Here at Fitness Nation, we encourage everyone to get up and get active. No matter your fitness level, there is an activity out there that fits your needs and skills. From cycling and running to lifting weights, you will be able to find an exercise that you enjoy. For many fitness beginners, getting started can be difficult. After all, if you have little to no experience, how do you know where to start?

Unfortunately, this lack of experience can lead to many fitness mistakes. While some of them are minor, others can lead to injuries. However, most of these fitness mistakes are harmless. The more you work out, the more comfortable you become in the gym. As you get more comfortable, you may start exploring new workouts and exercises to add to your regime.

However, there are plenty of fitness mistakes beginners make that hinder this progress. Often, beginners make mistakes that prevent them from getting the most out of their workouts. Some of these are simple mistakes that don’t seem like issues but are.

Fitness Nation wants everyone to get the most out of their exercises, which is why we are going to go over some of the fitness mistakes all beginners should avoid. If you are a beginner yourself and are looking for a gym to call home, join Fitness Nation today.

1.) Doing Too Much 

Having goals is essential to any fitness journey. These goals give you something to work towards, but many beginners do far too much when they start off. While you may feel like you aren’t working hard enough, you more than likely are.

Building muscle and burning fat is not as complicated as you might think. You don’t have to do five different workouts with five sets of 15 to get an intense workout. Far too often, people overwork themselves. When you overtrain, your performance will decrease, you’ll experience longer muscle soreness, and you’ll increase your risk of injury.

While doing more during your workout might seem like it’ll help you reach your goals faster, it might have the opposite effect.

2.) Setting Lofty Goals

Much like doing too much in the gym, setting lofty goals can also set you back. Yes, setting goals for yourself is vital to your success in the gym. If you didn’t have any, you would be directionless. However, you should set goals that you can meet based on your fitness level.

Regardless of if you want to lose 20 pounds, add 20 pounds to your bench, or run a mile in under eight minutes, you might have to work your way up to these goals. Instead, break them up into smaller, more achievable goals.

Taking on enormous goals can lead to failure and disappointment. If you are a beginner, you may grow discouraged by your lack of improvement. You’ll frustrate yourself early and burn out your willpower. These smaller goals will boost your confidence as you complete them while allowing you to create new ones.

3.) Focusing on Just One Thing

After people have set a goal, they often get tunnel vision. They tend to work towards only that one thing, forgetting to prioritize any other aspect of their training. However, what many beginners fail to realize is that these little things matter.

For example, people who want to build a big chest may focus on flyes, presses, and pushups because they think this is the only way to grow their pecs. However, that’s not the case. Your shoulders and upper back play a crucial role in developing your chest.

If you are a beginner, you will experience faster, more quality results if you even out your workouts. Do not prioritize one muscle group or exercise over the others (unless one is a significant weak point or needs rehabilitation).

4.) Not Having a Plan

One of the worst fitness mistakes beginners make when starting out is exercising without a plan. Beginners will roam around the gym, looking for something to do. Without a set structure, they might switch up their routine in the middle of a workout.

Without a plan, you will never be able to reach your goal. Without a structure or system to follow, you can’t work towards anything. You’ll waste your time and energy, failing to master exercises and build muscle.

For beginners, it can be tough creating or finding a plan that fits your skills and goals. Fortunately, most gyms like Fitness Nation offer group classes and personal training to help you learn and master workouts, helping you exercise while following a set plan.

5.) Doing the Same Thing Over and Over

While having structure in your workouts is essential, doing too much of the same thing can prove to be counterproductive. When you do the same routine over and over, your body gets used to the intensity of the movements. While you once experienced progress with these workouts before, you’ll run into a fitness plateau. You will stop seeing progress, or you might even regress.

Every few weeks, alter your routine to shock your body and introduce it to new obstacles to overcome. Not only will this push your body, but it will also prevent you from getting bored with working out.

6.) Not Warming Up 

One of the worst fitness mistakes any beginner can make is failing to warm up before a workout. In some cases, beginners may engage in a warmup that involves light jogging and some stretches they learn in their days in P.E. However, these kinds of warmups do very little to prepare your muscles, joints, and nervous system for the task at hand.

Begin your workout with some dynamic stretching, which improves your flexibility and reduces your risk of injury. Include some movement preparation to get your muscles ready for the actions they are about to do.

Additionally, don’t forget to cool down at the end of each workout with some static stretching. These stretches improve blood flow, which boosts muscle recovery.

7.) Failing to Eat a Healthy Diet

No workout plan can compensate for a bad diet. Heading to the gym and working out can only do so much. Give yourself the appropriate nutrients to keep your body healthy while limiting the amount of unhealthy foods you consume.

Eating a nutritious diet will help you lose weight and stay in better shape. Certain foods help boost your body’s metabolism, while others can improve blood flow. Far too many people think going to the gym will fix all of their problems, but to achieve your fitness goals, you must eat a healthy diet.

Deciding to start your fitness journey is a vital step in prioritizing your health. However, once you’ve made that decision, you need to avoid making simple fitness mistakes while exercising. These mistakes may seem minor, but they can drastically impact your progress. If you are ready to begin your fitness journey, join Fitness Nation today.