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First time at gym? Fitness coach shares common beginner mistakes to avoid
First time at gym? Fitness coach shares common beginner mistakes to avoid ByAdrija Dey Apr 14, 2025 06:00 AM IST Share Via Copy Link Gym can help you with your fitness goals. Stepping into your gym era and finally locking in with enthusiasm brings a wave of thrilling excitement and a fair bit of confusion, […]
First time at gym? Fitness coach shares common beginner mistakes to avoid
Gym can help you with your fitness goals.
Stepping into your gym era and finally locking in with enthusiasm brings a wave of thrilling excitement and a fair bit of confusion, too. Inspired by the fitness videos you’ve seen on social media, you might feel tempted to try everything at once and bring your A-game to every workout. But diving in headfirst without a plan is one of the most common rookie mistakes. While it is certainly an important milestone in your fitness journey when you join the gym and take it seriously, it’s important not to get carried away.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, AsadHusain, Fitness coach, CEO and Founder of OddsFitness, shared five big mistakes beginners make.
Asad said, “Walking into a gym for the first time is a huge step, but it can go sideways fast if you’re not intentional. Most people either overdo it, train without a plan, or focus more on looking busy than actually training smart. And then they wonder why their body doesn’t change. If you’re new to this, be mindful of these rookie mistakes that can be the difference between progress and plateaus. Every workout should have a goal, a purpose, and a plan. Start with clear SMART goals. Get a professional to teach you form. Respect the warm-up. Avoid ego lifting. And treat your gym time like it matters because it does. You don’t need to train hard every day. But you do need to train smart every time. That’s the difference between just showing up and actually progressing”
Asad Husain further elaborated on these 5 common mistakes gym beginners make:
1. Not setting a SMART goal
This is probably the most overlooked but critical mistake. If you don’t know why you’re walking into the gym, your workouts are going to reflect that confusion. Most beginners either say “I just want to get fit” or copy random routines they saw on YouTube. That’s not a strategy. That’s wishful thinking.
Every person in the gym should be working toward a SMART goal, something Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Don’t just say “I want to lose weight”. Say: “I want to lose 5 kg in 8 weeks by training four times a week and tracking my meals daily.” That’s a goal that sets direction, keeps you accountable, and gives your training real purpose.
2. Overtraining on day one
Your body doesn’t care how motivated you feel it cares how well you recover. First-timers often push too hard too fast. They try to do everything at once weights, cardio, abs, maybe even throw in a HIIT finisher. Then they’re sore for five days, lose momentum, and quit.
Start simple. Focus on getting your form right, understanding basic movements, and training consistently. Think of your first month as “building the foundation,” not “going beast mode.”
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3. Poor form and copycat lifting
You don’t need to lift heavy weights to prove anything, especially not to strangers. Bad form and lack of stability (at joints ) are some of the fastest ways to get injured and develop nagging pain that ruins your training.
If you can, invest in a personal trainer for at least the first 3–6 months. Not for motivation but to master form, learn how to progress, and build a proper plan tailored to your body. That alone can fast-track your results and prevent a lot of wasted time.
4. Treating the gym like a social hangout
Yes, gyms are social spaces. But too much talking between sets, scrolling on your phone, or trying to look busy without actually working is where most people waste 50% of their time. It’s called social loafing when people underperform in group settings because the attention is shared.
The gym isn’t a coffee shop. It’s a place to train. Be present. Time your rest. Focus on execution. You can connect with people, sure, but your priority should be putting in meaningful work.
5. Skipping warm-ups and cool-downs
Rushing into your workout without a warm-up is like slamming the accelerator on a cold engine. At best, you’ll feel stiff. At worst, you’ll get injured. A 5–10 minute dynamic warm-up (think bodyweight squats, lunges, arm circles) preps your joints and activates your muscles.
Same goes for the cool-down. A few minutes of light stretching or mobility work post-training can help with recovery and prevent next-day soreness. It’s not just for flexibility, it’s part of training smart.
