The Biggest Gym Mistakes I Made In My 20s

[@Rakyr]

0:15 Did not rotate through exercises, stuck with the same ones over and over again. 1:34 Mistake 1. He focused on lifting heavy and moving the weight. Instead focus focus on isolating the muscle feeling it. 2:48 Mistake 2. Checking your phone too much. Focus on the workout. 3:47 Mistake 3. Attempting 1 rep maxes and using the ego. This lead to injury. Unless you are a powerlifter, leave it. 4:49 Mistake 4. Training to failure too often. This lead to over training. Only go to failure on the last set of an exercise leave a rep in the tank on the other sets. 5:49 Mistake 5. Not warming up properly. Build up the weight gradually before a working set. 6:38 Mistake 6 Following a bro split. Aim to hit a muscle group twice a week. 7:29 Mistake 7. Training too often. Pay attention to having rest days to allow your body to recover.

[@trapbois4573]

Thanks man rather than watching a 9 min vid I just read this and saved myself 8 mins 30 secs great

[@abishekbista6933]

@@trapbois4573 thank you

[@Rakyr]

@@trapbois4573 No worries lad, you saved 30 seconds.

[@daayemshehzad]

Love you for your comment. Will say a prayer for you before I sleep tonight.

[@tn4184]

The hero KZbin needs

[@santosteffano]

This is all really good advice. The biggest lesson I learned is that no matter how disciplined you are in the gym if your nutrition isn't supporting your goals you're wasting like 50% of that effort.

[@steveromeocars]

i was just about to write that down. No matter how hard you train, if you don´t have enough calories, there is nothing wich will grow. Aswell as a lot of newbies rely too much on Protein powders and Creatine. Literally wasted 2 years, because I couldn´t believe it´s the nutrition and calories, that will make you grow...

[@daano465]

More like 80%

[@smlofficial6911]

Sleep too. I quickly realized how massive the difference is in your gains when you're getting enough quality sleep.

[@andrewhammond8852]

Nah you’re wasting like 85% of the effort. Nutrition is almost everything

[@Jay-dx9fi]

@Jimbo Jimbo if you're not receiving adequate nutrition you can literally make zero gains at all regardless of how you train. A car isnt going to move without fuel..

[@sammyevfit_9558]

Bro I’m 27 and every single one these hits home for me, super genuine of you to share these tips appreciate you uncle mike ❤

[@clubcricketbadger]

This is the mike i fell in love with, videos like this are priceless, what a guy

[@seanharris8419]

For me, mixing up how I trained was the game changer. For years and years I did the typical bro split doing bodybuilding style workouts that were more or less the same from day to day. I got good results but I plateaued for a really long time until I decided to try doing things like loaded carries (sandbags, farmers, yoke) and tire flips and a lot of unconventional strongman type movements that just skyrocketed my overall strength and fitness. All of my big compound lifts increased drastically which packed on extra mass that I didn’t think would be possible for me to get naturally. I went from 6’2 190lbs at 11% bodyfat to fluctuating between 205-210lbs at the same bodyfat.

[@vmafarah9473]

good to know

[@jean-baptistesimofoko5692]

Man this weight is ideal af

[@seanharris8419]

@@jean-baptistesimofoko5692 Unfortunately I got hit with a run of bad luck and some serious health issues so I’ve been out of the gym for about 3 months now and lost a lot of my gains.

[@scottbounds2084]

I would argue that most people don't train to failure often enough. But overall great points and information.

[@iDRiFTzZ]

Number one mistake - Not trenning hard enough!

[@KR10612]

that's how he's built by using 💉💉💉🧬🧬🧬🧬

[@linfordj6245]

@@KR10612 not really, I can guarantee that if you ran what Mike has you’d look no where close. Steroids and PEDs don’t make you look like the hulk unless you train eat and sleep like your life depends on it. Steroids are a cherry on top.

[@linfordj6245]

Furthermore, a lot of people who do use, can actually look worse than some natural lifters. Genetics have a substantial influence on the way you look

[@onelgaleas177]

@@KR10612 bro even if you took the same or more you still wouldn't look close to him. But whatever makes you feel better about yourself I guess.

[@LamboLwa]

😂😂😂😂

[@RahulJainfitness]

2:53 relatable !! I saw that my focus sky rocketed when I left checking social media, I used to ruminate and think about what kinda reply I should give etc.

