In this article, I would like to discuss some of the common bodybuilding mistakes in gym people make when working out.
These are small things that can easily be corrected, but if you make these mistakes frequently enough, they can really hold you back and hinder your progress in the gym and possibly with your overall fitness goals.
If you are making any of these mistakes, then I encourage you to read the rest of this article to learn more about what is going wrong and how you can correct it so that you can see better results.
Table of Contents
Lifting for the sake of lifting
You’ve probably heard before that muscle weighs more than fat. It’s true: A pound of muscle and a pound of fat contain about the same amount of mass, on average, but muscle is denser.
So if you start lifting weights with no plan for losing weight—or maintaining your current weight—you could end up building more muscle than you need or want.
The same goes for aerobic exercise like swimming, biking, and jogging, as well as all other forms of exercise that don’t involve actual resistance training.
While some extra muscle can help you burn calories when you’re working out, it’s not going to help you lose any body fat unless there’s a good reason for it.
Neglecting Cardio
One of the most important bodybuilding mistakes in gym people make is neglecting cardio. Running for a few minutes before your workout will get your blood flowing and muscles warm.
And don’t forget that some of us need more exercise than others to burn calories, meaning if you’re just not sweating during your weight training, there’s a good chance you aren’t burning enough calories to lose weight.
Ideally, do cardio three times per week, on days that you don’t lift weights. This will give your body time to recover in between workouts and work with other muscle groups besides those that you focused on during lifting sessions.
Not only does doing cardio help improve overall health, it also helps prevent excess fat storage. In fact, one study from Duke University found that people who did aerobic exercise lost nearly twice as much abdominal fat as those who didn’t do any regular activity at all.
Not sure where to start? Try running or jogging around your neighborhood or local park; you can also hop on an elliptical machine or stationary bike at a gym.
Ignoring your nutrition
Nutrition is so important that you could almost consider it your primary goal when beginning a bodybuilding program.
If you ignore proper nutrition, all of your efforts will amount to nothing because you won’t have enough energy to get through your workouts or recover from them properly.
Without proper nutrition, there are no shortcuts; regardless of what plan you choose—paleo, south beach, intermittent fasting—nutrition needs to be a top priority.
It doesn’t matter if you aren’t sure how much protein should be in each meal or how many grams of carbs are needed per day: focus on eating whole foods and staying away from processed junk food as much as possible at first. It is one of the important bodybuilding mistakes in gym.
Poor supplementation choices
A good rule of thumb is to make sure your supplement choices complement and never hinder your efforts at eating healthy.
Supplements are meant to serve as an addition to, not a replacement for, a well-balanced diet. Consuming an excess of protein, fat burning pills or energy boosters can rob you of nutrients that you need—sometimes in dangerously high quantities.
If you don’t know what each ingredient does or how much is too much, it’s probably better if you avoid them altogether. This will also keep you from entering overdosing territory and taking risks with your health.
Simply put: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! There’s no magic pill when it comes to getting lean. It takes hard work and dedication. If you really want results, then don’t let your desire for convenience cloud your judgment on which supplements are right for you.
Not tracking progress
Track everything! People often don’t realize how quickly they’re losing fat and building muscle until they start to track their progress with pictures. It is the most common bodybuilding mistakes in gym people make.
When you can look back at photos of yourself, you’ll notice how your body has changed over time. This is important because it gives you motivation to keep going and take action, even when you want to quit. Keep a journal or spreadsheet that details your workout routine, workout plan, calorie intake per day, weight lost per week or month and other health factors.
Tracking your progress allows you to make improvements based on past experiences as well as adjust for future workouts. You may also find that having others hold you accountable makes weight loss easier by encouraging you when things get tough.
Share your progress online through social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram, so that friends and family members can cheer you on. Not taking rest days: Rest days are extremely important because they allow muscles to repair themselves after strenuous activity.
Without rest days, muscles will be stressed repeatedly without adequate recovery time which could lead to injury. Make sure you give yourself one full day off from working out each week; if you’re feeling particularly sore, add an extra rest day in there as well.
Overworking certain muscles: It’s easy to focus all of your attention on certain muscle groups like chest or biceps but making sure all major muscle groups are getting enough attention is crucial for building overall strength and balance.
Being overconfident
Once you start lifting heavy weights and people start taking notice, you may experience a surge of confidence. This feeling can sometimes make it easier to push yourself harder than your body is ready for.
Listen to your body when it comes to your workout routine. It will tell you if you’re doing too much or not enough. While some of us are born with a more dominant gene that allows us to lift more and recover faster, it doesn’t mean we should use our genetics as an excuse to skip out on recovery.
