I've coached hundreds of people through their first months of training, and the same three mistakes come up every time.

1. Going too hard on Day 1

You're motivated. You watched a Rocky montage. You hit the gym and destroy yourself. Then you can't walk for 5 days and never go back.

Start with 2-3 sessions per week. 30-40 minutes. Low intensity. The goal isn't to be sore — it's to build the habit of showing up.

2. Ignoring nutrition (or going full rabbit food)

You don't need to eat chicken and broccoli six times a day. But you also can't out-train a bad diet. Focus on one thing first: hit your protein target. Everything else is secondary.

A good starting point? 0.7g of protein per pound of body weight. That's it. Don't overcomplicate it.

3. Copying programs designed for 25-year-olds

Your body recovers differently at 45 than it did at 25. That Instagram influencer's "killer leg day" wasn't designed for you. You need progressive overload with adequate recovery — not HIIT circuits that wreck your joints.

I built Forge Fitness specifically for this. Real programs for real people who want to lose weight, feel stronger, and actually enjoy the process.

If that sounds like you, come check it out.