16 Muscle Building Mistakes I REGRET Making!
Introduction
Throughout my fitness journey, I have made several muscle building mistakes that I deeply regret. In this article, I will share my 16 greatest regrets that I made both in the gym and in the kitchen. By learning from my experiences, you can avoid these pitfalls and achieve your fitness goals more effectively.
The Skinny Kid
When I was 13 years old, I started my journey to transform from a skinny kid to a muscular individual. However, I made the mistake of blindly copying my older brother’s exercise routines without understanding the essential lessons associated with proper training.
Poor Training and Education
As a result, I ended up with physical issues and injuries due to incorrect exercise techniques and excessive junk volume. I followed bodybuilders like Shawn Ray in muscle building magazines, unaware that their routines were designed for enhanced athletes and not suitable for natural trainers like myself.
Nutrition and Supplementation
My nutrition and supplementation knowledge also lacked depth. I believed that all oats were equal and consumed sugar-laden Quaker Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal packets, unknowingly hindering my progress. It was only later that I learned about the benefits of proper nutrition and the importance of reducing sugar intake for lower body fat levels.
Mistakes in Exercise Selection
I also made the mistake of performing exercises without considering my body’s limitations. Neglecting proper footwear for my flat feet led to severe biomechanical issues and knee problems that continue to affect me to this day. It is crucial to select exercises that suit your body and address any potential weaknesses or imbalances.
Overlooking Progressive Overload
I failed to appreciate the importance of progressive overload in my training. Rather than focusing on increasing the difficulty of exercises, I would try to build muscle solely by adding more repetitions. Only later in life did I realize the significance of overload variation and its contribution to muscle growth.
The Battle with Nutrition
Nutrition has always been a struggle for me. I oscillated between not caring enough and becoming overly obsessive about what I ate. I even developed a fear of dietary fats, which hindered my progress. Additionally, working in professional baseball presented challenges in finding healthy and affordable nutrition options while on the road.
The Value of Eccentrics
I also overlooked the value of eccentric contractions, particularly in pulling exercises. While it’s natural to slow down the concentric phase of pushing exercises like the bench press, remembering to control the lowering phase in pulling exercises is equally crucial. Neglecting this aspect deprives your muscles of a significant stimulus for growth and gains.
Training in Pain
Rather than respecting my body’s signals and adapting my workouts accordingly, I made the mistake of training through pain. This approach prevented me from recovering properly and hindered my progress. It’s essential to distinguish between working out with pain and working around it to avoid exacerbating injuries or joint inflammation.
Avoiding Mistakes and Gaining Success
Learning from these mistakes has allowed me to make significant progress and avoid further regrets. By respecting your body’s limitations, focusing on progressive overload, and understanding the importance of nutrition and proper exercise techniques, you can avoid these common pitfalls and maximize your muscle building potential.
In Conclusion
Building muscle is a journey filled with lessons and experiences. Reflecting on my own mistakes, I hope that sharing these 16 regrets will help you make wiser choices in your own fitness journey. Remember, success comes from learning and adapting, so take these lessons to heart and build the ripped physique you desire.
Original Source: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHXxVNw1AX8)
45 comments
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Thankyou
Thank you for this informative video
Im down 85 lbs , been watching your channel for the last 15 of them. Thank you so much, your channel has become my bible.
Jeff never has a reflection when he looks in the mirror because there can only be 1 jeff
2:11 damn this helped alot
Fantastic thanks for sharing I gave up smoking don’t drink to much but have gained weight in all the wrong places over time. Probably due to being less active the types of food and drinks to take at any time of the day. I have watched your videos before but this one has really inspired me to do better , I’m very dissatisfied with my body right now but I’m going to change my habits now I no longer drink fizzy drinks like red bull colla etc thanks for sharing the information please keep doing so much appreciated take care I hope next time i comment I will be more active and lost some of the fat
I have a disc on my neck and my posture is infected. Can you please talk more about training around your injury and what exercises should I avoid while I recover?
I watch this guy, all the time,,, former mets trainer,, now on youtube showing us how to exercise properly
I keep watching these videos in the hope that one day I will find one that is not so useful. Still not there.
I thawt number one was gunna be “should of done Ryan Humistons work outs”
First, I love your content. Much respect. Second 1:10 in – – 27 carbs minus the 4 grams of fiber leave us with 23 grams of sugar. I repeat, 23 grams of sugar. The remaining 23 grams are not fat, nor protein, nor dust, nor water. They are sugar. Also – the label as is it, is a reflection of the food BEDORE its consumed. Once consumed, that 23 grams, again, has to turn into something. Its still sugar.
Yes, it may be a slower metabolizing sugar but its still sugar. There's no getting around this. 23 grams of carbohydrate ( minus the 4 grams for fiber ) does not become non existent. It must be counted as sugar. Full Stop.
That's the same amount of sugar in a snickers bar. This can not be ignored
I'm 40 and my knees have always made that loud grinding tearing noise you can hear from 25 feet away. I'm looking into this later on in life after being a iron pumper as a small kid up until high school. So I'm thinking maybe don't do the squats? Besides, I think i'd rather work on cardio and flexibility. Gave up smoking 2 weeks ago, and I am plumb coming out of my skin, I need to do something.
Cap'n Crunch Never Does Any Ab Crunch!
