Strength-based training is one of the major sectors of fitness that draws the interests of millions of people worldwide.  Weight lifting is synonymous in this field. The benefits that this form of training brings with itself are numerous.

But, as with any other forms of exercises, there are various risks with weight lifting. If you are not careful, then they can cause serious hazards to your health. Today, we are shifting our focus into some of the most common weight lifting mistakes that people commit. We are also going to suggest you the ways as to how you can avoid them. So, keep on reading if you want to stay on the safe side.

Weight Lifting Mistakes That Can Cause Serious Damage

It is not that experts never make any mistakes, but it is no surprise that it is the beginners who often commit the weight lifting mistakes more. The reason is that when you are starting strength-based training, you have so much information in front of you that it can be a bit overwhelming. The adrenaline rush that you experience because of the excitement during the initial days can often blind you from focusing on correcting your mistakes.

Our list has been designed to aid you in avoiding these mistakes. Not only we will help you correct the technicalities, but we will also talk about gym etiquettes, rest, and overall diet. Let’s begin.

Not Setting Boundaries

When you hit a gym, you might feel a bit anxious looking at the intense workout regime of people around you. You might even feel embarrassed as to how light the weights you are picking in comparison to others. Don’t be!

Remember, you are there to train yourself; you aren’t there to impress others. Everyone has to go through a gradual change. The people you see around you also started their experience moving from light to heavy weight. So, do not overtrain and set proper boundaries for yourself.

Not Maintaining a Fixed Fitness Regime

Having a pre-defined workout regime helps you be in control of your fitness. Not having one is one of the most common workout mistakes you can make.  You should accept the fact that you won’t be able to perform every single type of exercise under the sun. And that is completely okay!

Talk to your physical trainer or gym instructor regarding your health and what you want to achieve from working out. Based on your condition and goals, they would be able to give a regime that will best suit you. These regimes might change as you progress, but sticking with them for the time being would be of great help to you.

Avoiding Warm-up Exercises

Most exercise-related injuries occur due to the lack of warm-ups beforehand. They not only help stretch your muscles, but they also are responsible for boosting your heart rate up which eventually allows the blood to reach the various muscles in your body.

All these play a vital role in avoiding injuries. So, no matter how late you are or how time-restrained your schedule is, you can’t afford to skip warming up. In fact, we would say that if you really don’t have time to warm up, then avoid working out that day completely.

Starving

Next up on our list of the most common workout mistakes concerns your diet. Some people think while training that they have to starve themselves out.  Well, you can’t be more wrong!

Your eating habits would greatly contribute to your overall success and failure.  Talk to your physical trainer, doctor or nutritionist and help chart out a proper, healthy balanced diet. Learn about the foods that you should consume before and after working out. Give your body the nutrition it needs to grow healthily.

Not Taking Adequate Rest

No matter how much you workout, but if you don’t rest well, you won’t see the results. This is because the muscles in your body need 24-48 hours to recover after a workout session.  

Of course, the intensity and type of exercise govern how much rest you would need. So, don’t skip sleeping and allow your body to relax. Adequate rest would aid you in stimulating growth.   Rest also helps in strengthening your muscles further. So, don’t commit the weight lifting mistake of skipping rest.

Working Out While Being Injured or Sick

Working out doesn’t mean that you have to punish your body. It should be a healthy process. You need to understand that there will be days when your body can’t afford to workout, either due to some injury or some illness. This is completely natural. After all, no one is a superhero who is immune to injuries or illness.

If you continue to workout while being injured or ill, you will further deteriorate your health and might have to stop working out on a permanent basis.  So, taking a small break is not bad. Always look for the bigger picture.

Using Too Many Reps

Another common weight lifting mistake that people make in an attempt to gain muscles quickly is that they add too many reps to their workout regime. If you keep on doing more reps than you have been instructed, you are going to make yourself vulnerable to injuries.  

Ideally, five reps of each exercise will suffice in helping you reach where you want to reach. The most important factor is to take the advice of your physical trainer.

Summary

It is natural to commit weight lifting mistake, especially if you are a beginner. Don’t let your enthusiasm be your downfall. Excitement and eagerness are always good but you need to have an awareness of your body. Talk to your nutritionist, doctor and physical trainer and set boundaries. This would help you in avoiding injuries and having a healthy workout routine.

Health is wealth. In an attempt to boost your strength, don’t compromise with your health. Keep in mind the aforementioned points and try to avoid committing them. Stay health, workout healthy!