By Carola Stephens – Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor
When starting your fitness journey, it can feel exciting — but also a little intimidating. Whether you’re walking into a gym for the first time or returning after a break, it’s easy to fall into bad habits that can slow your progress or lead to injury.
As both a yoga teacher and personal trainer, I see many clients who are motivated yet unknowingly set themselves back with small, fixable mistakes. Below are the top five mistakes beginners make in the gym — and how to avoid them so you can train intelligently, move better, and feel stronger.
1️⃣ Skipping the Warm-Up
When getting ready to workout, many people immediately start with the weights or whatever workout they are doing, but your body needs time to transition from rest to work. Doing a good warm-up prepares your muscles, joints, and nervous system for the movement ahead.
At the end of your workout, it is equally important to do a 5-10 min stretch of all the muscles you used, in order to help reduce soreness a couple of days after.
What to do instead:
Spend 5–10 minutes on dynamic warm-ups — mobility, light cardio, and activation drills depending on the workout that you are about to do. You can try arm circles, bodyweight squats, glute bridges, or band pull-aparts. The goal of a warm-up isn’t to tire yourself, but to wake up your muscles and joints as not to hurt yourself when working out.
Some great stretches are: Figure 4, forward folds, and calf stretches.
2️⃣ Lifting Too Heavy, Too Soon
It’s enticing to go heavy right away, (hey, we gotta get it done fast….right??) however building strength safely means practicing good form first and then moving into adding weights. Rushing into high loads before you’re ready increases your chances for injury and limits long-term progress.
What to do instead:
Focus on proper form first and add load later. Learn proper movement patterns — squats, hinges, pushes, and pulls — and add weight gradually (i.e. if you start with 10 lbs, move onto 12 lbs and then 15 lbs). Progressive overload is very important in gaining muscle. Strength comes from being consistent, not ego lifting.
3️⃣ Avoiding Recovery
Beginners sometimes think that more workouts mean faster results, when in reality, muscles grow and strengthen during the recovery period. Without getting enough rest, your body can’t repair, adapt, or train well. It is very important to always listen to your body.
What to do instead:
When starting off, schedule (at least) 2 rest days per week and make sure to prioritize sleep, hydration, and a balanced nutrition. To promote recovery, add stretching, massage therapy, or gentle yoga. Always listen to your body — soreness and tiredness are cues to slow down and take a break, not push harder.
4️⃣ Ignoring the Inner Core (by Focusing Only on Crunches)
Your core isn’t just your “six packs” — it’s your body’s stability system. Having a strong core supports every movement, protects your spine, and helps with your balance. However, many beginners focus only on crunches or sit-ups instead of stability building exercises.
What to do instead:
Train your core in all directions of movement, which includes — flexion, extension, rotation, and stability. some great exercises to try are planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, and Pallof presses. These all help stabilize your core. A strong and stable core makes every lift safer and more powerful.
5️⃣ Comparing Your Training to Others
Comparing yourself to others can definitely kill your progress. Everyone at the gym has a different story and path. You don’t know how long they have been training, which is why it’s important to focus on your own journey. However, if you use it for motivation, that’s different!
What to do instead:
Focus on your own story. Tracking small wins can make reaching your goal feel more attainable. Some examples are: an extra rep, increase in weight, better form, more energy, and less tension. Fitness is a long marathon, not a fast race. You need to remember that you are in it for the long haul. Be patient, celebrate consistency, and stay kind to yourself.
💡 Conclusion
Going to the gym should be a place of growth and self-discovery, not competition. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll build a foundation that supports both long-term wellness and strength.
As a personal trainer and yoga teacher, I help clients bridge the gap between strength training, proper form, and recovery — teaching them how to train smart, prevent injury, and stay connected to their bodies.
If you’d like guidance on building a safe, effective strength routine or improving recovery between sessions, contact me!! I’d love to help you move, feel, and perform at your best.
👉 Contact me today to book a session or consultation!
Grounding Fitness, LLC 