by Adam Knight

Created on: June 26, 2008   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

If it is true that people learn from their mistakes, here's hoping you can learn from some of mine. Here are a few of the most common miscues I see in the gym every day.

Ineffective Time Management:

Bottom line, there are only so many hours in a day. So once you finally make it into the gym you have got to make the most of the time available. Have a plan. Know what your routine is going to be for the day, and have backup exercises if you can't wait to use certain pieces of equipment. Remember, once you begin working out your body needs to keep moving at a steady pace. If you wait too long between exercises you will get "cold" and not only will the remainder of your routine be less effective, you'll be more susceptible to injury as well.

Improper Form:

I don't want to spend too much time on this one, every experienced weightlifter goes on at length about this topic. But in brief, make sure you understand which part of your body the exercise you are performing is supposed to work. Free weights, nautilus set ups, and treadmills all can be used improperly. Not sure if what you're doing is correct? Then ask someone who knows.

Listening to the Wrong People:

No, I'm not contradicting my last point. At every gym in the world there are massive numbers of "experts" and "people-who-think-they-are-experts." Sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart. Sadly, you'd think that the people who work in your local gym are good people to ask for advice. Sadly, not so much. Most of those employees have some knowledge sure, but usually only in a very general sense.

So who do you listen to? Personal trainers are a good start. If you don't want to pay for one, keep an eye out at the gym for the people who really know what they're doing. You'll recognize them once you start to get familiar with what to look for. Approach with caution though. These people are here for themselves first, just the same as you. But you'll find that most people are happy to share the knowledge they've gleaned through hard work and sweat. After all, everyone was a beginner at one point.

Ignoring the Warning Signs:

I can't stress this point enough. It is the easiest thing in the world to miss if you don't know what to look for. After all "no pain no gain" is the motto, right? You're supposed to hurt a little bit, the lactic acid build up and release the next day gets addictive once you get into it. It's like a rush.

However, if you're not careful you very quickly learn the difference between "being in

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