3 Common Mistakes when starting Strength Training (And How to Avoid Them)

Starting strength training is an exciting step towards feeling stronger, healthier, and more confident. But as with any new skill, it can often feel confusing and with the wealth of information that’s out there, it can be all too easy to come up against one or two pitfalls which can slow progress or lead to injury. But, have no fear, we’ve got your back! Here are three common mistakes to watch out for when you are first starting out with your strength training and the simple ways to avoid them.

1. Skipping Warm-Ups

Many beginners dive straight into their workout without warming up, thinking it saves some precious minutes or they just don’t need it. However, a proper warm-up prepares your muscles, joints, and nervous system for movement, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance. It also gives you a moment to take a deep breath and be present, leaving your other thoughts and tasks for the day waiting for you in the hallway.

How to avoid it: Spend at least 5 minutes warming up before every session. Focus on dynamic movements like we show in our 20 Minute Strength warm up, to get your blood flowing and activate key muscles for your workout. You will thank yourself at the end of the workout for spending these 5 minutes doing the prep work.

2. Lifting Too Heavy Too Soon

It’s tempting to pick up the heaviest weights you can manage to feel like you’re making quick progress. However, lifting too much weight too soon can lead to poor form, stalled progress, or even injury. 

Your first priority with any exercise is to make sure you have good form. This means taking the weight or resistance down to a fairly comfortable level so your full attention can be on your form. You should pay extra attention to this when learning a new exercise. Going as heavy as you ‘can’ when learning a new exercise can often mean form is compromised. 

In addition, although if you technically can use that amount of resistance with good form, it doesn’t mean your body is prepared for it if it’s a big jump from what you’ve done before. It can also mean that you take a lot longer to recover from that exercise – meaning your following sets or even next couple of workouts may suffer as a result. 

It’s not about what you do in a stand alone session, but what you achieve over the course of a month, two or even a full 12-week programme and beyond.

How to avoid it: Start with lighter weights and prioritise good technique. Master the movement first, then gradually increase resistance over the weeks as you get stronger. Progressing steadily is always the more effective choice!

3. Not Resting Enough Between Sets (AND WORKOUTS!)

Resting between sets might feel like wasted time, but skipping rest periods can reduce your strength, affect your form, and leave you feeling overly fatigued. We want to perform the best we can for each set we have during our workout. These quality sets allow us to build and build our strength over time. So if we jump into our next set too soon, you can’t be sure the quality is going to be your best. This risks injury but also means you aren’t getting the most potential strength gains out of each set! Your body loves rest when it is trying to get stronger so give it the break it needs.

The same can be said for rest in between workouts. Rest and recovery is just as important as the work you do in each session and without it, our muscles become too tired and you turn up to the mat feeling lethargic and like you don’t want to be there.

How to avoid it: If you follow along with 20 Minute Strength, your rest times are programmed in already so you don’t have to worry about this! If you are following a different plan, Allow at least 60 seconds of rest between sets of the same exercise, and 20-60 secs between exercises if you are combining them in a super set. This is dependant on the movement and your fitness level, too. This gives your muscles the time they need to recover and perform well in the next set.

We would always recommend having a day of rest and recovery (walking, stretching, etc.) between your strength training days as well. Sometimes this isn’t possible. That’s fine every now and then, but completing a full body workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday earns you the right to have Tuesday and Thursday to rest and build those muscles back up for the next workout.

Final Thoughts

Strength training is all about consistency and being smart about your progress.

By warming up properly, lifting weights that match your ability, and taking enough rest, you'll set yourself up for long-term success. Keep these tips in mind as you work through your 20 Minute Strength programme, and enjoy getting stronger every step of the way!