This isn't exactly a loseit type of post, but since a lot of people here are either novices at working out, or are bundling their workouts with their weight loss efforts, I figured it was still appropriate to post.
I used to be a fairly high level college athlete, so I have a strong foundation of workout/physiology knowledge, mostly good but some bad. When you're doing strength or cardio training for a team sport, it's usually very structured/guided by a coach. If you've never played a sport, or if you're beyond those days, working out suddenly becomes a guide-less mess. If you don't know what you're doing, it's easy to be led astray by influencers, outdated advice, or google searches targeted for advanced level bros. The most important thing I've learned in the 15 years I've been working out is that strength training or cardio should be done for their own sake. Celebrate what your body can do. Don't run a mile so you can eat more ice cream. Run a mile because running a mile is a great accomplishment. Add 25 lbs to your bench press max because that's impressive. Get a good physique because you can only achieve that through hard work and no short cuts, etc.
Work out mindfully. I cannot stress this enough. Many of us are fat because we ate mindlessly. We grazed, ate out of boredom or anxiety. We're achieving weight loss by paying attention to everything we put in our bodies. We're counting every calorie, comparing the macros of various foods and whatnot. Why should workouts be any different? Pay attention to your workouts. Think about every rep, and perform every set with purpose. How do you practically achieve this?
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Take out your headphones. Almost everyone listens to music when they workout. Until a few months ago, I was no exception. Then something clicked, and I really wanted to focus on a certain sequence of lifts, so I turned off my music and really paid attention. Since then, I've realized that music does less to pump me up and more to distract me. As an analogy, think about why people suggest you not eat dinner in front of your TV. You're paying attention to what's on and not what you're doing. Eat with a purpose and work out with a purpose. You'll probably find that your form will improve when you're not distracted. You'll feel soreness in different (correct) places.
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If you're just beginning your strength training journey, focus on a few core lifts. Learn how to flat/incline bench press, squat, deadlift, power clean (if your gym has platforms), and how to do a proper crunch and a proper plank. You can go through one hell of a workout with just these lifts. If you feel comfortable doing all of these things with proper technique, then add in some lifts for other muscle groups (curls, triceps extensions, leg curl/extension, rows, etc). If you find yourself swinging battle ropes but you don't know how to bench press, you're probably putting the cart before the horse. If you don't know how to do a lift properly, ask an employee, or search for some videos before you hit the gym. If you're scared, then go back to point 1 and realize that it's all about your frame of mind.
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Never, ever compete against someone else, envy them or hold a grudge against them for being bigger/faster/stronger. You're only competing against yourself, and you'll only gain from what you put in. On most days, I'm probably one of the two or three strongest people in the gym, but I'm also fat. Someone might be equally impressed with how much I can lift or disgusted by how much I weigh. Sometimes I will admire people with better physiques because I know how much work they put into attaining it. I don't want their body. I want to find the dedication within myself to achieve my best body. Keep in mind that it takes years to build up your muscles, and a really low body fat % to look shredded, but you can and will make gains every day if you're mindful of your body and what it can do.
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