Random Blog Post 1 - Gym Tips
I've been working out for the last decade of my life, from high school to a college super super senior, and I always have friends asking me for tips and tricks on how to stay consistent in the gym. I've quit and restarted gymming more times that I can count, and I've compiled 3 common mistakes I have made and continue to see others make. I'll list these mistakes along with their consequences and solutions below:
1. Pushing yourself too hard at the beginning
Leads to
- increased risk of injury
- severe soreness 1-2 days after session
- decreased likelihood of maintaining a consistent training schedule
What can be done to combat this? It's simple- just ease into training. Don't jump in the deep end and expect your body to magically be able to keep up with increased intensity, especially if you're coming from a relatively sedentary lifestyle. So it is important to go light on the training and establish a consistent training schedule before trying to lift anything heavy!
2. Not pushing yourself enough
Leads to
- no muscle gained
- no strength gained
- feeling of being stuck with no progress
After a few months at the gym you may feel stuck or "plateaued", and it's likely because you aren't taking your exercises close to failure or to failure. This means pushing yourself to the point where you can only do 0-2 more repetitions of an exercise- and this will provide stimulus for your body to increase muscle building. After you've eased yourself into a solid training schedule, I recommend increasing repetitions of each exercise by 1-2 or 5 pounds every week to every 2 weeks to provide stimulus to your muscles.
3. Not prioritizing recovery and nutrition
- muscle loss
- fatigue, lack of mental clarity
- increased risk of injury
Finally, here comes the last hurdle. Most people overcome 1 and 2 relatively easily and can see more musculature on their bodies, but once again after 6 months the "newbie gains" will come to a screeching stop, and you'll be left wondering "What went wrong this time?". Without proper rest the body cannot heal itself from working out. Lifting weights is essentially ripping apart muscle fibers and causing them to grow back denser and stronger, but without sleep you're not giving your body the time to fix itself. Without proper nutrition that prioritizes protein, your body does not have the materials to fix the muscles. So, in order break past the final hurdle you must eat and sleep well!
Hi Brandon! As a fellow gym goer myself, I really appreciated this read. I can't lie, reading the part regarding "not prioritizing recovery and nutrition" was a great reminder to me to actually eat more while working out. Thanks for the tips on growing muscle mass too!
ReplyDeleteHi Brandon! I really enjoyed reading your post about the gym and how to see actual, consistent returns. I am a proud reformer pilates addict and can see so many of the same trends in my form of strength training like the gym. If you don't take care of your body, you will not see results. I think you provide great insight on how to improve and very common mistakes people don't even realize they are making. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi! I liked reading this especially as an athlete! I totally agree with everything you said about pushing too hard at the start. I’ve done that before and ended up so sore I couldn’t move for days... Easing into it definitely helps you stay consistent long term.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for sharing your gym wisdom! I can definitely relate to starting and stopping going to the gym. It's definitely a balance to push yourself enough but not too much. I think your last point rings true for most as it's often easier to put the work in the gym and forget all about it when it comes to sleeping and eating right.
ReplyDeleteHey Brandon! I really like how you structured your post, it was super organized and easy to follow. The personal touch you added about your own experience made the advice feel really relatable, especially when you mentioned restarting your fitness journey multiple times. I also appreciated how you explained not just what the mistakes were, but why they happen and how to fix them, I'll be sure to keep these tips in mind when at the gym myself!
ReplyDeleteThis was super relatable to read. I like how you broke it down with the mistakes, consequences, and fixes. it makes it so easy to follow. I’ve definitely been guilty of starting too strong and then getting too sore to go back, so your point about easing in really hit home.
ReplyDeleteHi Brandon! As somebody who has a lot of fun at the gym but doesn't take it too seriously, I could definitely see myself in the mistakes you listed. I'm definitely always looking to improve my exercise habits, so this post was super helpful!
ReplyDeleteHey Brandon, I really liked this post the structure made it super easy to follow, and your mix of personal experience with practical advice kept it real. The reminder about recovery and nutrition hit home I’m guilty of skipping meals after workouts too. Great tips all around!
ReplyDelete