Learning from our mistakes is part of being human. I’ve seen it in everyday life—from when I was a teen taking my driver’s test and forgot to shift from reverse to drive after a three-point turn, to heating last night’s dinner in the microwave with aluminum foil still on it. We mess up, we learn, and we hope not to repeat the same error.
Today’s guest post by Shane McLean explores this idea in health and fitness. He’s learned a lot so you don’t have to.
Limit Your Mistakes
Starting a fitness journey when everything looks shiny and gains come fast is exciting. You feel invincible, like every lift makes you bigger. Or maybe you’ve been lifting for a while and progress has slowed, leaving you frustrated. Newbie gains can mask early mistakes, but the longer you train, the more noticeable slip-ups become. I’ve seen this in more than a decade of coaching and training.
And while making mistakes is part of learning, minimizing them under the bar keeps you safer, helps you keep making gains, and keeps the doctor away. This is all about getting gains with less pain.
1) Program hopping
It’s natural to think the grass is greener elsewhere. You’re exposed to new fitness trends and their results look amazing, and your current program might feel useless. Change isn’t bad, but too much change prevents your body from adapting. Finish the current program, then decide if it worked—look for fat loss, a smaller waist, or bigger muscles. If you see no progress after about six weeks, it’s okay to try something different.
2) Not tracking progress
How can you tell a program is working if you don’t track progress? If you’re not recording sets, reps, weights, or taking measurements of waist, hips, arms, and thighs, you’re guessing. Don’t rely only on the mirror or the scale. Periodic tests to see if you can lift more are helpful too.
3) Not focusing on strength
Whatever your goal, strength in the core lifts makes everything easier. The big lifts are squats, hinges (like deadlifts), carries, presses, and pulls. Getting stronger gives you more energy and capacity to work without burning out. Focus on adding weight or reps in these lifts, and you’ll move faster toward your goal. Aim for 2-6 reps in the core lifts for 4-6 week cycles.
4) Not asking for help
There’s no such thing as perfect form for everyone. You can read about lifts online, but nothing beats guidance from a trained professional who can spot issues. I once deadlifted incorrectly for years and ended up with three herniated discs. If I’d asked for help sooner, I’d have saved pain and money. If you’re unsure about a lift, ask for help.
5) Ignoring pain
Common gym complaints: “My shoulder hurts,” yet they jump straight into lifts without warming up; “Squats hurt my knees,” but skip the warm-up; “My back hurts,” yet they press ahead with crunches. Sometimes you push through pain because you want to keep up or burn off last night’s meal. But ignoring pain over time rarely ends well. Remember: if it hurts, don’t do it. It will save you from a lot of pain and unnecessary costs.
6) Groundhog Day
Have you seen the movie? Doing the same routine over and over for weeks on end is fine if you’re still making progress. But if you’re not gaining and you’re stuck on the same program, you need to rethink things. Finish the current program, track progress, and if it isn’t working, change.
Finishing Up
Mistakes happen, but learning from them and reducing them helps you progress safely. Because lying on a physical therapist’s table wrapped in resistance bands is not a good time.
Author’s Bio
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer working in Louisiana. He notes that he once failed a driving exam and had to retake it a few months later, failing again before passing on the third attempt.
