You’ve probably heard at least once in your life that everybody makes mistakes, and that advice is no different when it comes to the gym. Achieving perfect form for a lot of workout moves can be challenging, and there’s no shame if you’re not performing a move perfectly on the first try! However, the key caveat with the gym is that unfortunately, mistakes and improper form can have major consequences. At best, you’re getting an ineffective workout; at worst, you could end up with a serious injury. So while mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of, they’re definitely something to watch out for in the gym!
To promote better form, better workouts and all-around better health, we collected our coaches to inquire about the most common mistakes they see in the gym – all to help you know what to watch out for and correct. The most common thing that came up was proper form, so be sure to work with a coach to make sure you’re performing all of your movements correctly!
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Not warming up first.
Coach Gloria of AF Joshua, TX
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Doing the exact same thing every day – make sure to mix it up!
Coach Jessica R. of AF Minooka, IL
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Not engaging your core in ALL exercises. Core engagement is the most important injury prevention tactic to protect your spine!
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Only using the stationary machines, without giving the free weights a try.
Coach Charles W. of AF Grenada, MS
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I would love to see people slow down and focus more on form instead of rushing through moves.
Coach Mary D. of AF Sequim, WA
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The most common thing I see is a lack of shoulder depression and retraction (also known as shoulder packing) when performing rows, pull downs and chest presses.
Coach Bryan R. of AF Orlando, FL
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I see people try to make too many changes at once, become overwhelmed and then want to give up. Change is hard. Make small changes and try to make them one at a time to allow your body and mind to adjust. It’s way less overwhelming and easier to stick with.
Coach Misty M. of AF Scottsboro
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Forgetting to slow down – remember, quality over quantity!
Coach Cheyanne R. of AF Des Moines (Beaverdale), IA
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Seeing members doing workouts and/or exercises that don’t align with their goals. This is where we come in as coaches and get you on the right track with your complimentary fitness evaluation.
Coach Lauren of AF Leesville, LA
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Breaking form to lift a heavier weight instead of lowering the weight and keeping good form.
Coach Mary Ann J. of AF Lake in the Hills, IL
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Improper push-up form – this is a tricky one for a lot of people. Ask a coach to watch and help!
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Using weight that is too heavy, or going too quickly through a movement. I would so much rather see a client drop the weight, modify a movement, or slow down and maintain perfect form than go too hard and risk an injury or reinforce a poor movement pattern.
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Trying to work out every day and not seeing the value in letting our bodies rest.
Coach Aaron L. of AF East Bloomington, MN
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A very common mistake that I see people do is rushing through the movement while performing an exercise. It is very important to make sure you’re properly engaging your muscles, rather than using momentum to get the weight up. As you move through an exercise, you need to feel that specific muscle group lifting the weight up and really squeeze. You’ll get better muscle development from that over time.
Coach Katherine M. of AF Deltona, FL
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Doing too much cardio and not enough weight training.
Coach Kelsey of AF Cedarburg, WI
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Forgetting to stretch.
Coach Leah H. of AF Lake Wales, FL
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Leaning forward instead of lowering their hips during a squat.
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Poor form, either from using more weight than someone can control properly, to just a lack of knowledge or ability. Whenever I see this I try to step in and help a member out.
Coach Kathy of AF Mattawan, MI
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Starting with a full hour of cardio before your strength training workout. No need to deplete your energy before you lift – 10-15 minutes of cardio is plenty to get you warmed up!
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Definitely form. If there is something you are not 100 percent sure on, don’t hesitate to ask the trainers at your gym!
Coach Bethany M. of AF Boerne (Fair Oaks Ranch), TX
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Lifting weight(s) with your back instead of your legs.
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Trying to lift too heavy, or starting too light.
Coach Trisha of AF Rayville, LA
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Overtraining too many times a week, or not eating enough to fuel your body.
Coach Mark F. of AF Abbeville, LA
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Unfortunately, I often see people set too large of goals, then feel defeated when they can’t keep up with them. For instance, if someone is new to working out and sets a goal to hit the gym five days a week, that’s a huge change from zero! I recommend challenging yourself with an attainable goal (such as three days a week) and then working up from there. Even one day a week adds up to 52 workouts more than you did the year before! Making small changes that you can consistently maintain will lead to large results.
Coach Christina C. of AF Snohomish, WA
