Hello, EXFO readers! Welcome back! In this post, I’ll quickly discuss the 3 most common pitfalls I see newbie gym goers fall into. As a certified PT, I caution all of my new clients about these. Read on.

3. TOO MUCH, TOO SOON

• You’re motivated, you’re excited, you just toured a new gym so you commit to 5 days a week for 1 hour workout to get those 6-pack abs. DON’T!

• If you are coming from a mostly sedentary lifestyle to working out 5 days a week for 1 hour for example, you increase the chances of getting injured!

• Slow and steady wins the race. Give your body and mind time to adapt to a new schedule. Follow through on maybe 3 days a week for 30-45 minutes (as an example) and see how your body, mind, and schedule perform to this new lifestyle.

2. UNREALISTIC GOALS

• You want to gain 15 lbs of muscle in 1 month, or lose 10% body fat in less than 2 months, or maybe you want to run a marathon by the Spring, these are great goals but you may set yourself up for failure.

• To setup realistic goals you have to 1) be honest with yourself on where you are 2) setup smaller attainable goals

• A great goal when starting out is to simply SHOW UP to your workouts for 1 whole month. If you acheived this feat NOW consider the intensity and duration of your workouts - see if you can increase what you’ve been doing to get closer to your goal.

1. NOT PLANNING

• One of the biggest shocks that comes to my PT clients is how much TIME they need to commit to their wellness practices

• We are all very busy and it’s easy to skip our workouts/yoga practice/runs etc. because “we didn’t have time”. Newsflash: no one does!

• You are what you spend your time on - you will have to make time to acheive your goals.

• The best way to make time is to SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS & PLAN AHEAD (pack gym bag day before, get protein shake ready to go etc)

• Check out this blog post for some tips on building a new habit.

HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER

Not just any personal trainer, find one that truly cares and is invested in your success. A good PT will:

• dramatically increase accountability

• lend their support

• ensure you are physically ready for different exercises

• teach good form & correct your form

• increase safety

• promote self-efficacy

• schedule your workouts (if you hired them to do so)

• be invested in your success!

Not sure if you’re ready to hire a PT or want more information about online personal training? Schedule a free 20-minute consultation with me on Calendly.