You work hard but the results just aren’t there. Nothing is changing!

The last few kilograms won’t shift and your fitness doesn’t seem to have improved greatly, either.

What is wrong with this picture? Surely hard work pays off eventually, right?

Sadly, hard work doesn’t always win the race.

Technique and know-how can be vital to weight loss and fitness results.

So if your output far exceeds your reward, then you may be making one of these common exercise mistakes.

Doing the same exercises week in and week out.

If you do the same exercise routine for any length of time, your body becomes used to it and it will no longer challenge you.

And without a challenge present, your results won’t advance.

The key is variety – the more varied the routine the better.

Eating too much either side of your workout.

A lot of people make the mistake of overeating either before or after exercise.

And although it is important to fuel your body so that you have enough energy to exercise well, you might be surprised by how much energy some meals contain in comparison to what you’ll work off during exercise.

Not only that but your body takes around 90 minutes to convert food to energy and if you haven’t allowed that amount of time then your workout will be a little lacklustre anyway.

This is because your body will be using energy to digest food as well and fuel your workout.

And therefore you won’t be able to workout with the same level of intensity.

And then there’s the “I’ve worked out and now I’m starving” syndrome.

You complete your workout and by the time you’ve cooled down, you’re ready to eat your own arm!

This is really common and generally results in overeating.

You could try to curb this situation by eating a snack straight after your workout (my go-to snack is a banana) and you may find that this will be enough to take the edge off and allow you to make good post-workout food choices.

Not taking time to recover properly.

If you are not giving your body time to recuperate and recover each week, it will become tired and run-down.

And in this state, you definitely won’t be heading towards the result you are after.

There is such a thing as too much exercise - and rest is just as important as moving your body. A balanced approach is essential.

Poor technique.

Incorrect technique will mean that the exercise you are doing will be ineffective.

Not to mention that it will leave you wide open to injury.

If you are unsure, please seek professional advice.

Trust me when I say it’s worth it!

Resting too much in between sets.

If you are resting for long periods of time between sets of exercise, then your heart rate will drop and you won’t burn calories as efficiently as you would given shorter periods of rest.

Not hydrating properly.

Going into exercise dehydrated will hinder your performance. You will have little energy to exercise and perhaps even feel sick or develop a headache. 

And on the other side of your session, failure to hydrate will hinder your recovery too. Get into the water!

Amy Holmes is a personal trainer and owner of Shape Health and Fitness. You can follow her on Facebook via the Shape Health and Fitness page or on instagram @amy_shapehealthandfitness