Weightlifting mistakes are a common obstacle that everyone faces at one time or another. It makes sense because most people lack the opportunity to learn things correctly as a beginner. In addition, it can be a very difficult learning curve because false information is often popular. As your Health Cop, I want to offer solutions to common mistakes that not only beginners make, but also veterans. These errors can stunt muscular growth and cause bodily harm if not corrected. Surely, I can help prevent that!

1.       Improper form – this is easily the number one on my list because any doctor, trainer, or other professional will always stress the importance of form. If a person uses incorrect form, they will likely injure themselves. Simply put, our bodies only like to lift weight a certain way. If we stray from what the body wants, injuries arise. This is the body telling the mind, “hey, I don’t like that. You better cut it out or else I’m going to break”. People use bad form for several reasons. One is that a person never properly learned the movement. I see this as an honest mistake. However, the most common reason is because people use a weight that is not manageable. This derives from the ego of people who want to lift more than the next guy. This is something I fell into. I always wanted to lift increasingly more weight, but always pushed for what my body could not yet manage.

a.       The solution is simple: Watch Mark Rippetoe. Mark is an American strength training coach and author. He teaches beginners weightlifting tips and more. He offers free content on YouTube which is beyond excellent. Also, another tip is to ditch the ego. Stop trying to lift more than the next person. This can be a tough problem to fix, but trust me, it is for the better. Proper form will always make you lift more and look better.

2.       Focusing on high-rep lifting – this is when people lift for the burn. For example, when you take a dumbbell and bicep curl it for many reps, the bicep will start to feel tight and tingly. It honestly feels as if you are working it out. The tingling and blood pump feels amazing. However, many individuals get into this groove where they never increase the weight because the burn or pump always feels good enough. This is a problem because if a person rarely increases the weight, they will never get stronger.

a.       The solution for this problem is to lift 3 sets in the 4-6 rep range for compound exercises and 3 sets in the 8-10 rep range for isolation exercises. It is important to always hit at least the lowest number of reps. For example, look at my benching. I bench 210 for 3 sets – 5, 5, 4 (reps each set). Based on my numbers, I should not increase the weight until I can handle 210 for 3 sets of 6 reps each. This is known as Progressive Overload – slowly increasing weight over time. Additionally, if I can’t manage at least 4 reps on any of the 3 sets, that is a sign that the weight should be decreased. Overall, heavy lifting is the way to go because it is a more efficient way to build strength and muscle.

b.       Furthermore, lifting heavier for low reps can cause a great deal of temporary fatigue. Therefore, it is normal to rest for 3-5 minutes between sets. All too often people feel un-productive if they sit or stand idle for extended periods of time at the gym. My recommendation is to ditch this feeling at rest up. It is the only way a person can contain the power to drive for more heavy lifting.

3.       Overtraining – overtraining is a widespread problem. After people routinely make it to the gym for several months, it almost becomes a religion. A lot of individuals get a nervous tick if they are forced to miss a day. Let me be clear, going to the gym regularly is not a problem. However, lifting every day for 7 days a week might be too much. Our bodies can only handle so much. As you know, lifting breaks down muscle. It takes ample time for the muscle to fully recover until it’s recommended to break it down again. I have heard some people advocate for at least two full days of rest while others say it could take an entire week to properly heal. Although the answer is iffy, I prefer to gauge it by my own body. If I can feel that my muscle is sore, I continue to take a break. Warning, this does cause for some days that I skip the gym. I do this because there is absolutely no use in lifting on an already broken-down muscle. A muscle needs to rebuild fully to continue to get bigger!

Correct your form, do more heavy lifting, and stop overtraining. These are 3 tips to avoid some of the worst mistakes that take place in gyms across the world. All of these will result in better overall exercise, which will ultimately help you to look better.

Are there any more mistake that you see in the gym? Comment below and we can discuss more methods to avoid them. If you see someone making any of these mistakes, you could possible help them out if the opportunity arises!

Yours truly,

Health Cop