It's a known fact that exercise is addictive, especially for newcomers who enter the gym with the intention of building muscle. A person joins a gym with the goal of getting fit, but as soon as they meet other "gym bros", their goal shifts to either bulking or cutting. Bulking is the first step in muscle building, which entails eating a calorie surplus and lifting heavy weights. After a person has bulked up, the next step is to cut away all of the excess fat, making the muscles appear leaner, known as cutting. Moreover, newbies also fall into workout traps that only boost their ego but provide no reward. So, if you're new to the gym or have only recently begun going, stay away from these gym fads.
1) Crunches For Abs
When a person joins a gym solely to lose belly fat, their primary focus remains just on performing crunches. What happens if they continue to do 200 to 300 crunches for weeks? They lose motivation and there is no change in body weight. Because abs are a muscle, they require proper training and rest. Crunches cannot help you with abs. Moreover, losing only belly fat is impossible because spot reduction does not work; you must lose fat from the entire body. Finally, abs become visible when your body fat percentage drops below 10 per cent. Instead of doing sit-ups, focus on compound exercises that can help you gain strength.
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2) Avoid Bulking And Cutting
Bulking and cutting are bodybuilders' methods of gaining muscle because their bodies become accustomed to eating the same foods and performing the same exercises. When you are new to building muscle, you can build it even while eating around your maintenance because all of these stimuli are new to your body, and a human body grows when exposed to new stimuli. The best approach is to go to the gym at most four times per week and to consume some protein in your post-workout meal and carbs in your pre-workout meal.
3) Eat Whatever You Want After Workout
Eating whatever you want after your workout will never yield the desired results because the human body requires appropriate carbs, fats, and protein to recover. Post-workout is one of the best environments in which the human body can grow, and eating outside of a diet can result in muscle loss. Without a doubt, the best time to have a cheat meal is immediately following your workout, but this should not be a regular occurrence. Cheat only when necessary, or once every 15 days.
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4) Long Workouts
More exercise equals more sweat and calorie burn, which is true! However, as a beginner, you should always start slowly because exercising for long periods can lead to overtraining. More than working long hours, your focus should be on increasing the intensity of your workout and performing one rep more than the day before. A workout session should not last more than 45 minutes; anything longer will result in an unwanted binge after exercise.
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