What was the biggest mistake you made as a beginner?

[allenfludd1987]

One Of the biggest mistakes as many others would also agree was skipping leg day. However, my biggest mistake was using wrong form on the deadlift. My lower back was sore and swollen for a week and I stopped doing deadlifts for 2 years. Fast forward up to know, my 1rm is 405. Let me know your stories and your biggest mistakes

[3SchnitzelsAday]

Using smith machine, no squats and deadlifts( I went full snap city few times), bro splits and arm days.

[allenfludd1987]

Using smith machine, no squats and deadlifts( I went full snap city few times), bro splits and arm days.

ha I'm guilty of the same things but I haven't had any significant injuries luckily, if only I knew back then what I know now

[TailEnd]

-200 sit ups a day for abs
-Creating my own "split" which included dedicated days for biceps
-Thinking I had to drop carbs to virtually 0 to lose weight, but thinking fat made me fat. Result? 400g+ of protein each day
-Training to failure every session
-Consuming a protein shake (obviously including every legal supplement known to man) within 1 minute of finishing work out, contributing to me being sick on myself when driving home
-Doing hill sprints after leg day
-Training fasted even though I could barely function
-Tearing ligaments in my right ankle but proceeding to squat the next day (man I was stupid)

I could go on and on..

[TJP33]

to weight happy
writing my own programs not understanding proper balance
too much too early and burning out
lack of patience
should have done more research
dirty bulks
identifying good information, identifying what may be good information for someone else, but not necessarily good information for me
overestimating my training level
not fully understanding supplements before purchase

Long list but the best thing I did though was learn through these experiences.

[ArmyWollfff]

not stretching and doing warm up sets. Gahhhhh learned the hard way.

[allenfludd1987]

to weight happy
writing my own programs not understanding proper balance
too much too early and burning out
lack of patience
should have done more research
dirty bulks
identifying good information, identifying what may be good information for someone else, but not necessarily good information for me
overestimating my training level
not fully understanding supplements before purchase

Long list but the best thing I did though was learn through these experiences.

I definantly feel like there's great advice out here for beginners. However, because one piece of advice does not apply for everyone. I feel like the best of way learning is trial and error and learning what's best for you.

[allenfludd1987]

not stretching and doing warm up sets. Gahhhhh learned the hard way.

Im pretty sure you snapped some **** up lol

[Garage Rat]

Doing to much volume.
I was afraid if i didn't do certain exercises i wouldn't make any gains like the "big guys".
I know now if would of stuck to fewer basic movements i would of gained size and strength much faster.
Eating correctly for muscle gains.
Did not know much of anything about diet and what to eat.
I learned as i went and eventually ended up on the right track after a couple of years learning.
I my early days there was not much info out there to learn from usually you asked the big guys in the gym.

[mtownballer20]

Being "taught" how to lift by someone doing an essentially a bro-split.

Not capitalizing at all on my n00b gains.

[Jackal005]

All the usual mistakes, but I would say my number 1 mistake was not basing my progress on strength targets. That and not holding myself to strict enough standards. These days if a rep wouldn't count at a meet I don't count it in the gym.

Basically I had a pretty bad case of what Martin Berkhan calls 'f*uckarounditis'.

[chazzy1864]

My mistake is something I see many beginners on these forums doing.

Trying to focus on the "most optimal." Ended up wasting time focusing on the 80% that didn't matter, instead of just keeping my nose to the grindstone on the 20% that actually brought about the results.

[ironwill2008]

Made a lot of mistakes my first 10 months or so, but probably the one that cost me the most in regards to potential gains was piss-poor nutrition (following the nonsense in the muscle magazines)----not eating enough, avoiding dietary fat (after all, I didn't want to get fat!), and instead, relying on what turned out to be mostly useless supplements.

I somehow still managed to eke out about a 10-pound gain in muscle my first year, but it could very easily have been double that if I'd had someone like today's-me to have advised then-me back then. Fortunately, I eventually found a RL mentor during my 2nd year of training. He got me squared-away and on the right track, and I made reasonably consistent progress from then on.

[Alyion]

If i'm being honest - Not doing enough and focusing too much on 85%+ work.

3x5/5x5 style training does very little for me - I have to gets lots of volume to progress and going over 85% of 1rm just leads to hurting myself and testing my strength over building it.

[Havax]

Started with an intermediate program, increasing my weight a lot slower than I should of for 3 months. Also didn't do warm up sets.

[BJP2k14]

Not doing enough mobility work.

[darinaldi]

Not being consistent with training, and not starting years before I finally did.

[cmacken]

Oh man...

-Bro split
-focusing on "Mirror Muscles"
-thinking Protein powder was a magic elixir
-not/rarely training legs
-focus on Isolation exercises
-not eating enough
-worrying about what other people were doing/what they thought of what I was doing
-eating "clean" (@ 6"2 140 lbs)

[magician27]

bro split , not tracking workouts and nutrition

[Jorge369]

One Of the biggest mistakes as many others would also agree was skipping leg day. However, my biggest mistake was using wrong form on the deadlift. My lower back was sore and swollen for a week and I stopped doing deadlifts for 2 years. Fast forward up to know, my 1rm is 405. Let me know your stories and your biggest mistakes

My biggest mistake was THINKING THAT MORE IS BETTER. Just to have a fantasized body for myself I tried adding more weight for the sake of trying more. One of my hand rib broke down and I couldn't exercise for 6 months.

[jamzmaxwell]

I think you point out a right thing to tell beginners. This can be dangerous especially some of who do this carelessly.

[melDorado]

Staying at a gym without proper barbells for 6 whole months

[WutangFlex732]

Not starting out on a 5x5 program. Spent over a year at planet fitness just doing Mike Chang workouts for arms, back and chest throughout the week. I got my noob gainz but when I transferred over to LA Fitness I was humbled by how weak I really was when I started a 5x5

[1fast68]

Too many to list them all:
No squats or deadlifts
Not enough protein
Didn't understand volumes

[canada99]

no legs, bad diet, bad program, no progrssion, ect... the usual beginner stuff. which i honestly think most people who do that is more about lack of knowledge then anything else, youve got good intentions but you just have no clue how to properly train and diet. if youve never read a book or been told what to do and you want to look buff what do you do?? you just start bench pressing and doing curls as much as you can and work the muscle you want to look good right? your intentions are good and your ready to work hard, but you have no idea about diet or program or progression or anything and you end up spinning your wheels or quitting.

[LmRVP10]

Did p90x thinking i was gonna be ripped and shredded in 3 months. I ate super clean was super skinny. Went to the gym did bro split. Bad form on bench snap city on shoulder(injury still there after 3 years). Did not squat or deadlift and drank protein shakes several times a day

[LmRVP10]

Not starting out on a 5x5 program. Spent over a year at planet fitness just doing Mike Chang workouts for arms, back and chest throughout the week. I got my noob gainz but when I transferred over to LA Fitness I was humbled by how weak I really was when I started a 5x5

U do them towel pulls ?...... LOLZ

[Succeeded]

i did not know how to diet properly.. finally hit me after a year

[jacobcmurphy]

Having a fuarked up rep tempo, I used to bounce weight a lot

Now I come down slowly on the negative, pause, explode up, pause, repeat

[tastan]

not having the right knowledge about nutrition.
being afraid to take a week off training