When you start out in the iron game, the motivation is high and you are willing to do whatever it takes to make gains. This can be a good and bad thing. If you go at it too hard and try and do too much at once, overtraining and non-responsive training modalities will appear. If you try and do every workout program on the planet and not follow some fundamental principles, you could be taking one step forward and two steps back.If you want to make gains you need to stop making these rookie mistakes and approach your training in the correct manner.SEE ALSO:The Complete 4-Week Beginner’s Workout Program>>
2 of 7
Back
Rookie Mistake: Doing too many lat pulldowns and not enough pullups.What To Do: Do more pullups.When we think of someone that has a strong upper-body we immediate go to the bench press. Yes, the bench press is a fantastic exercise that builds strength and mass. So is the lat pulldown but the pullup is the king of them all. The pullup requires you to use almost every muscle in your upper-body and demands absolute strength. If you ask any person that has wide lats and a thick back what they did to build it, pullups will come in the conversation.SEE ALSO:Build a Bigger Back with Pullups>>
3 of 7
Legs
Rookie Mistake: Too many isolation exercisesWhat To Do: Just squat.Isolation exercises such as leg extensions, leg curls and calf raises can be very attractive exercises to rookies. They require a low amount of learning curve and will produce a nice burn when performing them. The problem is the recruit a low amount of muscle, don’t build a solid foundation for strength and elicit fewer hormones, such as testosterone and growth hormone.In order to build a foundation of strength and muscle, you must squat in some way, shape or form. The squat, regardless if it is with a bar, done with one leg, with a dumbbell or kettlebell, is essential to life, sport, and physique enhancement. It works a ton of muscle and one time and produces a nice hormonal surge. You can include some isolation work in you program but only after the squat is done.SEE ALSO:5 Reasons Your Squats Suck>>
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Chest
Rookie Mistake: Not doing pushups enoughWhat To Do: Do more pushups.Since we were all in grade school in gym class, we had to do a pushup. Probably wrong but I digress. It is what is. In saying that, doing pushups wrong yields little results. Doing them correctly in the rational manner, feet elevated or with weight on your back can build some serious muscle and strength. We all love the barbell and dumbbells presses, pec flys and dips, but the pushup is the foundation to chest training. Humble yourself with some weighted pushups and watch your pecs grow.SEE ALSO:Jailhouse Strong Pushup Challenge>>
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Shoulders
Rookie Mistake: Doing too many dumbbell and cable raises.What To Do: Do more presses.Doing various overhead presses can be hard. I don’t care what others say. If you hoist some good amount of weight above your head it is going to be tough. Not only are your shoulders going to be taxed but so are your core and leg muscles. Again, the whole concept of working more muscle at once to increase protein synthesis and hormone production is key for strength training. Add exercises such as dumbbell lateral raises, front raises and rear delt flys when needed but the bulk of your efforts should be with barbell, kettlebll and dumbbell overhead presses.SEE ALSO:8 Ways to Build Shoulder Strength>>
6 of 7
Traps
Rookie Mistake: You’re only focusing on shrugs.What To Do: Do more upper-back work.Don’t get me wrong; various shrugs can help you build a nice set of traps. The problem is that shrugging is only one movement pattern. The traps are much more complex and require a variety of movements to hit the lower, mid, and upper trapezius to it’s fullest potential. Make sure to focus on exercise such as face pulls, high pulls, deadlifts and dumbbell rows to hit all of traps.SEE ALSO:4 Moves for Bigger Traps>>
7 of 7
Abs
Rookie Mistake: You’re isolating abs.What To Do: Work them as a whole.Abdominals get a bad wrap. People shun crunches and sit-ups and they say you don’t need to work the abs if you lift heavy. This is a joke. It’s like saying don’t work the biceps if you do chinups. Sure, the chinup hits the biceps but you need a little detail work. Exercises like ab wheel rollouts, hanging leg raises and weighted carries nail the abs and are essential to creating a strong core and a solid looking midsection.
When you start out in the iron game, the motivation is high and you are willing to do whatever it takes to make gains. This can be a good and bad thing. If you go at it too hard and try and do too much at once, overtraining and non-responsive training modalities will appear. If you try and do every workout program on the planet and not follow some fundamental principles, you could be taking one step forward and two steps back.
If you want to make gains you need to stop making these rookie mistakes and approach your training in the correct manner.
Rookie Mistake: Doing too many lat pulldowns and not enough pullups.
What To Do: Do more pullups.
When we think of someone that has a strong upper-body we immediate go to the bench press. Yes, the bench press is a fantastic exercise that builds strength and mass. So is the lat pulldown but the pullup is the king of them all. The pullup requires you to use almost every muscle in your upper-body and demands absolute strength. If you ask any person that has wide lats and a thick back what they did to build it, pullups will come in the conversation.
Isolation exercises such as leg extensions, leg curls and calf raises can be very attractive exercises to rookies. They require a low amount of learning curve and will produce a nice burn when performing them. The problem is the recruit a low amount of muscle, don’t build a solid foundation for strength and elicit fewer hormones, such as testosterone and growth hormone.
In order to build a foundation of strength and muscle, you must squat in some way, shape or form. The squat, regardless if it is with a bar, done with one leg, with a dumbbell or kettlebell, is essential to life, sport, and physique enhancement. It works a ton of muscle and one time and produces a nice hormonal surge. You can include some isolation work in you program but only after the squat is done.
Since we were all in grade school in gym class, we had to do a pushup. Probably wrong but I digress. It is what is. In saying that, doing pushups wrong yields little results. Doing them correctly in the rational manner, feet elevated or with weight on your back can build some serious muscle and strength. We all love the barbell and dumbbells presses, pec flys and dips, but the pushup is the foundation to chest training. Humble yourself with some weighted pushups and watch your pecs grow.
Rookie Mistake: Doing too many dumbbell and cable raises.
What To Do: Do more presses.
Doing various overhead presses can be hard. I don’t care what others say. If you hoist some good amount of weight above your head it is going to be tough. Not only are your shoulders going to be taxed but so are your core and leg muscles. Again, the whole concept of working more muscle at once to increase protein synthesis and hormone production is key for strength training. Add exercises such as dumbbell lateral raises, front raises and rear delt flys when needed but the bulk of your efforts should be with barbell, kettlebll and dumbbell overhead presses.
Don’t get me wrong; various shrugs can help you build a nice set of traps. The problem is that shrugging is only one movement pattern. The traps are much more complex and require a variety of movements to hit the lower, mid, and upper trapezius to it’s fullest potential. Make sure to focus on exercise such as face pulls, high pulls, deadlifts and dumbbell rows to hit all of traps.
Abdominals get a bad wrap. People shun crunches and sit-ups and they say you don’t need to work the abs if you lift heavy. This is a joke. It’s like saying don’t work the biceps if you do chinups. Sure, the chinup hits the biceps but you need a little detail work. Exercises like ab wheel rollouts, hanging leg raises and weighted carries nail the abs and are essential to creating a strong core and a solid looking midsection.
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