Most beginner athletes plateau within the first 3 months. Here's why:

1. No periodization. You can't train at max intensity every session. Your body adapts through cycles of stress and recovery — not just stress. A proper program alternates heavy weeks with deload weeks.

2. Ignoring mobility. You're only as strong as your range of motion allows. 10 minutes of mobility work before training isn't optional — it's what separates athletes who get injured from athletes who don't.

3. Chasing too many goals at once. Speed, strength, endurance, flexibility — pick ONE primary focus per training block. You can maintain the others, but trying to maximize everything simultaneously means you maximize nothing.

I wrote a full breakdown of these mistakes (and how to fix them) in my sports training guide. It's built specifically for beginner athletes who want to stop guessing and start progressing.