WHEN exercising, many people subscribe to the idea of going hard or going home.

WHEN exercising, many people subscribe to the idea of going hard or going home.

In fact, they will push their bodies to the max and even overexert themselves, because they believe that the more they put out, the more results they will see.

But while this theory is not flawed, according to Rohan Gordon — personal trainer at Fit Farm — most of us assume that working out for 30 to 40 minutes is going to change our bodies; however, it’s not that easy.

“It’s all about how and what you do in those minutes or hours that will change your body,” he said.

Below he shares with All Woman exercise mistakes that may be costing you satisfactory results from your workout sessions.

1. Sacrificing proper form

Gordon said it is imperative to focus on your form so as to prevent injury and to finish your workout without any injury. “Don’t focus too much on the heavy weights. If this means lowering the amount of weights and also the intensity just for you to get it right, then do it. When you sacrifice proper form, you end up not recruiting the muscles that you will need, and you end up burning fewer calories during your workout,” he said.

2. Your exercise will suffer if you don’t consume water

“Always remember when you’re working out that it is important to drink water in between sets. Did you know that by not drinking water in between workouts you can cause your exercise sessions to not be effective? If you don’t have water in between sets, that can cause you to feel fatigued while exercising — therefore making your exercise sessions harder,” he explained. He added that when working out, it is important to drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight.

3. Eating too much before your workout

The personal trainer said sometimes we consume loaded foods or snacks with a lot of sugar that could make us crash during our workout sessions. To avoid this, Gordon said you should pay attention to how your stomach feels during your workout. “Everyone digests differently; remember, it’s not a hard and fast rule. If your snack isn’t digested, when you take a run on the road your body will prioritise fuelling your muscles over processing your food, and you could be in for a serious stomach ache or a bout of nausea,” he cautioned.

4. Doing the same workout every week

Gordon said an exercise routine should be changed every four to six weeks. “If you’re doing the same exercises, you have to put an increased demand on your body for you to benefit, or else you’ll be wasting your time,” he said. Gordon explained that your body adapts to the specific demands (exercises, sets, reps, and resistance) that you put on it.

“The body is smart, and once it adapts, it starts to conserve or hold back. Small changes — like switching your number of sets and reps, adjusting the incline of your bench, using dumbbells rather than a barbell, or changing your walking style — can keep you from hitting a fitness plateau,” he said.

5. Resting too long between sets

“Most of us tend to work out for the first set then rest for too long before doing the other sets,” he said. “Resting too long can result in 100 fewer calories burnt.”