Millions of people go to a gym each year to work out, with the desire to make improvements to their physique. However, a majority of these people make common mistakes in the gym that prevent them from reaching their fitness goals or even lead to an injury.

Transform Personal training put together for you the 5 Most Common Mistakes People Make in the Gym. Are you guilty of any of these common workout mistakes in the gym?
1. Not Warming up Before an Aerobic Activity

Muscles don’t stretch or contract fully until warmed up. Expecting them to do so without preparing them, sets you up for tears and pulls. If you want to stay injury free, you must warm up your body prior exercising. Don't set the treadmill to it's fastest pace as soon as you step on it, instead, gradually increase your speed.

2. Incorrect Effort & Poor Form

While you don’t want to push yourself too hard, especially if you just started a new programme, you need to work intensely enough to get results. Poor form can not only slow down your results, but can also result in torn or pulled muscles and back problems, and many more. This requires a fine balance – one that’s much easier to maintain with the guidance of a personal trainer. To book your FREE consultation click HERE.

3. Having No Set Goals

Exercise is enjoyable for its own sake. But once the high of bashing out monster reps on the bench press wears off it can seem a bit pointless. Unrealistic and vaguely stated goals are among the leading causes of exercise dropout. The key is to establish a training goal that is specific and appropriate for your fitness and skill levels—something a bit challenging but not overly difficult to keep you motivated.  This can also be improved under the guidance of a personal trainer. To book your FREE consultation for your personalised training plan, click HERE.

4. Lack of Intensity

If you do not train with intensity you will limit your gains. To make sure you are working out hard enough means not taking too much rest between sets and exercises. It also means working each rep to failure (or at least close to it) and using weights that are challenging. Concentrate on the form and on squeezing each muscle for a full contraction.

Remember: Whether you're exercising aerobically or lifting weights, warm up first and stretch afterwards.

5. No Cool Down & Not Stretching Enough

If you want to stay injury free, you should allow yourself time to cool down and make sure to stretch out the major muscles. Cooling down and stretching will help your body to recover and this recovery will help you be prepared for the next workout. It also minimises post exercise muscle soreness by increasing blood flow to the worked areas, which speeds up the healing process. When you don't stretch, your body loses flexibility. Good flexibility not only increases athletic performance but also plays an important role in helping you stay injury free!

Conclusion
These are only a few common mistakes that people make in the gym. It is important to realise if we are guilty of any of them and to make sure to fix the problem before it becomes a habit. Take the time to focus on your workouts and perform everything to the best of your knowledge and ability. Not only will your body thank you, but you will see a much greater improvement than you would have otherwise!