ALSO READ: New to yoga? Expert shares beginner-friendly asanas and how to build a routine
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
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Volleyball Recruiting Blog: Top setters returning next season
Johns Creek will be returning Class of 2026 prospect Adonia Haile—who surpassed 1,000 career assists last September while starring for the Gladiators. Haile and Johns Creek finished 25-9 last season after dropping a tough 3-2 loss to Sequoyah in the first round. In that defeat, Haile matched her season-high with 28 assists. Haile finished her […]
Johns Creek will be returning Class of 2026 prospect Adonia Haile—who surpassed 1,000 career assists last September while starring for the Gladiators. Haile and Johns Creek finished 25-9 last season after dropping a tough 3-2 loss to Sequoyah in the first round. In that defeat, Haile matched her season-high with 28 assists. Haile finished her junior season with a team-high 556 assists and had just 16 ball handling errors in 88 sets played. The 5-foot-7 setter tallied 179 assists as a freshman and then posted 485 assists as a sophomore in 114 sets played. Haile has increased her impact, while decreasing the errors and will be a pivotal piece for Johns Creek this season with both Sara Buoni and Hana Catic returning after breakout sophomore campaigns where they led Johns Creek with 275 and 232 kills, respectively.
Similar to Johns Creek with Haile, Cartersville will return its own Class of 2026 standout with setter Aubree Barrett next season. Barrett finished this past season with a team-high 527 assists and has 1,179 career assists after posting a breakout sophomore season with 650. As a freshman, the 5-foot-5 Barrett contributed at the net and had 96 kills before transitioning into the team’s setter.
Class 4A state champion Pace Academy has a lot of talent returning from this past year’s 43-6 squad that closed out the year on a 10-match win-streak. Helping to lead the way will be Class of 2026 standout Britton McGurn—who led the Knights with 462 assists last season in 98 sets played with just 13 BHE. The 5-foot-6 setter is a multi-sport star that also plays soccer and basketball and is coming off her most productive volleyball season yet. After posting 96 assists and a freshman and 120 assists her sophomore year, McGurn made a major leap forward with 462 assists and is poised for an even bigger senior campaign.
Norcross had one of its best seasons in program history last season—compiling a 36-6 overall record and eventually falling to two-time defending state champion Alpharetta in the playoffs 3-1. The Blue Devils have plenty to be optimistic about this upcoming season and will have Ellie Ruth Blue back after her incredible 1,142-assist junior season. The 5-foot-6 setter and A5 Gwinnett standout is a three-year starter that surpassed 1,500 career assists last year and helped her team lock up the No. 1 seed. Notably, Blue led Norcross with 56 assists in the team’s 3-1 win over Denmark and she had 51 assists in the Blue Devils’ 3-2 win over Buford before she tallied 38 assists in the 3-1 defeat to Alpharetta.
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Telek and Pal Cap CSUN Careers with All-Big West Selections
Story Links NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN’s senior duo of Dorottya Telek and Anna Pal were both placed on the 2025 All-Big West Team, as announced Friday by the conference office. Telek earned her fourth straight all-conference selection with a Second Team nod while Pal received a Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season. “Dodi […]
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN’s senior duo of Dorottya Telek and Anna Pal were both placed on the 2025 All-Big West Team, as announced Friday by the conference office. Telek earned her fourth straight all-conference selection with a Second Team nod while Pal received a Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season.
“Dodi (Telek) and Nusi (Pal) have been the ultimate dynamic duo for the last four years, from there timely clutch play to their sense of humor, they have been the definition of dependable,” said head coach Matt Warshaw. “I couldn’t be prouder that they are leaving here near the top or at the top of the record books. They are athletes that come along seldom in a program’s history, but more importantly they are outstanding humans that people want to be around and are constantly striving for greatness in every aspect of their lives.”
A native of Budapest, Hungary, Telek wrapped up a historic and brilliant CSUN career this past season, leading the Big West in goals scored for a fourth straight season. The senior center shattered her own school record with a conference-best 104 goals on 58.1 percent shooting, surpassing the 101 she tallied in 2023. Telek also led the Matadors with 18 field blocks and 88 exclusions drawn while she ranked second in assists (45) and steals (47). On the year, Telek registered 23 multi-goal games and scored at least once in 26 of 29 contests. In Big West play, Telek finished with 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 total points, highlighted by a six-goal match at UC Santa Barbara.
