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Minor mistakes in a workout program can easily accumulate to bad habits over time, knocking you off track, and dramatically slowing your results. The very first thing to remember is not to focus simply on the results you want but to have a fitness program that you enjoy enough to stick with for the long haul. This alone will allow you to keep the body you deserve. Avoiding the following traps will speed you toward your goals and reduce the chances of injury.

Doing the Wrong Exercises:

Avoid falling into the gym crowd trap of building your workouts around bench press, bicep curls and stationary bike. These exercises work the most over developed areas of the body. This does not mean you cannot do these, but they should be way down the list of beneficial exercises. Building a routine around these exercises is something like eating pizza all the time and expecting to lose weight. These areas are so over developed and over used that they use far less energy when you work them out, thus burning fewer calories every time you workout. Focus on building up the weak points of your body. This will burn more calories because it will force your body to work harder due to the weak muscles. Look for programs that will focus on multi-joint multi planar exercises to force the body to adapt to the greater workload.

Doing Exercises the Wrong Way:

If you fail to learn proper exercise form it can really be damaging to the body. Unfortunately this is much harder than it seems since most personal trainers have absolutely no idea on the mechanics of how the body is supposed to naturally function. Most will teach basic gym exercises that at best will build some strength and at worst deteriorate the body and an alarming rate. Proper form is an art, especially when moving into multi-joint movements or exercises. Once you begin to form a bad habit it becomes harder and harder to break. The wrong muscles get stronger while the essential ones get weaker. If you believe that this approach will slow your progress toward getting the body of a god or goddess, you are mistaken. Correcting imbalances in the body will allow your progress to explode.

Impatience:

Impatience is probably most people's worst enemy when it comes to staying on track with workout plans. It is easy to get distracted and discouraged especially if you don't feel you are making fast enough progress. Physical training will not produce miracles over night. Building a solid foundation does take some time but with this comes the most important part of exercise, the ability to keep an exercise routine going for a lifetime. Shortcuts almost always lead to bad habits, injuries and plateaus that slow and eventually stop progress. Remember to ask yourself one question; How long did it take to put myself into the physical condition I am presently in? Do not get caught up looking for the quick fix.

Expectations to High:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with setting your sights on the stars as long as you are realistic. You should aim for your ideal body and never stop until you get it. However, if you expect to become Mr. or Ms. Olympia over night, you will get disappointed and either quit or attempt to find some horrible body altering shortcut. The purpose of any physical workout is to keep the body lean, strong and in good health. Other important benefits of course are how you look, what your energy levels are, to make you feel better about yourself and enable you to have a richer life. Do not compare yourself to others! Setting a goal is fantastic but we all must understand our differences. It is entirely possible to get any result you set your mind to, but time frames vary from person to person depending on age, health, weight, and exercise intensity.

Over Exertion:

Choose a balanced exercise program that will gradually build you to the intensity and fitness level you want. When people exercise so hard at the beginning they tend to get burned out easily. Starting off above your current abilities will make for very sore and stiff muscles that will force your to stop your routine until they get better. Of course intensity is a key element in every workout when you want fast results. Just remember to build up the intensity gradually.

Boring Exercise Routines:

One of the number one reasons people fail to reach their fitness goals is that they quit due to boredom. Why on earth would anyone want to do the same exercise day in day out, in the same place, at the same time. I always laugh when I see people on their treadmills or exercise bikes day in day out. Obviously it is extremely boring. Yes it still feels good to the body but why not add in some variety. Change the venue of where you exercise! Change the exercises you do! This forces the body to work harder, drastically speeding up your results. Pick things that you might enjoy doing. Try to find an exercise program that will give you plenty of options so that you do not get bored. There is no right or wrong answer. You must find what works for you and then begin to add intensity. Remember, if you hate an exercise program, no matter how good it may be, most likely you are going to quit.

Simple adjustments to your new or current exercise program will help you to make fast gains, avoid injury, enjoy your workout more, and get the body you have always dreamed of.