The 3 Biggest Training Mistakes That Are Holding You (and Your Clients) Back

Introduction to the Biggest Training Mistakes

If you (or your clients) are putting in the work but not seeing real results, you’re probably making one of these common training mistakes. The good news? These are all fixable. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or a personal trainer, understanding these mistakes will help you unlock better progress, avoid injury, and maximise performance.

Mistake #1: Not Having a Personalised, Structured Programme

Random Workouts = Random Results

One of the biggest reasons people fail to see results is because they don’t follow a structured plan. Instead, they jump from one workout to another with no consistency, train without clear progression, or try to train for everything at once—strength, hypertrophy, endurance, and fat loss—all in the same phase without prioritisation.

Without a structured programme, training becomes random and ineffective. Many people make the mistake of thinking that as long as they’re working hard, they’ll see results. But the reality is that without proper progressive overload, they will plateau quickly.

Train for Your Specific Goal

A good programme should be designed specifically for your goal. If you want to build muscle, your plan should include progressive hypertrophy-focused programming. If strength is the focus, your training should be structured around compound lifts, appropriate intensity, and rest periods. If fat loss is your goal, the programme should prioritise caloric expenditure, progressive resistance training, and metabolic conditioning.

The mistake most people make is either training without a clear goal or using a cookie-cutter routine that doesn’t fit their needs. This is especially common in personal trainers who apply generic workouts to all their clients instead of customising programmes to match each individual’s experience level, movement patterns, and specific goals.

The Fix: Follow a Structured, Progressive Plan

The fix? First, define your primary goal—muscle growth, strength, endurance, or fat loss. Then, follow a structured programme designed for that goal. Use progressive overload principles by increasing weights, reps, or training density over time. Plan deload weeks and recovery phases to prevent burnout and allow muscles to adapt and grow.

If you’re a personal trainer, work with your clients to establish their goals and design a progressive, periodised plan that ensures they see measurable progress over time. Keep them accountable by tracking their progress, making small adjustments based on performance, and educating them on why structure matters.

If you or your clients are hopping from programme to programme and not seeing results, it’s time to commit to a structured, progressive plan that ensures you get stronger, fitter, and better over time.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Recovery

More Training Doesn’t Mean More Gains

You can’t out-train poor recovery. Many people overtrain and under-recover, leading to chronic fatigue, stalled progress, and an increased risk of injury. It’s a common mindset—more training must mean better results, right? Unfortunately, the opposite is often true.

Ignoring recovery can lead to a lack of progress, chronic soreness, mental burnout, and even injuries. Sleep deprivation, high stress, and constant training without rest days disrupt muscle repair and hormone balance, which are essential for growth and performance.

How Overtraining Affects Progress

Overtraining happens when you continuously push your body beyond its ability to recover. You might notice:

• A drop in strength and endurance.
• Persistent soreness or joint pain.
• A decrease in motivation and overall energy.
• Sleep disturbances and poor appetite.

Trainers often make this mistake by pushing clients too hard without factoring in sleep, stress, or lifestyle recovery needs. Just because someone can train every day doesn’t mean they should.

The Fix: Prioritise Recovery Like You Do Training

• Prioritise sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours per night—muscle repair, hormone balance, and recovery all happen when you sleep.
• Use autoregulation: Adjust workout intensity based on how you feel that day (RPE, HRV tracking, etc.).
• Incorporate active recovery: Mobility work, walking, yoga, and breathwork can improve recovery without adding more stress.
• Trainers: Assess your clients’ lifestyle factors before ramping up intensity. Sometimes, the best adjustment is less training and more recovery.

Pro Tip: If progress stalls despite hard training, it’s likely a recovery issue—not a training issue.

Mistake #3: Poor Exercise Selection & Execution

Lifting Heavy Doesn’t Equal Lifting Right

Many gym-goers (and even some trainers) make the mistake of prioritising heavy lifting over proper form. Choosing trendy or complex exercises before mastering the basics leads to poor execution, increased injury risk, and wasted effort.

Some common mistakes include:

• Prioritising flashy Instagram exercises over fundamental, proven movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls, carries).
• Using poor form—lifting heavier than they can handle, neglecting proper bracing, or failing to control movements.
• Trainers rushing progressions, teaching advanced exercises before clients have mastered the basics.

Master the Fundamentals First

A strong foundation beats complicated exercises every time. The best training programmes focus on core movements that translate to real-world strength and athleticism.

Instead of chasing complexity, focus on:

• Squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, and carries as the foundation of every programme.
• Filming your lifts to self-correct and refine movement patterns.
• Using proper cues and progressions to ensure you (or your clients) are moving safely and effectively.
• Trainers: Teach intent-based training—every rep should have a purpose, not just a movement.

Pro Tip: The best lifters don’t just lift—they lift well. Focus on quality over quantity in every movement.

Watch on YouTube: The 3 Biggest Training Mistakes That Are Holding You (and Your Clients) Back

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Final Thoughts: Train Smarter, Not Harder

If you’ve been training for months without progress, it’s time to reassess your approach. The three biggest training mistakes—lack of a structured programme, poor recovery, and bad exercise execution—are all fixable with the right strategies.

✅ Follow a structured programme designed for your goals.
✅ Prioritise recovery, sleep, and stress management.
✅ Choose the right exercises and master technique before increasing intensity.

Want to learn how to programme effectively and get your PT certifications with us?

Join Storm Fitness Academy and get the expert knowledge, tools, and qualifications you need to build a successful career as a personal trainer.

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