Getting yourself to the gym is half the battle. The other half is making your time there count. And while, as a general rule, any exercise is good exercise, if you want to ensure your workouts are of optimum effectiveness then a bit of constructive criticism can’t do any harm. And that’s exactly the thinking behind PureGym’s latest research was. After quizzing 149 managers of their gyms up and down the country, they gathered information on the most common training mistakes the experts see people making every day at their gyms. Because that way, we can all learn and better ourselves.
So if you’ve reached a plateau with your fitness and are on the hunt for possible answers, take a look and see if any of these errors sound familiar. Warming up gradually increases blood flow to muscles, improves flexibility, and reduces the risk of injury. Spend 5–10 minutes on light cardio (like jogging or cycling) and dynamic stretches before your main workout. Low energy can reduce performance and may cause dizziness or fatigue. Eat a small snack 30–60 minutes before exercise — something with carbs and a little protein, like a banana with peanut butter or a yogurt.