[@ChispyReddit]

I'm 32 and just realizing now how important yoga is for mind-muscle connection and general wellbeing. I've got some lagging injuries that could have been avoided with regular yoga.

[@omp365]

Do the yoga, just don’t go down the new age rabbit hole.

[@RavusNox-z5i]

Yoga is excellent for mental reasons and for flexibility. However it's not really necessary for athletes of other sports, as a normal human has the necessary range of motion to achieve exercises properly. It really depends what your goal is. Personally, I like regular sports like Football or Rugby, and the intense stretching and warmup done in serious clubs is perfect for well being. I don't need to be able to twist into pretzels like Yogis do. In any serious sport, the coaching will involve intense work on mobility, range of motion, stretching, etc, but in an athlete focused way which I prefer to the Yogic way. Above all, for me the best way to work on my well being and feel good is just MOVE MORE, which Yogis don't really do. The simple act of running about on grass playing a real sport is the best way to feel good IMHO. Or could be basketball or any other sport.

[@SoSoAmazing]

I appreciate your comment because I am the same age, and am now getting interested in that as well.

[@AZ-gs6hj]

General stretching is more than enough. You don't see IFBB pros doing yoga, just stretch the muscle you worked for 10-15 minutes post workout.

[@policehemanthkumar]

@@AZ-gs6hj it’s good to incorporate it, trying doesn’t hurt, maybe you’ll actually like it 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@robertf2691]

I’m glad he mentioned the phone. Too many people are on their phones half of the time they’re at the gym. Not an effective way to train.

[@FamousJames]

great information, i do mostly do the same exercises at the gym. Id have 6 months off the gym because working away, I've lost 20kg bench which i'm not happy about and my right elbow feel weaker than my left even though i'm right handed, I've bought supports now. I do have rest day also. I train 3 days a week and try cycling or running other days subject to weather. it's good to know changing things abit can help injuries.

[@ingaleerus1658]

You know when you walk into the gym and nobody cares you're there? Good feeling isn't it? Especially when you're a shy dude with a fear of going to the gym and being laughed at. Nobody cares whether you lift hard, lift heavy, or even lift at all. Thats the beauty of the gym. So how do you think THESE.👈 people feel about you lifting weights? More or less than those at your gym? Just work out, man. Something every other person in the world does.

[@christophercalceta7718]

I'm turning 40 this year and all the things you mentioned is true. I was very much an ego lifter and had to learn the hard way. If anyone is in their 20s are watching this, I highly recommend sharing this video with your friends and take note. The worst thing you can do is injure yourself because it keeps you from doing what you love.

[@danielalcon3851]

Thanks for the reminders Mike. Particularly important to warm up as you get older I have found.

[@decside]

Thats how it seems to go as you age/gain more experience in the gym for most people. You go from: Worrying about power/amount of weight...to Efficiency/Maintaining the look/Fixing the tweaks you now have from earlier lifting mistakes ....to Health and Longevity

[@TheRodsterrr]

Solid advice. Words of wisdom. I’m 29, and been through the exact same issues.

[@robk5745]

Mind muscle connection is the most important factor in the gym. I wish I spent my early years developing that connection rather than trying to move the weight in different ways. Best advice I can give anyone

[@Reppintimefitness]

My mistake in my 20s was not working out at all but now I've been in 9 years 💪39 natural and shredded

[@Shorjok]

glad to hear it mate it's never too late. i've only started at 26 and sometimes feel like I left it far too late but i must remind myself that there are guys like you out there who started even later and have reaped the rewards

[@seanharris8419]

Never too late. I know a lot of guys that look even better in their 30s than they did in their 20s. Training smarter goes a long way.

[@Reppintimefitness]

@@seanharris8419 facts 💯

[@Reppintimefitness]

@@Shorjok facts 💯

[@matthewsimmons2376]

Great vid , all over tik tok people bang on about training to failure on every set/ exercise but the quality of rep is most important.

[@amiribnmalik]

It is so frustrating all these fitness influencers are lying about being natural. You just can’t achieve that ridiculous physique without the use of PEDs. Whey protein won’t get you this jacked, no matter how much chicken, rice and broccoli you eat in the world. Plus same food everyday is not practical you get fed up. Matt does fitness, Mike thurston, Ulisses, Simeon Panda all claim to be natty, their physique is just ridiculous. For youngster it’s a false expectation

[@kevstervegas]

The rest days hit me, the low pump low vascularity and slow immune is a perfect description of why you should take some time to let the muscles rebuild themselves. 😊

[@Rob-nl5ge]

Conditioning as well, Mike. The fitter you are, the more enjoyable training becomes, the harder you can push your sets and the quicker you can recover. It's a game-changer.

