some of you seasoned gym-goers, here are 5 beginner gym mistakes
that you might want to fix. Number 1, you use only machines. There’s nothing exactly wrong with machines
as they do simplify many exercises and are, for the most part, easy to use. But its simplicity has its drawbacks. One is that machines typically accommodate
only average height ranges, making it tough to use if you’re too short or too tall. Some machines also follow unnatural movement
paths, which can be uncomfortable to use. Free weights are much more…well, free, allowing
you to work with better, more natural patterns. Also, one huge disadvantage is the lack of
strengthening stabilizer muscles. Machines already have you set in a fixed,
stable position, thus you won’t need to kick in much of your stabilizers to keep balance
and control. Free weights, in contrast, will require just
that. Now again, that doesn’t mean machines aren’t
good at all. In fact, one of the best machines in all of
fitness are the cable machines. But they do have their limitations and it’s
important to integrate free weight exercises into your program wherever you see fit, especially
if your goal is overall fitness. Number 2, you’re doing way too many isolation
exercises. Yes, I’m talking to you, the one staring
in the mirror while doing your eighteenth set of bicep curls. Believe it or not, there’s more to being
in shape than the size of your arms. These single-joint isolation exercises, like
curls, side raises, and triceps pushdowns, only tend to focus on one muscle group at
a time. Large compound movements, like squats, deadlifts,
and shoulder presses, however, hit multiple muscle groups at once, meaning more work in
significantly less time. Compound movements also allow you to work
with much heavier weights, which is great if you want to build overall strength and
muscle. Now, isolation exercises are still important. They are great at hitting muscles that need
more work, and they’re more effective in controlling specific volume targets for any
given muscle. But the point is, don’t stick with isolations
only. Do your compound movements too, if not more
so. Number 3, you only use light weights. It’s understandable that beginners will
hesitate to lift heavy. However, avoid doing so goes against one key
fitness component: progressive overload. The concept that, one must persistently increase
the demand placed on the muscles to effectively become stronger and bigger. Sure, you might toss on a few more pounds
once in a while, but nothing even close to your maximal potential. You need to push your limits for results,
ESPECIALLY if the goal is getting stronger. Studies repeatedly show that strength gainz
are best achieved when lifting heavy. That means you need to lift a weight you can
only do maybe 5 or 3 reps max, or even just once. And then after you achieve that, try even
more the next time around. No more 40 rep sets unless your goal is strictly
endurance. And before wrapping up the last two, I wanna
give a quick shout out to the PictureFit discord community! For those of you unfamiliar with discord,
it is a chat service originally created for gamers. But it’s also proven to be great for other
communities, including health and fitness. Our PicutreFit community have lots of great
people sharing advice each day. Overall, we’ve been tremendously successful
in creating a fun yet mature, and helpful environment. If you feel like you need help with your goals
or wanna help other bros and broettes or even wanna just chat with me and others, then please
come check out the discord community today. Registration is super quick and easy. Just follow the link in the description. Number 4, you don’t bring along a bottle
of water. A simple but crucial mistake many people make,
not just beginners. The thing is, our body is two-thirds water
and on average, we sweat off roughly 1 liter of water for every hour of exercise. If we don’t replenish the lost water, it
can lead to dehydration, which comes with nasty symptoms like muscle cramps, fatigue,
poor concentration, and headaches. Qualities you certainly wouldn’t want during
your physical activities. The simple fix is to bring that water bottle
with you. There’s really no reason not to and it’s
better than relying on the gym’s water fountain. Also, if you’re doing anything super intense
or long endurance, you might want to consider a sports drink or coconut water instead to
help replenish the loss of electrolytes. Plus, it has sugars, which replenish energy
stores. Just make sure you account for the added sugars
into your overall diet. And finally, number 5, you don’t ask for
help. There has been a long-built stigma of an anti-social
sentiment in the gym. Unsolicited fitness advice is often discouraged
since no one likes to be told what to do even with the best of intentions. But such a contentious pride to be independent
means… we suck at asking for help. As a beginner, there’s no doubt you’ll
need all the help you can get. We also have studies showing that people with
social and/or coaching support are much more likely to be successful with their goals. It’s both a motivational and educational
benefit to have someone encouraging and helping you along the way. I’m personally a huge advocate of working
with actual professionals, even personal trainers, with enough due diligence, but I understand
not everyone has the financial means to do so. In that case, put your pride aside and don’t
be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Contrary to popular belief, gym bros and broettes
are more than happy to help. After all, they understand how difficult it
once was as a beginner themselves. And that’s five mistakes you might want
to start working on as a beginner. I hope you all left with at least some extra
knowledge you can take to the gym. If you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to
hit the like button and subscribe for more future videos. Also, please come check out the PictureFit
discord community for more help on your fitness goals. As always, thank you for watching and happy
lifting AND GET YOUR PROTEIN!
