Having been a personal trainer for over five years now, I’ve seen a lot in the gym environment and it’s important to get your training right to optimise your results. Remember that when you’re exercising, it’s like driving a car, you wouldn’t just jump in and get going and expect to get from A to B without tuition. Think of your A to B when it comes to fitness as where you are now to your fitness goal. The body you desire. The energy levels you want, the focus and mental strength. Below I’ve listed my top 5 mistakes made in fitness and I hope that this will help you to avoid making them in the future.

Not Setting Goals, No Tracking Progress

This is the number one rule when it comes to getting to where you want to be. Developing a plan that allows you to know that you’ve progressed is important. Set yourself short and long term goals. Know in your mind exactly where you want to get to and stick to it. At New Body Bootcamp our weekly fitness test allows recruits to continuously monitor progress and 8/10 recruits make progress each and every week. This is down to personal boundaries being broken and comfort zones being shattered. There’s nothing like the feeling of beating your last record!

Too Much Cardio, No Strength

A typical routine is running, x-trainer, bike and rowing. This is a common pattern which is all cardiovascular training. Sure, we burn calories, but without strength training, muscle is depleted. So, since muscle burns many calories, we enter a vicious cycle and lack of energy can cause depression. Strength training, especially with bodyweight maintains the body’s muscle mass, which keeps metabolism running at optimum level. As a result, energy levels are kept up, fat is burned and strength is maintained. At New Body Bootcamp a typical week mixes strength work with fun short sharp bursts of power which generates fitness, sheds fat and changes body shape.

Carbohydrate Elimination

It’s important to understand nutrition as part of any exercise programme. As a new exercise plan starts, a new eating plan should also run in synergy to optimise results. New energy expenditure requires new food intake. Often a mistake can be to cut carbohydrate in excess in order to shed more fat and often this is both not safe or beneficial to get through a training session. However the quality of carbs is important as well as the timing. Try and pick brown rice, pasta and rye as your source of carbs. It will give you more sustained energy, so you’ll find yourself less likely to snack. White pasta and other refined carbs spike your body’s blood sugar levels, so you never feel settled and over eat. At New Body Bootcamp, everyone gets a food diary to fill in with regular 1-1 tuition on creating the ultimate, personal eating plan. The Lunch Box Diet is built in as a great, healthy way to eat and then adapted for each individual.

What’s On Your Feet

Let’s go back to the car – just like getting in and learning how to drive, you need to make sure that your car is safe to run. So, in tern, what’s on your feet should take number one priority. Especially if you’re taking to the elements of the outdoors, a good pair of running shoes is essential. With good running shoes your grip and ankle support will be effective. Don’t grab those ten year old, dirty, broken pair from the cupboard. Invest in your body and take professional advice from a running shop such as Iron Bridge Runner in Exeter (oh, mention New Body Bootcamp and get 10% off by the way!). Everyone is individual, so you need to get your feet looked at before buying a pair, and always try at least three pairs to find the set that are super comfy! With first class trainers you’ll prevent injury, improve performance and look great!

Hydration

You’re around 30 percent dehydrated by the time you’re thirsty, so bare that in mind when you don the fitness clothes and start exercising. Drinking also affects performance, so sipping during exercise and not gulping is a great way to keep on top of your game. You can obviously drink water, or alternatively there are hypertonic and isotonic drinks depending on how much carbs you require during your exercise session. Everyone is different and based on someone’s goals, different drinks should be used.