9 Most common workout mistakes & how you can avoid them

Workout mistakes may be hindering your progress

If you find yourself getting frustrated that you’re not seeing the results you desire from your training chances are there is something you’re doing wrong. Oftentimes people will jump into a new exercise routine without first assessing themselves to avoid any common workout mistakes. If you don’t know what you’re doing you can hinder your progress and even put yourself at risk for injury or set-backs.

9 Common workout mistakes to avoid

To figure out what you’re doing wrong check to see if any of these common workout mistakes apply to you:

  1. Inconsistency in your training. One of the most important factors in seeing results is maintaining consistency with your program. If you have a tendency to frequently start and stop a program or only periodically train you’re going to be hard-pressed to see progress. Without consistency, your body can’t adapt and master new skill-sets, which is what allows you to gain foot ground in your program. The more consistent you train per week the more volume you gain over time. This is what leads to progress. Ideally, you should aim to train at least 2-3x per week to gain the most benefits. However, it’s more important to train at a consistency you can maintain even if it’s only 1x per week. 

  1. Overtraining. Overtraining can lead to burn-out and injury. If you are seeing declines in your performance or if your muscle soreness recovery seems to linger chances are you are overtraining. To avoid overtraining schedule rest days in between your workouts and don’t do too much too quickly. When you put excessive demands on your body it could lead to muscle strain or injury.

  2. Improper form. If you’re doing an exercise with the improper form you risk targeting unintended muscles and putting your body in a compromised position. This can lead to injury. If you aren’t engaging the muscle correctly you’re not gaining the full benefit of the exercise. Always check yourself in the mirror or film yourself to ensure your form is correct.

  3. Not doing enough strength training. Strength training is important for improving motor skills, your body composition, your joint health, metabolism, muscular strength and endurance and more. By not following a consistent strength training program you are missing out on these many benefits to your health.

  1. Poor nutrition. It’s important to note that while exercise is key for making progress you are doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t also incorporating a well-balanced macro-friendly diet. No matter how hard you train, you can never outperform a bad diet. Calorie consumption is equally important here as it aids in having an optimal metabolism, which we break-down for you under our nutrition guide.

  2. Not progressing in your program. If you have been doing the same workout routine for weeks or months on end without adjusting your rep scheme, your level of resistance or exercise routine you have probably plateaued by now. Your body responds and adapts quickly to a consistent exercise program so it’s important that you make your exercises more demanding overtime. This forces your body to get stronger as it adapts to these new demands.

  3. Not incorporating a good stretching and mobility routine. Active and passive stretching is important for improving your ability to move each muscle through its full range of motion. Moving the muscle and joint through a full range of motion helps prevent injury and allow for maximum recruitment of muscle fibers. This allows you to train more efficiently.

  4. Not sleeping enough. Sleep is when your body recovers. When you’re not getting enough uninterrupted hours of rest per night it puts added stress on the body. Your muscles can’t build back up stronger if they haven’t first had the chance to recover. Lack of sleep can also contribute to joint pain and stiffness.

  5. Doing too much too soon. Always aim to master the basics in your program first. Start with building your foundation. Training calisthenics is important for understanding proper form and being able to manage your body weight in space. Bodyweight training teaches you coordination, balance, proprioception and self awareness.

Other key points to remember when training

If you’re avoiding all these common workout mistakes and still struggling to see results keep in mind results take time. Set realistic expectations for yourself. Give yourself at least 4-6 weeks following a consistent weekly program before you start evaluating any changes happening to your body. 

If you have hefty goals like to lose 40 lbs or being able to do an unassisted pull-up you should be thinking long-term. With long-term goals reevaluate yourself in 6 months. Real change does not happen overnight. Be patient with yourself and learn to trust the process. You should also keep in mind that success is not linear. Expect to face set-backs. This is a fact of life. The more you can enjoy the journey the more success you will find in the long run.

Hire a professional to help

If you are questioning whether you’re effectively avoiding these common workout mistakes you should seek help from a professional. Our certified trainers are equipped to design a program specifically to fit your needs. We are here to guide you through each workout to make sure you’re executing each exercise correctly. We also serve as your accountability partner. Having our support and expertise will help set you up for success and take the guesswork out of the equation for you. If you are interested in learning more about our services contact us today for a free phone consultation. 

5 things to consider before hiring a personal trainer in NYC

Is hiring a personal trainer worth it?

NYC is a bit more of a health-conscious city which means you have lot of options available to you from gyms to classes to help you on your fitness journey. However, nothing compares to having a personalized fitness and nutrition coach to design a program to help you meet your goals. The one on one attention you receive with a personal trainer not only helps to hold you accountable it also ensures you’re executing the exercises correctly and that you’re making measurable sustainable progress.

However, trainers are not all created equal. Like with most services you get what you pay for. A top tier trainer comes at a premium because they must be certified by an accredited source such as American Council on Exercise, have years of experience and continuing education, a solid reputation, an approach that has been proven successful, specialties in different areas of fitness and the personality to keep you engaged. When you invest in the right trainer who meets this criteria and is compatible with your specific needs you get real sustainable results.

Whether you decide to invest in a trainer for a few months or for years to come you can make improvements in your health to last a lifetime.

How to find the right personal trainer in New York City

New York City has more personal fitness trainers per square mile than any other city in the country so it can be hard to choose the right one for you. To help you narrow your focus first decide if you feel more comfortable working with a male or female trainer or if you have no preference. We have a team of both male and female trainers skilled in different areas.

With so many different styles of trainers, it’s important to find one that specializes in your needs so you’ll want to do a search in your area based on what your goals are. We specialize in many areas of fitness including weight loss, strength training and pre and post-natal training.

You’ll also need to decide on what location is best for you. We have trainers based all over the city so that we can service clients in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
 
Availability is another crucial factor. You’ll want to find a personal trainer that can meet you on the days and times that are convenient for you.

How to track your progress

One of the best ways to measure the success of a personal training program aside from meeting personal standards is to have tangible ways to track progress.

One way, of course, is to use the scale, but as we know this number isn’t always reliable since muscle weighs as much as fat and some days we may be retaining more water than others.

A better more positive way to track progress is with pictures!

We recommend our clients take pictures before starting our program and then we do a progress update with pictures every few months. This way you can pay attention to the subtle often unnoticed changes that happen gradually over time when you adopt a diet and exercise plan.

You can also track through exercise by monitoring your improvement in form, strength, speed and overall performance.

Choosing a trainer you look up to

It’s important that you work with a personal trainer that embodies the skills and physical attributes that you aspire to. This way you can trust that their program works and that they practice what they preach. Your trainer shouldn’t give you any exercise program or diet guidelines that they aren’t willing to do themselves. When we are in the company of someone we aspire to be like we subconsciously push ourselves to work harder. We are also more inclined to make better lifestyle choices when we see our trainer leading by example.

Home training vs training in a gym

In NYC you have the option of working with a personal trainer out of a gym or at your home. The benefit of training at a gym is that the trainers are already vetted for you. However, since many apartment buildings in NYC are equipped with a gym having a trainer come to you may be more appealing. This way you have the added convenience of not having to travel anywhere. You also get to select a trainer of your choice. This does require a little extra leg work as you’ll need to do your own research as mentioned above to find the right fit, but chances are since you’re the one choosing you’ll be more satisfied in the end.