Six PT’s share the simplest ways to make the most of your sweat sessions.

Gyms are reopening and lockdown restrictions lifting, which means, for many, a return to working out. Not been to a gym class for yonks or just keen to avoid the basic no-no’s that’ll slow down your progress? We’ve asked six experts – think PT’s and run coaches – to share the most common workout mistakes they see on the gym floor and in training day-to-day.

Why? Not to put you off or highlight your errors, but to educate you on the simple tweaks you could make to your routine that’ll make all the difference to your fitness gains. 

If you’re experiencing gym anxiety or feeling your exercise motivation dwindling already, don’t worry: that’s totally normal after nearly sixteen months of lockdown and home workouts. Many took the last year to slow down, embrace self love and mindfulness tools like meditation to help deal with the stress of the pandemic – which also may mean that heading back to the gym now might feel like starting from scratch.

To help you on your way, keep reading as the experts outline the most common workout mistakes people make when exercising.

Workout mistakes: 14 easy to make mistakes

1. Not having a specific goal in mind

According to Martena David, personal trainer at Gymbox, having no goal in mind means you have no real structure to your workout or training.

“Get very clear and very specific about what you want to achieve,” she recommends. “If you want to lose weight – how much? Or if you’re keen to get strong – what does strong look like to you? Achieving a pull up, a push up, or lifting a certain amount of weight?”

A bit like life goals, having a specific workout goal in mind that’s realistic for you, and setting a specific time frame to achieve it in allows you to structure your workouts. “It’ll also help keep you motivated and focused on your goal and training,” the PT shares.

2. Training without a plan

Similarly, going on a run or to the gym without a plan leaves too much room for you to talk yourself out of it. Gym motivation can be hard at the best of times, so physically booking yourself onto a class where an instructor tells you what to do, or downloading a fitness app that logs your week-by-week progress may be the structure you need to keep focused, shares David.

“The gym can already be an intimidating space, so going in with no plan only adds fuel to the fire,” she explains. “Following a plan or booking specific workouts eliminates any stress and pressure, and helps you to stay focused, too.”

Got it?

3. Doing too much, too soon  

Personal trainer and run coach Lillie Bleasdale of PASSA reckons that trying to make up for lost time in the gym is a recipe for disaster.

“Don’t try and bash out a workout every day on your first week back,” she warns. “Instead, focus on quality rather than quantity to ensure that you gain results from the workouts you’re doing.”

Wondering how often you should be training? According to the PT, it’s dependant on your goal, but you should be looking to train between three and five times, building up from a few times if you haven’t been for a while.

4. Not taking enough rest days

Sounds counterintuitive, right? Taking more rest days to get your fitness levels back up again? But seriously: you have to rest to be able to push.

“Pushing through lethargy and not listening to your body is a no-no,” shares Bleasdale. “Day-to-day life is a stressor on the body, and if your body is telling you you need some R&R, it’s important to do so to stay injury free and allow you to push your body further.”

5. Practicing incorrect form

Sure, nailing the right exercise technique might seem daunting, but trust the experts here: you’ll want to get it right to avoid risk of injury in the long term.

“Technique, form and posture are key to pretty much all forms of exercise,” explains Lisa-Jane Holmes, Boom Cycle and Apex Instructor. “Technique is absolutely key to maximise effectiveness and see results over time, as once you’re engaging the correct muscles, you can start to perform them to a higher intensity, or with more weight, which in turn will help you progress on your fitness journey,” she explains.

Try this: either attend a workout class – there, the PT teaching will correct your form and help you learn the need-to-knows – book a PT session (or just ask a PT in your gym, if you can’t afford one), or check out the many form videos on YouTube. While these aren’t a replacement from learning from someone IRL, they’re a great way to cover the basics.

6. Forgetting to mix it up

Consistency is great when it comes to fitness, but doing the same thing every single time you workout will eventually mean you plateau and stop seeing the results, explains Holmes.

“An ideal exercise regime will combine cardio, resistance and flexibility work so that you can improve cardiovascular endurance, build strength, change your body composition (reducing fat but gaining muscle) and improve range of movement,” she shares.

7. Aiming for quantity over quality

Barrecore head teacher Emily King again reinforces that everyone makes workout mistakes, but that one of the worst is trying to do too much, rather than focusing on the quality of your workouts.

“We often think the more we do something the better, but when it comes to fitness, this isn’t always true,” she explains. As above, aim for three to five workouts a week but make sure that you go into them ready to give your all. You’re all set.

8. Forgetting to warm up

We get it – warming up isn’t exactly exciting, but as KOBOX trainer Maria Binns explains, if you’re going to do a tough workout, you absolutely have to prep your body.

“Warm ups are important not only to warm your muscles and prevent injury, but also to activate them in order to get the most out of your session,” she shares.

New Balance run coach Johnny Mellor agrees, sharing that he often sees runners skipping a warm up. “Take time to ease into runs and, if you have time, perform some basic dynamic stretching and mobility exercises prior to heading out of the door,” he advises.

Jonny Mellor, New Balance Athlete & Online Running Coach

9. Ignoring pain

We’re all guilty of ignoring pain when working out – for some, the whole point of working out is pushing yourself and your body. However, it’s super important to learn the difference between workout pain, a small niggle, and something more serious, stresses Mellor.

“One of the biggest workout mistakes you can make is not listening to your body and only resting when you feel sore,” he shares.

10. Forgetting to refuel

Workout mistakes are easy to make, but this one’s especially important for runners.

“It’s important to refuel within the 30-minute glycemic window to replenish glycogen stores and help kick start the recovery process,” explains Mellor.

Similarly, if you’re weight training, consuming a portion of protein post-session can be a good way to repair your muscles and prevent DOMs.

11. Not applying progressive overload

This is a big one, or so says David. “If you’re weight training, you’ll need to be progressively overloading your lifts and exercises,” she shares.

Try this: aim for small progressions each week, whether that’s adding a little extra weight, trying an extra set, nailing an extra rep, reducing your rest periods or intensifying your training.

“Once you are comfortable with an exercise or movement, make sure you challenge yourself by progressing, too,” she shares.

12. Not tracking your workouts

A lot of us forget what we ate for breakfast let alone what we did last week in the gym. Right? A great way to make sure you stay on track with your training is by tracking your sessions, shares David.

“Without a record, you’re essentially just guessing and limiting your own progress,” she explains.

13. Not getting enough sleep

FYI, sleep is one of the most productive things you can do with your time both physically and mentally.

“When we sleep, we recover and grow,” Mellor explains,. Try this: hit the hay 15 minutes early every day. Going to bed just that little bit earlier each night soon adds up.

14. Comparing yourself to others

Finding yourself getting caught up in Strava and social media and worrying about what other people might be thinking?

Remember this: you don’t know what journey they’re on. “It’s important to control what you can control – that being yourself,” stresses Mellor.

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