Personal trainers have identified common mistakes that prevent gym-goers from seeing results, from boom-and-bust training cycles to neglecting nutrition and overtraining.
Boom and Bust Cycles and Frequent Programme Changes
Elizabeth Davies, personal trainer and author of Training for Your Old Lady Body, describes a common pattern: "You go all in and train five days a week. Then life happens. You miss a few sessions, then stop completely. You feel deflated that you couldn't stick to it. Then some time later, motivation strikes again and the cycle repeats itself." She advises lowering the bar and aiming for two consistent weekly strength sessions, adding a third only if time and energy allow.
Nick Finney, who has trained Robbie Williams and Jennifer Lopez, criticises the outdated belief that you must "keep the body guessing" by constantly changing workouts. "You need to practise your technique, become more proficient and give your body time to improve and get stronger," he says. Instead, he recommends "progressive overload," gradually increasing reps or weight to stimulate strength gains.
Cardio Focus and Junk Volume
David Vaux, an osteopath and author of Stronger: 10 Exercises for a Longer, Healthier Life, warns that focusing exclusively on cardio neglects fast-twitch muscle fibres, which are lost faster with age and contribute to frailty and reduced mobility. He suggests combining regular movement with resistance training two or three times weekly.
Davies also cautions against "junk volume," or cramming too many exercises into a session. "You don't need to cram 10 different movements into a session. This can actually just add fatigue without much benefit," she explains. She advises training "close to failure" for muscle growth, clarifying that "feeling the burn" is not the same as reaching muscular failure.
Nutrition and Hidden Calories
Finney states that bad nutrition is "by far" the most common factor holding gym-goers back. "Working out hard all week can be completely negated simply by eating whatever you want," he says. For weight loss, he suggests a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day, and for muscle gain, a surplus with about 2g of protein per kilo of body weight. He notes that a bootcamp-style workout may burn only about 150 more calories than a calmer weights session, equivalent to one and a half apples.
Aimee Victoria Long, a trainer and women's wellness coach, points out that drinks like coffees, juices, smoothies, soft drinks, and alcohol contain surprising amounts of sugar and calories. "If your goal is fat loss and you're not seeing results, it's worth looking at what's in your favourite drinks," she says.
Overtraining and Unrealistic Expectations
Vaux sees people in his clinic who train at high intensity six or seven days a week, believing more is better. "Our bodies don't work like that. Fitness is built through consistency, not punishment," he says. He stresses the need for recovery time between sessions to avoid injuries like tendinitis, advising a sustainable programme built gradually.
Finney highlights that social media gives skewed expectations, with influencers often using edited pictures or performance-enhancing drugs. "A solid and realistic weight loss result is to lose 1lb a week," he says, adding that people can healthily gain 1lb-2lb of muscle a month in their first year. He warns that crash dieting often leads to losing muscle alongside fat.
Long also notes that many people waste time during workouts by chatting or checking phones. "If you're training to build muscle, rest for 60-90 seconds between sets, or 90-120 seconds if you're training to increase strength," she advises, suggesting an efficient session can be done in 45 minutes, though 60-90 minutes is also fine depending on the plan.
