Having a training program as a beginner is an ideal step towards gaining a healthy body with “custom made” muscles. With that said, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. As you progress with consistency, you start noticing substantial progress in strength, power, muscular, and endurance. However, as time progresses most beginners start feeling convinced in their achievements and start doing what works for them. God forgive them, their progress starts dwindling and eventually come to an abrupt halt. Others end up inviting life-threatening injuries or even in some cases dying.

 
We have compiled a list 10 most common weightlifting mistakes that even experienced exercisers make. Irrespective of your experience level, avoid them and you will be on your way to increasing the efficiency and safety of your weightlifting program. You will be thanking us many decades to come for your continued progress.

 


 

1.     Don’t hyperventilate

 
Hyperventilation is a condition brought about when lifting weights with uncontrollable breathing. As a result, they can’t regulate oxygen intake and carbon-dioxide expulsion from the body. With that, the body cannot defend itself thus causing multiple body malfunctions. Dizziness, tingling lips, headache, weakness, fainting and seizures are just but the symptoms. In extreme cases, it may cause sudden involuntary muscle contraction.  If you are looking to lift weight, ensure that you are composed and maintain an even breathing regime that will help you avert such dramatic encounters.
 

2.     Don’t continue lifting if you feel pain

 
Since childhood, we are taught to never give up. However, this slogan does not apply on all occasions. And one such occasion is when weightlifting. If you feel like there is something wrong with your body or have just had a medical checkup, it’s advisable not to try to engage in any weight lifting activities at that moment.

 
What seems like a temporary injury could lead to life-threatening injury if you don’t take caution. Good thing, your body is like a human being in itself. It does communicate when infringed upon. So in case, you feel pain while lifting weight, it’s probably a good idea to stop without second-guessing.

 

3.     Don’t wear uncomfortable workout attire

 
Resistance clothes such as jeans and other heavy clothing materials should actually be banned when weightlifting. They prevent the body parts from moving swiftly and may cause an imbalance which may lead to serious body damage.

 
The clothing you wear makes a tremendous difference in even helping you perform better. For instance, it could help in boosting your confidence (because you need it). Weightlifters are advised to look for synthetic fabrics which are immune as they allow the skin to breathe.

 

4.     Don’t “cheat” on your technique to lift heavier weights than you can handle

 
Toning your muscles is not an overnight miracle. You don’t expect to start today and have those admirable muscles. So it is important to set realistic goals and come up with good techniques on how to achieve that without necessarily having to strain your body.

 
A good technique requires a lot of self-trust and confidence. The human body is self-regulates while performing certain tasks without necessarily causing damage. Therefore, as a weightlifter, you are not expected to quote yourself as a heavyweight lifter while in reality, you are beyond reasonable doubt that your body cannot execute fairly. This surely will and can cause detrimental muscle or joint damage.

 
A good weightlifter will always start small and then gradually go full throttle without having to circumvent their predetermined schedule.

 

5.     Always have a spotter around

 
A mere nail cutter pinch is enough to make a full-bearded man scream. So you can imagine what damage a 180 pounds weight can cause to you. If you attend a local gym that doesn’t have a spotter, it’s a good idea to drop the weight.

 
You should always have a spotter to supervise you get injured. Spotters also assess your performance to make sure there is minimal risk of injuries.

 
With spotters why should you struggle by yourself and end up hurting yourself? You are therefore expected to make use of these people to reduce the increasing cases of injuries.

 

6.     Avoid deforming or bending your back

 
Though there are some weight exercises which require bending the back, it’s judicious to avoid them until you have perfected the art.

 
Weightlifting with your back bent or with any other distorted angle can cause serious damage to the back and you don’t want this. So it’s always advisable to keep your body well balanced when weightlifting.

 
With that, you not only reduce the stress on your lower back but also counter damaging your backbone which may lead to permanent paralysis.

 




 

7.     Avoid using loose or broken weights

 
Weights can come with a steep price tag. For this reason, most people tend to continue using old lifting equipment which after continued use gets damaged. Ensure that you dispose of loose or broken weights early enough to prevent injury.

 
You can also sidestep possible disastrous outcomes as a result of broken equipment by thoroughly checking signs of rust if your equipment is metallic or cracks if it’s plastic.

 
Lastly, when in doubt of any type of equipment don’t use it on your own.

 

8.     Rest between sets

 
There is a misconstrued notion that a gym is a place where you are meant to jump and sweat non-stop. For most taking a rest appears to be counterproductive. Some rest for a minute or even eliminate it altogether. Building muscle requires heavy lifting which means pushing muscles to the blink and at full contraction capacity.  That’s why giving your muscles sufficient recovery time allows you to optimally achieve the muscle of your dream at the same time stimulating new growth.

 

9.     Don’t weight lift on an empty stomach

 
Weightlifting is art that requires lots of energy from food and water. Therefore food is a necessity to those looking to lift weight. Eating a healthy and balanced food before lifting weight isn’t a bad idea at all considering it’s your body that is benefiting.

 
Water, on the other hand, makes your body look good, healthy and creates room for growth since most of the people lift weights for muscle growth.

 

10.  Keep your body clean

 
Before and after any practice session you are expected to keep your body clean. This is not only for hygienic purposes, but opening up your skin pores. Remember there is a lot of sweat produced during practice sessions, without a proper bath these body by-materials can mutate into toxins for your body.

 
A good bath also helps relax your muscles after that intense weight lifting giving you a leeway to refreshed muscles for the next session.
 

In conclusion

 
We were brought up to believing that the more effort towards your dream, the higher the chances you will achieve it. Unfortunately, weightlifting is an exception. It takes a considerable amount of time and energy to attain a strong muscular body.  But taking your efforts to the extreme can prove counter-productive. With this article, you now know the common mistakes to avoid while lifting weights.
 

 
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Author’s Bio:

 

Jane Grates is an award-winning web lover and the Co-manager of Health sites like The Fitbay, Runner click, Janes Kitchen Miracles and That Sweet Gift. Travel scholar. Writer. Health enthusiast. Food and health practitioner.