Statistics show that more than 90% of people in the United States struggle to achieve their New Year’s resolutions and fitness goals.

If you’re interested in setting bodybuilding goals, you need commitment and a plan. With all of the competition in the bodybuilding world, a small mistake could set you back significantly.

Read below to learn about the most common bodybuilding mistakes so that you can stay on top of the gains!

1. Training Too Much 

Much like cramming for an exam the night before, you can’t stuff a lot of training into a small time.

Your muscles need time to tear, heal, and regrow. Two-a-days may sound like an effective way to train for a competition, but they often leave contestants exhausted and sore for the big show. Take your time and distribute your workouts to ensure that you don’t overwork yourself.

Training too much is one of the most common bodybuilding mistakes that people make before getting burnt out. Bodybuilding takes time and commitment, it involves an entire lifestyle change. If you don’t have the right level of commitment, you’ll struggle to turn goals into realities.

Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy your bodybuilding journey. A positive mindset will keep you moving when you’re sore and want to quit.

2. Eating the Wrong Foods 

Diet and exercise will always get shipped together since without the right foods, your body can’t convert energy into muscle mass.

A well-balanced diet could be holding you back from your fitness goals, but fortunately, it’s an easy fix. Avoid highly processed and sugary foods on your fitness journey, since they can make you feel lethargic and reduce your endurance.

Many bodybuilders focus on increasing protein in their diets, but you can do this with plant-based items. Eating red meat and pork can delay your progress and make you feel sluggish at the gym. Stick with lean proteins and plant-based foods if you want to enhance muscle growth and recovery.

Foods that contain high levels of saturated fat, sodium, and sugar tend to increase fat in the body and make losing weight more of a challenge.

3. Not Drinking Enough Water 

If you’re suffering from dehydration, you won’t notice any gains and fatigue will increase.

Your muscles need water to properly function. Muscle growth and recovery can be sped up with proper hydration since it delivers essential nutrients to the body’s energy source. Water also works in the bloodstream and can help manage your growth hormones and testosterone.

It’s even more important that you’re drinking plenty of fluids as a bodybuilder. Each time to sweat it out at the gym, you decrease your hydration and require more water to get back to balanced levels.

Make it a habit to carry around a large water bottle with you each day. Trendy bottles will blend into your lifestyle and you won’t have any excuses to stop you from being hydrated. If you have a bad habit of drinking enough water, set timers on your phone or look for bottles with timelines.

4. Lacking Good Posture 

No matter how many sets you do, you won’t get anywhere but in pain, if you have poor posture.

As a bodybuilder, you need to keep your bones, muscles, and ligaments in prime condition. By rolling back your shoulders and straightening your body, you can improve your results.

Another reason you need to focus on improving posture is to avoid pain and discomfort. It’s common for people to pinch their nerves or overextend muscles if they aren’t using the right form. As you tone your body, you’ll notice it becomes easier to hold yourself up and the pain will subside.

5. Falling Out of Routine 

Although it’s good to change things up, having a general routine with prevent you from overworking muscle groups.

If you don’t want to be the person that looks like they’ve skipped legs-day for the past year, you need to develop a strategy. Write down the muscle groups that you want to focus on at the gym. Select days of the week dedicated to muscle groups, cardio, and weightlifting.

Tracking all of your workout routines will help you identify the most beneficial combinations. Strategies that may have worked for some people might not give you the results you expect. Pay attention to your body and monitor your routine to find your groove.

6. Doing the Same Exercises & Sets 

Bodybuilders often create a weekly workout schedule to ensure they don’t miss any muscle groups or overextend.

When you get in the habit of doing the same exercises, weights, and sets, your body will start to plateau. Your muscles need the challenge of different exercises and weights so they can tear and build back stronger.

Following influencers and bodybuilders on social media can help you discover tips that most people don’t know!

A great way to challenge your body and put your endurance to the test is by participating in a sports game. Whether you like to play soccer, football, or basketball, you can work your body and discover weaknesses.

7. Fixation on Gains 

It’s always good to have goals and keep in mind what you want, but you can’t get fixated on the wrong things.

Only focusing on gaining muscle could set you back in the long run and delay your success. Instead of only focusing on growing your biceps or quads, pay attention to other areas of your body. When your entire body is conditioned, it can improve your balance and form, making other routines more beneficial.

Gaining muscle requires a lot of balance, and if you start falling behind in one muscle group, you may notice another area taking the brunt of the work. Creating a flexible routine will keep all your muscles active and prevent injuries.

8. Relying on Supplements

Creatine, whey protein, and diet pills can turn into a nightmare when you start creating your bodybuilding lifestyle.