Telek entered the 2025 season already CSUN’s all-time career goals leader and eventually finished with 376 total — 147 goals more than second place. She also holds the all-time school records in career field goal percentage (.537) and exclusions drawn (367) while she ranks fifth in field blocks with 61. Additionally, Telek leaves CSUN with the most goals scored in a season (104) and in a game (9).
A three-time All-American, Telek becomes the second Matador in program history to earn four All-Big West honors. During the season, Telek also set another Matador record by winning a fifth Big West Player of the Week award.
Pal, another Budapest native, topped the Big West with a career-high 67 assists while she also led CSUN with 51 steals and ranked second in goals (59) and points (126). In total, Pal recorded 20 games of two goals or more and recorded an assist in 25 of 29 contests. Pal would finish with 11 goals, 11 assists and 10 steals against BIg West opponents.
Pal also made her mark in the Matador record book in 2025, breaking the school’s all-time assist record and finishing with 209 total assists by season’s end. She would also become the founding member of the 200-200 club in CSUN history after she reached 200 goals and 200 assists for her career. Pal’s 200 goals are ranked sixth-most in school history while she sits in ninth place on the all-time field blocks list (34) as well.
With her Honorable Mention, Pal earned her third All-Big West honor of her career after she received the same award last season. In 2022, Pal also was placed on the Big West All-Freshman Team.
#GoMatadors
Sports
Beach Volleyball Sets Program Record with Four Pairs Receiving AVCA Top Flight Status
Story Links LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Chattanooga beach volleyball team added one last program record to its belt before its 2025 season came to a close on Friday, as a total of four pairs received AVCA Top Flight status for their efforts during the year, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced. The […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Chattanooga beach volleyball team added one last program record to its belt before its 2025 season came to a close on Friday, as a total of four pairs received AVCA Top Flight status for their efforts during the year, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced.
The following Chattanooga beach volleyball pairs received ‘Top Flight’ status for the 2025 season: Neva Clark/Corina Vale (Flight 1), McKenna Faychak/Maddie Lecik (Flight 2), Joy Courtright/Julia Lawrence (Flight 4) and Ansley Gulledge/Sydney Jackwin (Flight 5).
The Mocs are just one year removed from having the program’s first-ever pair receive AVCA Top Flight status. Now a year later, nearly the entire UTC lineup has received the honor following a record-setting year by the Sandy Mocs.
The AVCA’s Top Flight program, now in its seventh year, recognizes beach volleyball pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75 percent of their matches. This year, 88 pairs representing 45 schools – from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA and Two-Year Colleges – have earned Top Flight status.
Clark and Vale wrap up their 2025 season having amassed a record of 23-7 on the year including a perfect 10-0 OVC record. The back-to-back OVC Pair of the Year award-winners end the season having won 76.7 percent of their matches. This marks the first AVCA Top Flight award for Clark and Vale.
Faychak and Lecik end their season with a 23-6 record playing out of the No. 2 spot for the Mocs. The record saw the junior duo post a 79.3 win percentage enroute to each of them earning the very-first AVCA Top Flight honor of either of their careers as well.
On Court 4 for the Mocs, Courtright and Lawrence proved dominant over the course of the 2025 season aftering going 24-6 with an 80 percent win percentage as a pair. Courtright now wraps up her Chattanooga career with one last honor, her first AVCA Top Flight award. Lawrence, only a sophomore, was one half of the program’s first-ever AVCA Top Flight duo a season ago alongside UTC alum Morgan Romano. Lawrence now becomes the program’s first-ever two-time AVCA Top Flight honoree.
And last but not least, the Court 5 duo of Gulledge and Jackwin rounded out the Top Flight honorees for the Mocs after recording a 25-3 record for UTC this season. The pair, both of whom transferred to UTC ahead of the 2025 season, end the year with an impressive 89.3 win percentage out of the No. 5 spot. It marks the first AVCA Top Flight honor for either player.