[@nbarealtalker]

Exercise variation is one of the most underrated factors in preventing injury. People often “grease the groove” until it’s worn out. Changing up minuscule details regularly will add years to your joints.

[@Slacktionman]

True but how do you effectively progressive overload if you are continuously changing the routine

[@nbarealtalker]

@@Slacktionman by not assuming that small changes and variations on the exercise is negatively affecting your progression. All these moves are far more similar than they are different. For instance, if you “greased the groove” on your close grip bench press for a while instead of your wider grip, you’d probably more or less catch up. The best examples I saw Mike provide were the straight bar curls. Most anatomies are not structured with joints to agree with that exercise for very long. But you’re probably fine to throw it in lightly here and there.

[@raymonddavila4987]

I'm now 33 years old. Been inconsistently training for about 5 years now. And I have now been consistent with my diet and training and I have to say, all your tips are spot on! Everything you've mentioned I've just now realized and feel like my workouts have been executed a lot better and I'm seeing better results. It takes time to learn and I'm happy I'm finally getting there! Great video!

[@Yunit87]

Ur profile pic doesn’t look someone who trained 5yr consistently?😢

[@raymonddavila4987]

@@Yunit87 pic is from like 10 years ago buddy 😜

[@Yunit87]

@@raymonddavila4987 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@scotpak100]

Fanstastic vid. Went on pretty much the same journey with so many of these errors/ mistakes

[@allteethpodcast]

Mike I want to thank you so much on helping me realize my elbow pain. Now I can finally help it out its been SO bad bro! Thanks again! From Minnesota!

[@andythomson7821]

Great video Mike, class to see you using your knowledge of weightlifting over so many years to help educate your audience. I have been at fault of all of these over the years and it's reassuring to see them being discussed.

[@EditCity]

One of the Best tip is definitely the rest time. Maximize recovery time bc if you think of each workout as digging a hole, and rest time is spent eating and recovering to fill in said hole, if you want to start building a mountain are you going to start digging again before the hole is filled in and topped off?

[@aymenyounis7246]

great video uncle mike as usaual , looking absolutely great as always 🙏 we want more vlogs of 'day in the life' and stuff like that or entertainment

[@KernelMidris]

Thanks for sharing this video. On your point about warming up properly, it would be really cool to see how you warm up for each day of your training split. Or if you have a more general warm up routine, what that looks like. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one who would find value in seeing that.

[@Sushant_Roars]

What i learnt is, there is no any particular rule in bodybuilding. What works for one might not work for the other. Some ppl might get results doing same exercise for years while some dont. So do what you enjoy doing, be consistent and eat right and yes, you will get results. Also, don't put too much pressure on yourself when it comes to diet, just keep things simple, eat clean, be flexible with your diet, you can also have cheat meals here and there. The ultimate process of bodybuilding is keeping things simple and being consistent.

[@tylernielsonn]

Mike, I can't tell you how much your videos have helped with my training and diet. 8 months ago, I was 68 kg at 32% body fat at 1.65 meters. Now, I'm at 64 kg at 23% body fat. Just about monthly, I have to increase either my weight or my reps to keep up with my strength. I've tried working out a million times, but now with you as a guide, I'm actually seeing results. Thank you Mike

[@phralma1000BC]

You have one of the best physique. I put you under top 5 in terms of aesthetics among the fitness youtubers I have seen.

[@liorpialkov7041]

Hi Mike, this is your 400th video ever posted. Congrats man, been following you for years... keep it up! :)

[@TyBayagaAgain]

Best change I made lower the weight feel the muscle no more elbow pain

[@paulkynaston1710]

Great advice as always Mike! Videos are so informative and its good to recap and remind myself of some of the bad habits you get into after a while again. Thanks for the reminder.👍

[@iammaxhammer]

Thanks for always teaching us Mike!

[@graygraykw]

Thanks Mike! Bookmarked this, really great advice. I will come back to remind myself again and again.

[@Thedudeabides803]

Being 41, I will echo everything you said. I have learned to lift lighter weight and focus on a particular muscle rather than a motion. Changing the movements up every week has cured my back and shoulder issues over two years. I only train 2 days a week and I’m so full and shredded, way better physique than when I trained five and six days a week. All the 20 something’s ask me what I do to be shredded and vascular, I say get that blood in the muscle and lighten the weights and move away from heavy compound heavy movements. 12-15 reps minimum. Eat protein throughout the day and eat Whole Foods, you’ll be jacked and shredded.

