6 Gym Mistakes Everyone Has Made (and How to Fix Them)

Relax, this post won’t judge you.

Everyone who trains has been through this. Me, you, even that muscular guy who looks like he was born in the gym. The difference? Some learn faster than others.

Today you’re going to learn fast. Let’s go! 🚀

Mistake #1: Always Training at the Same (Crowded) Time

The Problem:

You always go at 7pm because “it’s the only time that works”. Result:

45 minutes training
45 minutes waiting for equipment
Unnecessary stress
Half-assed workout

The Simple Solution:

Test other times for 1 week:

Early morning (6am-7am): Empty gym, high energy
Lunch (12pm-1pm): Quick and efficient
Afternoon (2pm-4pm): Equipment paradise
Late night (9pm+): Calm and focused

Golden tip: Ask reception for the quietest times. They know and will tell you!

Mistake #2: Copying Instagram Workouts

The Problem:

You saw an “innovative” exercise on reels and decided to try it. But:

You don’t know the correct technique
You don’t understand the purpose
You could get injured
It doesn’t make sense in your workout

The Simple Solution:

Focus on basics that work:

Push:

Bench press
Overhead press
Push-ups

Pull:

Pull-ups (or pulldowns)
Rows
Curls

Legs:

Squats
Leg press
Romanian deadlifts

Master these first. The rest is fluff.

Rule: If you can’t explain what the exercise is for, don’t do it.

Mistake #3: Ignoring the “Wrong” Pain

The Problem:

“No pain, no gain” became an excuse to ignore body signals:

Sharp shoulder pain
Knee popping
Lower back locking up
“Oh, it’s normal”

IT’S NOT NORMAL!

The Simple Solution:

Learn the difference:

✅ “Good” pain (muscle fatigue):

Burning during exercise
Tired/heavy muscle
Improves with rest
Symmetrical (both sides)

❌ “Bad” pain (injury):

Sharp/stabbing
Worsens with movement
Persists for days
Asymmetrical (one side only)

Action: Bad pain = stop immediately. Better to miss 1 workout than 3 months.

Mistake #4: Fasted Cardio Thinking It’s Magic

The Problem:

Waking up at 5:30am, doing 1 hour treadmill fasted because it “burns more fat”.

Reality:

You’re destroyed all day
Eat double later
Lose muscle
Hate life

The Simple Solution:

Smart cardio:

20-30 min is enough
Can be after weights
Can eat before (banana + coffee = 🚀)
HIIT 2x/week > 1h treadmill every day

Reality check: If your cardio makes you miserable all day, it’s wrong.

Mistake #5: Changing Workouts Every Week

The Problem:

Monday: Phil Heath’s workout Wednesday: Ronnie Coleman’s workout Friday: Functional training from a magazine

Result: Your body never adapts to anything.

The Simple Solution:

Progression > Variation

Stay with the same workout for at least 4-6 weeks and focus on:

Increasing weight
Doing more reps
Improving technique
Decreasing rest

Track everything! Notebook, app, whatever. But track:

Exercises
Weight used
Reps done
How you felt

No tracking = no progress.

Mistake #6: Living on Machines (Fear of Free Weights)

The Problem:

You do the complete machine tour but avoid:

Free barbell
Dumbbells
Free squats
Deadlifts

Why? “I’m afraid of doing it wrong” or “it’s too advanced for me.”

The Simple Solution:

Free weights are your best friends because:

Work stabilizer muscles
More natural movements
Faster results
Real functional strength

How to start safely:

Week 1-2: Learn the movement without weight
- Bodyweight squats
- Push-ups
- Assisted pull-ups
Week 3-4: Add minimal weight
- Empty bar (45lbs)
- 5-10lb dumbbells
- 100% focus on technique
Week 5+: Progressive overload
- Add 5lbs per week
- Film yourself (seriously!)
- Compare with technique videos

Ideal ratio for beginners:

70% free weights
30% machines (to isolate and finish)

Killer tip: Hire a trainer for 1-2 sessions JUST to learn basic free weight movements. Best investment of your life.

Bonus: The Mistake Nobody Talks About

Training to Impress Others

You know you do this when:

Add more weight when someone’s watching
Do “fancy” exercises to look advanced
Feel ashamed of lifting light weight
Prefer doing it wrong with heavy weight than right with light weight

The truth: Nobody is paying attention to you. Seriously. Everyone is worried about themselves.

The solution: Train like the gym is empty. Your only competitor is yesterday’s you.

Action Plan for Today

Choose ONE mistake from this list you identified with
Apply the solution in your next workout
Test for 2 weeks
Come back here and choose another to fix

Don’t try to fix everything at once. Gradual change = permanent change.

The Truth About Training

Look, training doesn’t need to be complicated. The fitness industry wants you to believe you need:

Expensive supplements
Complex workouts
Special equipment
Secret knowledge

Lies.

You need:

Consistency (3x/week is great)
Progression (a little better each time)
Patience (results come in months, not days)
Common sense (listen to your body)

And mainly: enjoy the process.

If you hate training, something is wrong. It could be the time, the workout, the gym, the music. Figure out what it is and change it.

The gym should be a place where you WANT to be, not where you HAVE to be.

Conclusion

Everyone makes mistakes. What separates those who get results from those who don’t is:

Recognizing the mistake
Correcting it
Not repeating it

You just did step 1. Step 2 is up to you.

And step 3? Well, save this post and reread it in 3 months. 😉

P.S.: Want to calculate exactly how much protein you need for your workouts? Use our protein calculator. It’s free and takes 30 seconds.

P.P.S.: If you laughed at at least one mistake because you identified with it, share with that friend who needs to read this too. Everyone knows someone who trains at crowded times and complains, right? 😄