Introduction
Wikipedia tells us that strength training, when performed properly, can “provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being.” Train correctly and you can expect bigger and stronger muscles, less fat, better joint function and reduced potential for injuries of all kinds, as well as greater heart health. And as opposed to decades ago when not enough really smart information was available, today’s strength trainer is flooded with information overload.
However, to experience the benefits you need to do it the right way! In no particular order below you will find the Top 10 Strength Training Mistakes to Avoid, and veteran strength trainers can fall prey to these bad habits as easily as beginners.
1) Comparing Yourself to Others
This is probably one of the biggest causes of injury in the gym. Whether weightlifting, strength training or enjoying an aerobic workout, never compare yourself to anyone else. There are always going to be people who are bigger, stronger and leaner than you are, just as there will always be people who are smaller, weaker and fatter than you. No two people are identical, and when you start allowing someone else’s superior gene pool, diet and workout program to affect your attitude and expectation of your personal results, you are headed down a path of endless frustration.
And this also means you should never compare yourself to someone who is less gifted than you in the strength training department either. This could cause you to under-perform, meaning you will never achieve your full potential. Develop and follow your own plan, and be proud of your efforts, because only you know what to expect from yourself.
The Wizard of Westwood, Hall of Fame UCLA basketball coach John Wooden told his players, “Never try to be better than someone else; but never cease trying to be the best you can be.” That is excellent advice not only in the strength training arena, but in every other area of life as well.
2) Not Eating Enough
Poor diet and nutritional habits are the culprits here. This is especially the case with beginners to the strength training arena. They want to drastically cut down on the amount of fat that they intake, because they erroneously believe that zero fat in equals zero fat out. Our bodies need fat to function properly, and while everyone’s metabolism is different, you cannot maximize muscle mass and strength without enough calories, carbohydrates, proteins and other nutrients.
And you will obviously need more daily calories than you are currently taking in when you begin working out. This is something that should be discussed with a strength training professional, so you will know the perfect diet and calorie count you should be aiming for.
3) Eating Too Much
Yes, you do need protein to build up those muscles that you tear down when you are strength training, working out and lifting weights. But do not overdo it. Several studies have shown that extremely high levels of animal protein in a diet over a lifetime can significantly lead to your chances of contracting cancer. Aside from that, your body needs a specific amount of fuel, not too much, and not too little.
Just as is recommended in the above mistake where you are not eating enough, do not go overboard here. Consult an expert in the nutritional aspects of strength training, form a plan for eating just what you need for your strength training, and you will be ingesting just the right amount and the correct levels of proteins and carbohydrates to deliver the best results possible.
4) Entertaining Unrealistic Expectations
Strength trainers, bodybuilders and other fitness minded individuals frequently make a mistake in this area. By their very nature, people who push their minds and bodies further with every workout are always striving to become better, and that means expecting more and more. This attitude lies at the very foundation of a successful strength training regimen, but there is a fine line you have to tread when measuring results.
This has a lot to do with the mistake mentioned above, and also means that you should not expect to go from being a 90-pound weakling this week to Mister Olympia next week. While that is a drastic example, you may have suffered from some level of unrealistic expectations yourself in the past. By talking with trained professionals and experts in the strength training and fitness fields, and by being honest with yourself, you will know exactly what to expect given a specific time-frame, your current nutritional diet and the type of workout schedule you keep.
5) Not Getting Enough Sleep
When you strength train, you are tearing down your muscles. Proper nutrition and proper rest help those muscles repair, and as you increase the amount of weight you use in your training regimen, your muscles will grow over time. You simply cannot function properly, and your muscles will never grow to their maximum size, if your body is not well rested.
The typical human being does not wear down their body during a normal day anywhere as much as a strength trainer or bodybuilder does. This means that if you are used to getting by with six hours of rest every night, you are doing your body a huge injustice if you believe that will be enough sleep when you begin strength training.
Multiple studies have shown that sleep deprivation will not only keep you from attaining your fitness and strength goals, but it also makes subtle changes in your hormone levels, and can increase levels of stress dramatically. You need sufficient sleep for so many healthy reasons, make sure you are getting enough of it.
6) Not Working out Enough
One of the biggest and most common strength training mistakes is to allow your busy lifestyle to dictate when you workout. If you are serious about strength training, you need to dedicate at least three days each week to a preplanned and tracked fitness regimen.
When you begin to lose fat, you must protect your muscle and bone by causing stress to it, since this is what causes lifting weights and strength training to kill fat and build bigger, stronger muscles. Make sure you are receiving pretty intense weight training workouts at least three days each week, and always, always, always track your results.
7) Not Working out with Sufficient Intensity
Once you dedicate yourself to at least three days a week in the gym or wherever you are strength training, make sure you are sufficiently stressing your muscles, or your efforts may yield little results. This means relatively heavy weights for each set that you perform. Here is a very easy way to immediately maximize your muscle growth by reaching the appropriate intensity levels with your weight training.
Figure what weight is equal to approximately 65% of your maximum lift (65% ML) during any exercise. Then perform 8 to 12 repetitions and either 3 or 4 sets each of this number to provide excellent stress and intensity, allowing you to accomplish the most in the smallest amount of time.
8) Waiting for Equipment To Become Available
Especially at the beginning of every year, the attendance at your local gym can sometimes dictate that you are waiting in line for a particular piece of machinery. Keep busy anyway you have to, because once your muscles rest and think that they are done working out, it is very difficult to get your body back into the “sweet spot” where you are achieving results in the most efficient manner.
If you depend on gymnasium equipment for your strength training regimen, avoid going during peak hours, and begin attending either early in the morning or after 7 PM in the evening. If your schedule dictates you must attend the gym when it is busy, have alternative options and strength training procedures ready if you are forced to wait on a particular machine to become available.
9) Using the Same Machines, the Same Weights, the Same Reps and the Same Sets
Unless you just want to get fit and stay in shape, and that is definitely admirable, you need to push your body’s strength levels to improve them. If you consistently strength train on the same machine at the same weight level, and perform the same number of repetitions and sets, you will become very familiar with one of the most dreaded phrases in the strength training and weight lifting communities … hitting a plateau.
You can simply not tear down and rebuild your muscles and expect improved performance over time if you use the same weights the same ways. Remember to constantly follow the 65% ML rule we mentioned earlier, and you can not fail to see improvements in your overall strength levels, as well as muscle mass and bulk.
10) Quitting before You Achieve Your Desired Results
You have definitely heard the saying that, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” In strength training, the gains you see in your results and your performance are often very minimal over the short term. But when you quit because you did not see the results you expected quickly enough, you will never know if you stopped just short of your goal line.
Proper diet, proper rest, proper nutrition and an intelligent strength training and weightlifting plan are all required to discover exactly what the maximum performance is that your body can deliver. But never forget that your attitude dictates everything you do, and the perfect all-around strength training regimen is absolutely useless on a piece of paper or your computer’s hard drive if you do not put it into practice, and refuse to quit.
It seems that anyone these days with a blog or social networking profile thinks they are an expert, and that means that good, honest information about proper strength training techniques can become lost in a sea of bad and particularly dangerous advice. But there is no need to feel frustrated and confused.
Simply avoid the Top 10 Strength Training Mistakes listed above, and always use common sense if you are not sure what to do. A great rule of thumb here since your health is involved is to err on the side of caution, and seek professional advice. Never forget that whether you are just starting out or you are a seasoned veteran, everyone’s body is different. This means that your goals and level of progress should never be compared to anyone, and as long as you are making improvements and contributing to your overall health, your strength training regimen can be considered a success.