[@novaheads]

2 days is cap bro

[@Thedudeabides803]

Your immune system can only take so much abuse. If you’re constantly injured from training and you have physical job like I do, you find the amount of workouts your body can handle. If you work a desk job, yes I agree you can probably work out more. But I was 5’11 lean and 205lb in my 20’s, so I made the muscle then and maintaining a great physique at my age now only requires 2 days. I just know if you’re injured, you probably train too much.

[@Charlie100]

I think with training to failure, it's a very interesting topic. Personally I try to not train compound movements to failure. But say a push up or a machine press or even leg press, you can try to get to that final rep. Mostly because those exercises can be technically sound movements even if your form is breaking down.

[@rustleg8383]

👍About phone use. I'd say it adds half an hour to your time at the gym. Less phone - more sweat 💪

[@usayeed727]

I’m 28 now and I can certify that all this advice is valid. Once you’re an advanced lifter, you need to set yourself specific goals for what you want to achieve- be it strength, aesthetics, size or fat loss.

[@PartyQuest]

"and im looking good!" that's understamated. you fantastic!

[@eeee3202]

100% agree on warm-ups... I see so many people walk in, all different ages just jump in. Hurts my eyes.

[@Bobbcee]

Video was straight to the point! Great advice Mike! You’ve been very influential to my fitness journey…

[@chabirajpersaud3001]

This is such a good video man, much needed advice from the younger gym bros.

[@RareAirTwo4]

Notifications from your phone is something that interrupted my workout mid way through a set. I eliminated that by having a 2hr music playlist and not touching my phone until the workout is finished.

[@bradleywalker1283]

Great video mate really good and informative for people to learn from , humble dude

[@shahjehan]

His advice is actually spot on.

[@freelancerAM]

This is all good training advice for natty's, particularly as Mike is not drug free, so its nice of him to share this.

[@IndigoAquarius1980]

juiced like matt does

[@joshuaesposito5409]

Great video.. very balanced and solid advice.. deep down we probably all know these points, but it’s good to hear it and it gives a good balance to everyone watching here. Well done Mike

[@nickbarritt8355]

Every time I watch one of your videos it just makes me want to go to the gym.

[@nicolaszang]

The phone is the killer for the gym nowadays

[@thehellboylucifer919]

Always Love You Mike... You are like big brother to us🖤🖤🖤

[@hourih2862]

41 and been training most of my life. Every thing he said is correct. I’m also a massage therapist and see many injuries bc people skip stretching. Puts them out of the gym for months

[@wahabkhan7611]

Should we be stretching before or after a workout ?

[@hourih2862]

@@wahabkhan7611 you can do a light stretch beforehand to warm up muscles and prevent injury. Afterwards is when you want to do most of your stretching

[@wahabkhan7611]

@@hourih2862 Thank you for the help

[@hourih2862]

@@wahabkhan7611 👍

[@JohanFitFoodie]

I definitely realized that overtraining isn't worth it way too late, rest days are key 💪☀️

[@arkadiuszrogala1359]

Great tips. And the lighting and editing in this video is amazing

[@redstang70]

I think im guilty of most t of those as well. One thing i would add is getting regular deep tissue work, i get it minimum once per week but usually 2x. If i had been doing that the first 5 years i was training all out i would have avoided alot of downtime from being hurt.

[@cherb3145]

OMG a massage is so important. Can't skip it!

[@raphII2]

Not training to failure is a weird one because for me, if I don't train biceps/triceps to failure I get absolutely no results. Squats - I never go to failure I always have at least 2 reps in the tank, bench press I usually leave 1 even with a spotter and I go all out once a week, deadlifts are a weird one because Im starting to enjoy them less and less so I barely do them any more, maybe once every two weeks and I go that intense either. It's not really down to - don't train to failure on every set, it's more about know your body and what helps you grow.

[@leonrein2113]

Really Good Video! So much Information in That Short Time, i love it!

[@johnmonster007]

Mike you are simply the best 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@Tdawg93a]

I'm 18 seconds in. Off the bat I respect that you got straight into it.

[@manns101101]

Great set of advice right here, this stuff is gold level. Thank you.

[@dc8856]

My man! This is some really good advice. Agree with everything in here 💯. Keep yhe good content coming.

