I've been coaching beginners for a while now, and I see the same three mistakes over and over. If you're just getting into lifting, save yourself months of wasted effort:
Mistake #1: Program hopping.
You don't need the "perfect" program. You need to follow ANY decent program consistently for 8-12 weeks. The magic is in the repetition, not the novelty.
Mistake #2: Focusing on the weight rather than form. People often lose out gains because they’re too focusing on lifting more weight than they did last session. Focus on form standardisation and realistic progressive overload. Progress isn’t just an increase in weight, it can simply better form on a specific movement or an extra rep.
Mistake #3: Having an unrealistic diet.
People often think they need to be eating as little as possible to lose weight, which isn’t fully true. The way to lose weight is consistency, having a meal plan that hits your macronutrient goals, doesn’t leave you feel starved and depleted but mostly importantly, a plan you enjoy. Learning to love the process by eating foods you actually like while getting your dream body is how you’ll achieve your goals.
I started CoachedByConway specifically for people who are tired of guessing. Structured programs, nutrition fundamentals, and a community of people who are all starting from scratch together.