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Making the right choices regarding your health and fitness can yield many benefits. However, it can be frustrating when you seem to be doing all the right things, yet you don’t seem to get results, considering the amount of time and effort you put into it. All great things take time, hard work, and commitment, but there could be several reasons you are not making gains in your fitness efforts. Below are four common reasons you are not getting results in the gym. 

Insufficient nourishment

Consider reviewing your diet if you’re not seeing positive changes in your body despite your best efforts at the gym. Out-training on a poor diet is almost impossible for even full-time athletes. After exercising several times each week, it can be tempting to overeat – particularly as your body needs refueling after burning calories at the gym. If you’re not hitting your targets, it’s likely that you’re either not fueling enough or over-fueling. The body needs more protein to build muscles but remember to get in some post-workout snacks. You can also try adding supplements to a balanced diet to be sure that you are meeting your body’s nutritional needs after working out. This also helps you avoid overeating after a hard session at the gym. 

Not tracking your progress

It is one thing to set realistic fitness goals and another to know how to monitor your progress properly. Let’s say you have set a huge goal and five months later, you check to see your progress; you will likely discover that you are far from where you expected. Perhaps your approach to fitness isn’t working for you. It is okay to give yourself two months to notice some physical transformation, regardless of your main objective. If your main goal is to gain or lose 20kg of weight in five months, you can set small targets and milestones every two weeks and ensure it is attainable. This way, you will have a sense of success and a good way to motivate yourself to keep going until you achieve the ultimate goal. 

Insufficient recovery time

Without sufficient resting periods, it will be hard to achieve your fitness goals – despite all your training and good nutrition. Tougher exercises like strength training, break down muscle fibers. While this process may not sound good, it is completely natural, so there’s no cause for concern. If you’re looking for the best exercises for lower glutes then this post is perfect for you!

Getting enough rest repairs the broken-down fibers and allows them to heal. Lack of rest or insufficient recovery time can impair your progress, possibly leading to overtraining syndrome. It’s good advice to take a day or two breaks each week to get some rest and good sleep. Your body will certainly reward you for it.

Unrealistic targets

While people often lack strong belief in what they can achieve, on some occasions, many set the bar too high making the goal nearly impossible. Unfortunately, you only set yourself up for disappointment and consequently take the wind out of your sail. Knowing what is realistic regarding your current fitness status is the best way to go. For instance, you cannot aim to complete 20 bench presses in just two minutes when you lack strength and fitness. A more realistic approach is to aim to complete the set without worrying about time. Further down the line as you make steady progress, you can set your sights on the two-minute mark or even higher.