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7 Common Workout Mistakes to Avoid

blog Jan 10, 2024

7 Common Workout Mistakes to Avoid

If you're striving to change your body composition, build muscle, and achieve a more sculpted physique, it's essential to steer clear of certain training mistakes. In this blog post, we'll highlight seven common pitfalls that can hinder your muscle-building progress and provide valuable insights to help you optimize your workouts.

  1. Neglecting Proper Muscle Tension

To effectively build muscle, it's crucial to focus on training that puts your muscle tissues under sufficient tension. Emphasize slow and controlled movements during exercises like Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) or squats, ensuring you feel the tension in the targeted muscle groups throughout each rep.

  1. Not Pushing Close Enough to Failure

Hitting the effective rep range is essential for muscle stimulation. Avoid stopping short of failure in your sets. Instead, aim to push close to muscle failure to trigger optimal muscle growth and development.

  1. Lacking Structure in Training

Randomly choosing exercises from social media platforms might be tempting, but for consistent progress, structured training is essential. Follow a well-designed, SMART program that focuses on progressive overload and allows you to track your gains over time.

  1. Prioritizing "One-Size-Fits-All" Exercises

Every individual is unique, and exercises that work well for some might not suit others. Don't feel obligated to perform specific exercises just because they are popular. Instead, choose exercises that fit your body structure and provide the best muscle engagement for your targeted areas.

  1. Ignoring Stability in Movements

To maximize muscle engagement and prevent other muscles from taking over, consider the stability of your movements. Opt for exercises that allow you to concentrate on the target muscles without compromising on form or relying too much on internal stability.

  1. Ego Lifting and Sacrificing Form

Lifting as heavy as possible at the expense of proper form can sabotage your muscle-building goals. Focus on creating tension within the muscle fibers, rather than lifting heavy weights merely for the sake of it.

  1. Overindulgence in High-Intensity Classes

While classes like CrossFit, Orange Theory, and Barry's Bootcamp can be fun and challenging, they might not be the most effective approach for muscle building. Prioritize hypertrophy-style training over high-intensity classes if your main goal is to build muscle and achieve a more defined physique.

Conclusion

Avoiding these seven common mistakes can significantly impact your muscle-building journey. By prioritizing proper tension, training close to failure, following structured programs, choosing suitable exercises, ensuring stability in movements, focusing on muscle tension rather than ego lifting, and selecting the right training style, you'll set yourself up for success in your body composition transformation. Remember that building muscle takes time and consistency, so stay patient, stay focused, and enjoy the process of sculpting your best self. Happy training!

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