This is one of the biggest problems I get when I begin coaching new clients online. They have been just going into the gym and completing a random workout with no plan whatsoever. They are just doing some of this and some of that. If you tried to bake a cake like that you would end up with a mess in your oven. There is no rhyme or reason to the balance of the body or the rep scheme and the body can not adapt to those demands put on it. You wouldn't go on a long trip with out mapping out where you were going to go, right? Well, health and fitness is a never ending journey that also requires a map!  Inconsistent Programming = Inconsistent Results. Another huge mistake when not following a program is individuals are not tracking their weights or progress. By adding this simple change into your workouts you will continually see yourself moving away from your old self and indicate where you are going. If you don't measure it, you can't improve it. 

Maybe you are working out to spot reduce (AKA just working on one part of your body). If you want to define your abs or reduce the size of your thighs you cannot simply just do crunches and lunges. What will work is the right nutrition and full body workouts to help reduce your overall body fat percentage. Check out this video with Owner of Infinity Personal Trainer Ray Cattaneo going over spot reducing. 

Find a program that has daily splits and works the whole body throughout the week. Make sure it includes a warm up and allows you progressively increase weight over a time period. 

For more information on personal or online training with Infinity Personal Training, click here! 

2. You Are Just Doing Cardio

For the longest time the cardio King/Queen was idolized. Everyone thought that all of our fitness worries would go away thanks to good ol cardio. Don't get me wrong cardio is an amazing thing and I'm definitely not telling you to stop running, biking, or what ever it is you are doing! Cardio and endurance training have a huge role in any fitness program. What I am saying is it takes more than just steady state cardio to improve your overall health and help you see lasting results. Yes, adding in strength training can seem intimidating at first and no one is expecting you to be a weight lifting pro when you start out, or really ever. So hop off that elliptical or treadmill and make your way over to the weights and start seeing some results! Check out this other blog post I did on all the benefits of strength training! CLICK HERE

3. You are Using Poor Form

This can be a tricky one!  A lot of the time we think we may be doing something right and in reality we are way off. Starting out make sure you are using the mirrors to double check everything looks right. Also, make sure you are feeling the exercise where you are supposed to be feeling it. When learning a new exercise, look for guidance of a trainer. Make sure NOT TO try and mimic the people around you. This can lead to poor habits, bad form and can lead to injury. So as the current weight becomes easier, you are going to need to increase the weight to reap the training adaptations. However, if you start to see your form go as you start to go heavier and heavier, put your ego away and back off! Master the form then increase the weight! 

Whether you find yourself checking off one of the mistakes or all of them, don't beat yourself up! The whole world of health and fitness is a tricky one! You will always be taking steps forward and backward, but as long as you don't give up and keep learning and improving you will get the results you want and deserve! No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch! If you're confused and looking for a customized online or in person program tailored to your specific goals click here to schedule a free session or 20 min call.