If you plan to use supplements along with a good fitness routine and diet, you shouldn’t have any issues. You can view these sarms for sale to find safe and effective solutions.

Supplements are often used to enhance gym sessions and shorten recovery periods. Depending on what type you buy, you may end up wasting a lot of money or exposing yourself to unhealthy products. Try not to fall for the marketing attempts in the supplement industry, especially when most of the products have yet to be tested.

If you need some support on your journey, look for products with natural ingredients. If you don’t know what most of the ingredients are on the list, you should look for something else. Power smoothies and superfoods are often more beneficial to bodybuilders than supplements,

9. Forgetting to Make a Plan

Walking into the gym with no plan other than to build muscle mass could set you back on gains.

Without a plan, it’s easy to neglect weaker areas and prevent yourself from pushing forward. You should set intentions and create a plan before each gym session to ensure you’re completing beneficial sets.

It’s okay if a machine is taken all day and you can’t get to everything. Do your best, however, to follow your plan so that you aren’t missing out on any gym time. Some people recommend writing or typing out your plan so that you can bring your workout routine to the gym.

While you create your plan, write down all of your goals and be as specific as possible. The more detailed you get, the easier it’ll be to stay on track.

10. Skipping a Good Night’s Rest

You may be snoozing in the late hours of the night, but your body and organs are working hard on your gains.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential if you want to gain muscle for bodybuilding goals and competitions. When you’re asleep, your body helps regulate testosterone levels and other hormones that contribute to fat and muscle gain.

A lack of sleep could disrupt your body and have many side effects. Not only will a poor night of sleep make you feel lethargic, but your muscles won’t get time to recover from your previous workout.

Prioritizing sleep is critical if you want to become a successful bodybuilder. You need to be in healthy conditions, both mentally and physically. If you’re too exhausted, it can be difficult to manage emotions and self-control.

11. Sloppy Form

Working on improving your posture will help with your form at the gym, but this is another area to focus on.

Sloppy form while lifting and working the machines can lead to injuries, hyperextension, and wasted energy. If you’re not holding your body up properly, you won’t work the muscles effectively.

It helps to bring someone else to the gym with you when you first start a new routine. You can have your friend or fitness instructor spot you and ensure that your form is correct. Once you get the right form, it becomes easier to identify when you’re off balance.

More than 45% of people in the United States fear the gym because they don’t want to injure themselves. Most of these injuries, however, can be completely avoidable with the correct form. Move slowly and with intention when you first start an exercise so your form can be adjusted.

12. Moving Too Fast 

Bodybuilders don’t typically go to the gym and get out within 45 minutes.

If you’re serious about bodybuilding, you need to take your time and avoid moving fast during your routines. Bodybuilding isn’t about endurance or who can finish their sets the fastest. Moving too fast while working out could lead to injuries and your muscles won’t get the chance to become fully engaged.

Moving at a slower pace will ensure that your muscles are getting challenged on the positive and negative sides of each rep. Take your time working through your sets and give your muscles the chance to catch up and stabilize.

Many people enjoy lifting slowly because they can feel each muscle being used in the process and help stretch certain areas.

13. Discounting Stretching

Before and after your workout sessions, you should spend a few minutes stretching your body.

Stretching can loosen your muscles and warm them up before jumping into a serious set. It’s also beneficial to stretch since it increases blood flow and can improve muscle mass. Your body needs to be limber and flexible, especially if you want to avoid stiffness.

Not only will stretching provide relief, but it also helps the connective tissues in limbs and can help tendons and ligaments recover. Take your time while stretching and never go further than what is comfortable.

You’ll notice increased flexibility and less strain if you’re well-hydrated and rested.

14. Remaining Independent

Bodybuilders understand that they never would have made it far without a strong community of people.

Even if you enjoy going to the gym on your own, you need to find some friends or gym buddies to spend time with. Working out with others can help motivate you when struggling and they can also provide guidance.

There is a lot you can miss when you’re focusing on your movements and lifting. A friend can help monitor your progress and prevent you from making rookie mistakes.

Avoid Common Bodybuilding Mistakes & Get Swole 

Joining the bodybuilding community and gaining muscles involves more than a wish for a better body.

Avoiding these common bodybuilding mistakes will put you on the right path.

With a strong plan, the ability to adapt, and a healthy diet, you can watch your muscle mass grow. Many people fail to reach their goals because they focus on the wrong things. Instead of having the biggest arms at the gym, you need to work on other areas and rest when necessary.

Be sure to check out our page for more info about workouts for bodybuilding and improving your health!