Overtraining can ultimately derail your results and even cause you to get injured in some cases. So be smart about your training program, know what works best for you and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
You have nothing to lose by asking! In fact, there’s only something to gain: knowledge.
Making other people responsible for your results
We all have to put in work if we want to see results. But there’s a difference between being lazy and delegating responsibility for your body.
If you are aiming to build muscle, no one else is going to get it done. While you can hire trainers or join a gym that offers training services, personal trainers don’t do their jobs for you and gyms are primarily business ventures that need clients who stay with them for long periods of time (not short bursts) in order to keep afloat.
No amount of money will make up for getting out of your own way and grinding through reps every day. Don’t make excuses—your success is entirely up to you.
So stop making other people responsible for what happens to your body and start taking control. You can even start by following some basic tips on how to lose weight safely . You won’t regret it!
Training with bad form
Working out when you’re unmotivated isn’t fun and it won’t make you feel good about yourself. Without sufficient motivation, your progress will dwindle. It is also the most common bodybuilding mistakes in gym people make.
If you don’t feel good about your body, why would you want to invest time and effort into working on it? Make sure to look at yourself in a mirror every morning when you wake up and remind yourself of how far you have come so far.
This will also help build your confidence going forward. If need be, consider seeing a therapist to help address any underlying issues that may be contributing to your lack of motivation.
The key is to find what works for you and then do whatever it takes to get results. Remember: There are no shortcuts. Results only come from hard work and dedication over time! Keep pushing through!
Lack of confidence/motivation
Self-doubt can be detrimental to your progress. It can lead you to making poor decisions and cause you to miss workouts or backtrack on your diet, not just with weights but with other aspects of life as well. Never make such bodybuilding mistakes in gym.
You may feel like quitting or that what you’re doing isn’t worth it, but remember: Never look at an obstacle as a brick wall; find motivation within yourself to keep going and getting stronger! It’s one thing to feel like you’re not making progress, but if you feel so unconfident or unmotivated that you don’t even want to go to the gym, then your results will suffer.
If that sounds like you, then maybe it’s time for a break. Take an extra day off; give yourself permission to relax and do something that isn’t related to weightlifting. Try watching a movie, hanging out with friends or anything else as long as it doesn’t involve working out.
Feeling more refreshed will make it easier for you to get back into a healthy habit of exercising on a regular basis.
Bad gym behavior
You’re at it again. You’ve been working out hard and eating right, yet your body isn’t changing. What gives? Sometimes you can be making bodybuilding mistakes in gym without even realizing it!
The following are a few of my favorite mistakes that might be derailing your progress at the gym:1. Focusing too much on strength training without balancing it with cardio: Nothing will stop you from losing weight faster than neglecting to exercise aerobically.
If you want to burn fat (not just weight), incorporate 30 minutes of light-to-moderate cardiovascular activity into your schedule on most days of the week. 2. Not knowing how many calories you need: It’s no secret that calories are what fuel our bodies—without them, we would die.
Yet many people don’t know how many calories they should be consuming per day or how those calories break down into macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates and fats.3.
Only doing exercises for one muscle group: Muscle confusion is real—and it works!
FAQs
What bodybuilders should avoid?
Even though bodybuilders can be extremely disciplined about following their diet and training plan, many of them make mistakes that derail their progress. Before you head to your next workout, avoid these common mistakes that many other bodybuilders have fallen victim to. Do everything you can to maximize your gains by staying focused on improving yourself every day. For instance, if you want bigger arms, don’t put too much emphasis on exercises for your chest and shoulders—and vice versa. Even seemingly minor things like drinking plenty of water can go a long way toward helping you reach your fitness goals.
What are the problems with bodybuilding?
When you look at bodybuilders, it’s easy to assume they’re perfect physical specimens. They are big, ripped and ready for competition. However, have you ever thought about why these people have reached such a high level of achievement? What about their struggles? Many think bodybuilders must just be born with good genetics. The truth is that it takes years of training and hard work to look like a bodybuilder on stage. But even then, many aspiring athletes give up before reaching their goal because they make too many mistakes. Bodybuilding is full of pitfalls and roadblocks which can prevent an athlete from reaching success unless he or she has a clear understanding of where these problems lie—and how to avoid them altogether!
Are big muscles healthy?
Many people assume that bigger muscles are healthier than smaller ones. While it’s true that body fat is linked to a number of health problems, including heart disease and diabetes, experts say increasing muscle mass may not be beneficial for everyone. Instead of focusing on building bigger muscles, prioritize strength training—the kind of exercise that builds lean muscle tissue without adding extra fat. As you get stronger and more fit, your metabolism will rev up, which can help you burn more calories even when you’re not at the gym. The stronger your muscles are, the better they support bones and joints and help prevent injuries—and we all know how important good posture is to looking confident!