[@events.promotion]

Great goals achived through great mistakes. Gratefull for your channel!

[@dylan_mccloskey]

prolly the best video on this topic I've seen, wasn't the basic tips everybody already knows

[@KUNALBISWAS-NEWS-TECH-SHORT]

I am taking boxing classes, more towards losing weight and more flexible body, now at 35 i believe less eating but healthy and more running, twice a week in gym doing heavy weights..

[@kashuxable]

Thanks, Mike for the advice whilst some would charge thousands for this kind of valuable information. I've learned that good muscle pump or weight lifted does not necessarily mean a good body functionality, but rather an ego booster. I stepped away from lifting weights to body pump, circuits, then to calisthenics, swimming, cycling and hiking instead. 🙏🏻💪

[@stang123able]

Thanks for the Wisdom Mike! Been watching you since 2017!

[@SoulPapiii]

thank you for this its always inspiring i been watching u all these years your physique is what every man should srtrive to look like in my head especially those hercules biceps lol

[@SoulPapiii]

^

[@SoulPapiii]

^

[@superwork6945]

the quality is very high and you to bro keep going

[@00lorted]

That's what I had recently the flu like symptoms sucks as I didn't even go all out or over train but guess I didn't warm up or warm down enough as heard that's good to avoid it. So defo focusing on my warm ups now

[@CesarGonzalez-lt4ob]

I'm also in my early 30's and 1000% agree with every point Mike brought up in this video.

[@WinnieBlue25s]

5:03 shout out to a fellow kiwi , feels good to see someone from your nation in a completely random video that i clicked on 🤙🏽 well wasnt really random ahah i was here for advice aha and glad i did click thanks bro 🤙🏽💪🏼

[@ragavendarranju9130]

Guys no cigarette and Alcohol 💯 it will slow down muscle protein synthesis and recovery 💯 I’ve experienced it

[@KubaSiemaszko]

Thanks for this video Mike. Many young people do not have to make these mistakes now. You are both a guinea pig and a role model. Thank you.

[@denaco]

BEST arms in the business for sure!

[@CRCfail]

Please make a video on stacks and cycles that you found worked better or worse, or any regrets.

[@Simon_Fridh]

Regarding the first mistake. You had issues with not rotating exercises because of the specific exercises causing you trouble. You don't need to rotate if it feels fine and you are progressing. I would say that too much rotation is worse than too little, since you won't have a solid period of time to really progress.

[@kingmoe4405]

Thank you my guy! For all the advice

[@vaisakh.]

- I used to wakeup at 4:30am everyday for almost 1 year and suddenly I stopped it. Now it's too hard to wakeup at 5:00 am , i don't know what happened i just can't but iam trying. The 4:30am clock helped me a lot. So never quit.

[@williamtownshend9593]

Always appreciate your content Mike! Whens the podcast launch??

[@3dcadvisuals172]

So true on the straight bar bicep curls , my elbows were in pain from doing this too much.

[@KarinPin]

Thank you for your honesty

[@cooptoone5499]

Thanks for just getting right to it. Long introductions are usually not needed

[@firaskhalil5044]

I didn´t expect it, but this was a really good video!

[@sz-gn9id]

Thanks Mike for this video!

[@carlfitter2350]

Would love a video all about warm ups and stretches

[@Sam-Alexander]

Well said bro. Very healthy long term mindset.

[@MrDopestDope1]

he got his hair back. thats the actual miracle

[@qasimhussain1937]

Could you do a video on a good warm routine for an upper/lower day please

[@Rackstack234]

To the commenters - Mike is very likely natural. And even if he’s not, shut up and listen to his advice. This guidance is high quality and will help any type of lifter

[@groinkgasser7982]

thanks I^m starting tomorrow with a good warm up

[@benlee2674]

Would love to see a biggest life mistakes in your 20’s video

[@embepoint6633]

my Rule for Gym: leave the phone in my bag! I bought myself a bluetooth mp3 player for music. If you dont have your phone with you, you cant get distracted in the 1st place :D

[@alejandropelaez17]

Great advice Mike!

[@alexmilo7902]

Could you make a new video explaining a quick Warm up Routine? That would be very helpful because I struggle finding one thats fits me

[@BestBassTabs]

Great video. Thanks 🙏

[@LJ55555]

Best vid to date great content

[@sajidbds]

💯 Well said bro! 👊🏽

[@a.i.t8852]

Thurst has matured. More wise and spot on advice.