Sam Wood reveals the biggest mistakes people are making at the gym

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Personal trainer Sam Wood reveals the FIVE biggest mistakes people are making at the gym – including not changing up your routine and failing to warm up properly

  • Personal trainer Sam Wood has shared the five major mistakes gym-goers make
  • Includes failing to plan routine, not using right weights and skipping a warm up 
  • The 38-year-old based in Melbourne said doing repetitive exercise won’t work
  • Father-of-two recommends following a guide to stay motivated long term 

By Matilda Rudd For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Despite the majority of people getting their daily workout in the form of gym-based classes and solo sessions, personal trainer Sam Wood says we still have a lot to learn.

While we might think we’re using the machines as they are intended – and coming up with the perfect upper to lower body workout ratio – the 38-year-old former Bachelor star from Melbourne believes there is work to be done.

The father-of-two has outlined the exact mistakes we’re all making – and the ways we can correct those errors seamlessly. 

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Despite the majority of people getting their daily workout in the form of gym-based classes and solo sessions, personal trainer Sam Wood says we still have a lot to learn

1. Not planning your workout ahead of time

Sam witnesses a lot of people just turning up to the gym, choosing any old machine and starting to go through an unspecified amount of sets.

While this might make you feel as though you’re working out, in actual fact it could just be wasting your time – particularly if you have a weight loss goal in mind.

‘My advice is to have a clear routine to follow, get a timer going and try to smash out your workout within that window,’ he told Sporteluxe.

2. Not doing a warm up before you get started

While most people have limited time to be at the gym it’s important that you resist the temptation to get started immediately and warm up slowly.

If your body has no time to prepare for the workout it will be more prone to injury.  

While most people have limited time to be at the gym it's important that you resist the temptation to get started immediately and warm up slowly

While most people have limited time to be at the gym it’s important that you resist the temptation to get started immediately and warm up slowly

‘Everyone warms up in different ways, but when warming up for a workout I like to adopt the SAM approach (stretch, activate, mobilise),’ he said.

Activating your big muscle groups, particularly the ones you’ll be targeting on that day, and getting some movement through your body is key.  

3.  Not having the correct form while doing an exercise

Don’t have your knees and toes aligned in a squat? Not holding in your core to keep your lower back safe? These are all worrisome mistakes that could cause you an injury.

Watching your technique is important for targeting the correct muscle group. If you’re not it’s a waste of the movement.

Often working out in front of a mirror and slowing down the pace will help you see where you might need to improve your form.  

Often working out in front of a mirror and slowing down the pace will help you see where you might need to improve your form

Often working out in front of a mirror and slowing down the pace will help you see where you might need to improve your form

Why should you change up your workout regime? 

Our bones, muscles, tendons, heart, and lungs, will to the stress exposed to it. This means if you undertake exercise that’s physically challenging, your body will adapt to this stress to ensure the same activity feels slightly easier in the future.

If we keep on with the same exercise regime, we’ll maintain the current gains in fitness, but further gains will diminish and we’ll eventually reach a plateau. These adaptive responses are called the “training effect”. 

To overcome this, train for longer, exercise more often and change the order of your exercises. 

Be mindful that sleep, good nutrition, flexibility, and recovery days are just as important for progressing your fitness as the most challenging session you do in the gym or on the road this week.

Source: Clint Miller, Lecturer at Deakin University’s School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, for the ABC

4. Not increasing the weights as you get stronger

Once individuals get comfortable with a certain routine they tend to stick to it for the long haul.

But if your hoping to tone your body this will only work to maintain what you’ve got.

Sam recommends ‘progressively overloading’, which means adding weight and changing your routine each week to gain healthy muscle.  

5. Not changing up your workouts

Sam said he sees a lot of people in the gym who simply walk or run on the treadmill every session.

While this will increase their heart rate it will also start to get boring and might even discourage them from returning. 

‘A big part of my training philosophy is variety, so try to incorporate some cardio and resistance training into your routine and mix it up each session,’ he said. 

Doing the same workout time and time again can also lead to a plateau as your body gets used to it and becomes more efficient at doing the movements.