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Mira Costa and Redondo girls beach volleyball teams will meet for CIF-SS championship
Redondo girls beach volleyball finished second to Mira Costa for the second consecutive season in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship. (Photo by Damian Calhoun, Daily Breeze) Mira Costa girls beach volleyball wins a second consecutive CIF-Southern Section championship, Saturday, defeating Redondo in the Division 1 final at Long Beach City College. (Photo by Damian Calhoun/Daily […]
The Mira Costa and Redondo girls beach volleyball teams will meet again in the CIF-Southern Section championship.
In the third year of beach volleyball being an official CIF-SS sport, more teams are fielding teams and having success, a third playoff division was added, but again, it will come down to Mira Costa and Redondo for the Division 1 championship for a third consecutive season. The Mustangs have won the previous two finals matches.
The match will be played Saturday at Long Beach City College at 1:30 p.m.
Mira Costa, the top seed, defeated Ventura (5-0), Edison (4-1) and Los Alamitos (5-0) to advance to the final.
Redondo (15-2) is the third seed and recorded wins over Huntington Beach (4-1) and San Marcos (4-1) and then defeated No. 2 seed JSerra (3-2) in Thursday’s semifinal.
“We have a great group of athletes on our team and through our whole program,” Redondo coach Mark Pa’aluhi said. “The idea of the program is to push each, from the freshmen to the senior. This has been the best team atmosphere I’ve been around.”
The Mustangs and Sea Hawks split their Bay League matches, sharing the league title.
Redondo won the first match 3-2 (March 4), snapping Mira Costa’s 170-match winning streak. Three weeks later, Mira Costa responded with a 5-0 win.
“We didn’t play well and it was wake-up call,” Pa’aluhi said. “I think it was a silver lining because it brought team together.”
The Sea Hawks also followed that loss with a 3-2 loss to JSerra, one day later. Redondo hasn’t lost since that two-match losing skid.
The Mustangs (19-1) haven’t lost since the first Redondo match and have only dropped one individual match since then.
Before the start of the playoffs, coach Nancy Reynolds said she saw something good come from the loss.
“I think it was good to have the loss earlier, because it forced us to refocus and understand what it takes to win,” she said.
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After 601 Minor League Games, New York Yankees Prospect in the Lineup for MLB Debut
The wait apparently is over for Jorbit Vivas. The longtime minor league infielder is in the lineup Friday for the New York Yankees, who will open a three-game home series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Vivas will play second base and bat ninth. The Yankees recalled Vivas from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. He is taking […]
The wait apparently is over for Jorbit Vivas.
The longtime minor league infielder is in the lineup Friday for the New York Yankees, who will open a three-game home series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Vivas will play second base and bat ninth.
The Yankees recalled Vivas from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. He is taking the place of second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was put on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Recalled INF Jorbit Vivas (#90) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
•Placed INF Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 4/30) with a right oblique strain.— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 2, 2025
He will be wearing No. 90 for New York.
Friday Night Fried. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/q2FfnUEvYP
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 2, 2025
Vivas spent three days with the Yankees in Cleveland last week, called up when outfielder Trent Grisham went on the paternity list. He didn’t get into a game, however.
Vivas has 601 games of minor league experience and two prior call-ups without any major league action.
He’s made things happen for the RailRiders this season, however. At the plate, he is 30-for-94 and has 17 runs, five doubles, two homers and 15 RBIs. He’s also walked 15 times, stolen six bases and has a hitting line of .319/.426/.436/.862.
Some Yankees fans were not happy with Vivas’ lack of opportunity in the Yankees’ series against the Guardians, given the play of Chisholm. While Chisholm has seven homers and 17 RBIs, he is hitting only .181 and leads the team in strikeouts with 39.
Vivas, 24, is ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system by MLB Pipeline.
The Yankees acquired him on Dec. 11, 2023, from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers signed Vivas in 2017 as a 16-year-old prospect from Venezuela. He’s got a career batting average of .273 with 122 doubles, 20 triples, 50 home runs and 324 RBIs. He also has stolen 88 bases.
His Friday night in New York with the Yankees undoubtedly will be a night he never will forget.
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