Use a recycleable water bottle though 😊
I just had my first protein oatmeal and I see this thumbnail. I gotta check it out lmao
@ATHLEAN-X regarding the water in the morning. Please use a reusable water bottle to reduce the waste. Also is it better to pound that much water at one time or would it be better to ingest it more slowly to let your body absorb?
Awesome vid. Thanks
The un-shrugging of my shoulders during chest exercises was the single best piece of advice (among countless other improvements) I picked up from this channel.
I’m 60 years old (former triathlete, no longer able to run) but wonder: Does performing cardio on the same day as weight training negate the progress of muscle building… I do some form of cardio a day ~1 hr and also a strength session ~5 days / week.
I was literally eating a bowl of maple brown sugar oatmeal
Oh boy… that’s a lot of plastics and phthalates you’re consuming there Jeff
I've worked out on and off for over 20 years, but have gained more knowledge from discovering your videos a couple weeks ago than I ever did on my own. Thank you and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge!
3:19 👌🏽 wow 😋
Ditch the bottled water and just get a good filter (not Brita). The plastic outgasses into the water and not healthy for you or planet.
I think it should be 17 muscle building mistakes ! You didn’t mention anything about the big bar that you have home you have about 300 bottles of alcohol 😂
I appreciate this alot but one thing about getting older, for me, I can't be all about bang for my buck wirh workouts. I cant do a 15 minute workout that equals 45 minutes. (Well hiit yes, but strength no way.) I need at least 10 minutes simply to warm up these days. It sucks but I need time to recover between sets. These quick little intensity workouts? I just end up injuring myself. I have to be really checked in with myself and mindful, especially as Im often working around some injury, sprain or spasm.
Get an RO system installed in your home and you won’t need to throw away two plastic bottles everyday… 😉👍
Whoa dude you pronate a lot! Appreciate the info, thank you
I been out the game almost seven years and he's still here lmao. Guess it's time to hop back in the gym
I think this is possibly your best video Jeff, definitely my favorite. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate you sharing your experience
1:10 I don't understand, what's wrong with sugar, you need carbs right ?
No way! I was just thinking, wonder why Huberman hasn't been hit up for this channel yet! 😅 Love your advice too. 😂
Thank God, you’re married, you lucky son of a gun
What about sleep and recovery?
At the end of the day, my goal was to lose 100 pounds. To do this, I find myself bulking up at the beginning of the month, lifting like crazy, Eating a little too much. Staying about the same weight.
Then the last week of the month, I go vegetarian, and don’t lift. Maybe do a little cardio. I lose 10 pounds in a week easily.
Is this healthy, or will it catch up with me? So far I’ve lost 60 pounds.
I agree with the correctors, I started Pilates in conjunction with regular gym activities
im hoping i can get an answer from someone at some point, here goes…. i want to start losing weight and i know a good diet is very important, however i work 7 days a week on third shift and use what little time i have off of work to start focusing on my exercise. As a result i only eat 1 marie calenders meal each day and some veggies (tomatoes broccoli cucumbers bell peppers) after work as a snack so im not starving when i go to bed. when i start my journey at the end of this week(grocery shopping needs) ill be buying eggs to go along with the veggies so i have more protein. my question is if i literally have 0 time to cook and only about 40.00 a week for food how am i supposed to build a proper diet for weight loss? Im currently 250 pounds 32 male at 5'8 id like to get down to 175. if i build muscle great but weight loss is my goal. i will be doing ddp yoga and have a dumbbell and barbell set for my off days with the yoga schedule. how do i lose weight if i cant afford or have the time for proper nutrition? ps im asking you because you are a no bullshit type of guy who is honest and not trying to make a buck.
Sean Ray did the big no-no upright row
I'm a 66 year old buck and one thing I learned about life through those years is to not give regrets more a a minute's thought. Everyone makes mistakes. Beating ourselves up over making mistakes because we didn't know better only creates negative energy. Stay positive, respect everyone, and do the best you can at everything you do. All the best to everyone!
This video makes Jeff sound human. Thanks Jeff
I had a shoulder pop or strain occur playing badminton having been doing full rom paused dips. Needless to say since I've stuck to overhead pressing and nothing else. No issues since. Rehabbed using the empty bar and adding weight and back to normal over a few weeks
Re: oats. The Groat is king of oats! 100% whole grain. Cooked overnight in a slow-cooker. Massive fuel.
For someone like you who isn't interested in getting progressively bigger, who just wants to maintain how they look, how often do you add extra weight to your reps? Are you locked in at a certain weight? Does it depend on how much you can handle? Or do you absolutely have to add weight to keep the muscle you have ? I'm a little confused on this… and is there a problem with using the same amount of weight if i just want to be cut and maintain my current look ? Or will my muscles begin to lose gains ?
Training around an injury has been my biggest demise. Back in September I had a labrum surgery in my shoulder along with a bursectomy. My surgeon and PT kept me out of the gym for 6 months. Absolutely no lifting and only minimal band work. I went from bring a heavy lifter and MMA/boxing fighter to now I can't even run a mile or lift over 15lbs. I recently forced my way back into the gym and I'm finding it extremely hard to get the mind muscle connection back into that arm and that side of my back. I also find myself at a significant loss of what puts that shoulder in a safe place. I used to always lift in accordance with your guidance. Now even that make me feel uneasy. Idk how to work around this injury and it's been even more mentally debilitating to me than it has physically which at this point is a lot. Do you have any videos, blogs or papers that I could review to help me babystep my way back into at least half of what I used to be?