Had I known these 4 things when I started, I'd have avoided a few surprises:

1. If at first, it seems that you can't do a lot, don't be discouraged. You're learning a new form of exercise. It's better to focus on proper execution and movement technique, rather than on speed or numbers.

It may take you some practice and patience to master the basics of a particular exercise. The more challenging the exercise, the more you need to practice it properly...slowly...step-by-step. But it's worth it. And that brings me to my second piece of advice...

2. ...Go easy on yourself. You may not be able to fully do a pistol, but do the best you can today (without going to fatigue), and set a goal to do better next week.

3. I advise that you work on mastering only a few exercises at a time. No more than 2 or 3 at a time. That's what I do. In a workout, I may do up to 8 different exercises, but I really work on 2 or 3 of the ones that I need the most work on. I tend to do extra sets or perform these exercises slower than I do the ones that I've already mastered.

I give you this third piece of advice, not to limit you, but to prevent you from becoming overwhelmed. By all means, practice as many variations of as many exercises as you want, but stick to a few that you practice more than the rest. When you get good at one or two exercises, then you'll have the confidence to move on to other exercises.

Just last week, I was doing a challenging workout, and I was getting a bit light-headed. I then realized that I had forgotten something...

4. ...Breathe. Try forcefully pushing or whistling the air out of your lips as you push yourself past a tough spot. In fact, keep breathing, no matter how hard, throughout the entire movement of the exercise. Make sure you don't hold your breath; or, at the very least, make sure you don't become light-headed like I did. If you hold your breath at some sticking points, just make sure it doesn't become a habit. Don't perform a movement faster than your body can keep up with.