Home training has become popular for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is the restriction of access to fitness centers.
Many of us are used to working out in a gym filled with qualified trainers and masses of equipment. The other reason is the reduction in prices and improvement in the quality of home workout equipment.
But most of us have yet to get used to the practicalities of home training and discover its pros and cons.
We’re also guilty of training mistakes that are easy to make when no one is watching. Switching to home training means venturing into uncharted territory. Our options are limited, and in most cases, it’s up to us to motivate and plan our training.
Mistakes are inevitable when starting something new. But when it comes to fitness, a training mistake can hinder progress or worse, cause an injury.
Let's take a look at the most common home workout mistakes and what you need to do to avoid them.
1. Not following a plan
How do you structure your home workouts? Do you stick to a random workout on YouTube? Do you make something up on the spot? While these options are great for getting you moving, they’re not the best way to maximize your gains.
To get the most out of your training, you need to follow a plan specific to your goals.
Good training plans work on the principle of progressive overload. Progressive overload is the gradual increase in training intensity, volume, or weight.
This methodology will help you achieve your goal safely and successfully.
If you can, invest in a personal trainer who can develop an individualized training plan to help you reach your goals.
Personal training isn't for everyone, and that's okay, you can also create your own plans with free training apps, software, and resources.
2. Skipping warm-up and cool-down
We're all guilty of skipping the warm-up or cool-down from time to time.
We understand that they are rather boring and don't seem as important as the workout itself. To save some time, we skip them altogether.
Of course, the training is faster, but we are not preparing for the best session.
Additionally, we put our bodies in a state that is vulnerable to injury. If you are not familiar with the benefits of warming up and cooling down, here is a quick overview:
Warm-up: Increases the flexibility and temperature of our muscles, our heart rate and our breathing. Our body is in an ideal position for optimal performance and minimal injury.
Cool Down: The body rests by reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and promoting recovery.
It's clear that we need to warm up and cool down. To make sure you're not pressed for time, schedule your workout like you would a trip to the gym.
Give yourself plenty of time to warm up, workout, and cool down. Trust me, your body will thank you later.
3. Surpass yourself
If you're lucky enough to have free weights in your gym, you may be tempted to push yourself to the limit. While pushing yourself to the limit is fun, it doesn't help anyone in the long run.
As weightlifter Sergey Bondarenko says, “Maximum weights demonstrate your technique and strength, and moderate weights build your technique and strength.”
In short, if you want to improve, you're going to have to train with lighter weights.
What is the solution? Follow and stick to a plan. Trust the process and you will see results.

4. Don't rest
Working out at home definitely has its advantages. There’s no commute, you don’t need to prepare, you can start your workouts in your living room or garage.
Many people are motivated to work out whenever they get the chance, 7 days a week. But before you do, know that pushing your body to work out every day is not the best approach for overall health or performance.
Every time we exercise (especially when we do high-intensity exercise), we are essentially damaging our bodies – small muscle tears are the mechanism by which muscle fibers regenerate and become stronger.
It is the recovery process that builds our fitness.
Without adequate rest, we put ourselves at increased risk of injury because we are stressing an already damaged body. Make sure to take at least one day of rest per week.
If you're itching to get up and move, take a short walk or do some yoga.
5. Choose your workouts à la carte
Being in charge of our workouts gives us the power to do whatever we want with them.
Want to build chest? Do push-ups. Don't want to run? Forget it. But what if that run was scheduled for a specific reason? Ignoring it won't help you reach your goal.
Sure, it's easier and more enjoyable to choose what you want, but no one ever got anywhere by taking the easy way out. Stick to the plan and trust the process.
6. Multitasking
Our homes are where we relax, where we sleep, where we live with our families, and where we get away from the stress of work. For many people, the gym is that third space where we can go to exercise.
When we combine the two, we create an interesting environment that doesn't exactly go hand in hand. It's hard to isolate yourself and focus on your workout at home because there are so many distractions.
The television may be on, the kids are running around, and dinner is about to be served.
While multitasking may seem like an impressive display of organization and efficiency, your training won't get the attention it deserves.
When you work out at home, dedicate a specific time and place to exercise. Focus only on your workout and you will get much more out of it.
7. Not training
Finally, one of the most common mistakes - not working out at all. When we go to the gym, we create a routine. It becomes a habit to show up every week.
Some people take advantage of this to see their friends and to exercise. When we have no choice but to train at home, our motivation can decrease.
The idea of sweating at home is becoming less and less appealing. Needless to say, it's the worst possible scenario. But it happens.
What can we do to avoid procrastination and inaction?
Finding a new why: When we start exercising at home, our goals may change.
Let's say you want to set a new squat record, but all you have at home is a set of dumbbells and some resistance bands.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it's hard to perform heavy squats without any weight. But pressing a lot of weight every time you train is a mistake.
Mix it up! Improve your mobility and strengthen the stabilizing muscles in your legs.
Although you're no longer directly aiming to achieve a new squat record, improving your mobility and strengthening your stabilizer muscles indirectly helps you achieve this goal.
Embrace online workouts: There’s nothing like seeing your friends in person, that’s true. But joining them for an online workout is the next best thing.
Find a time when you can all work out and commit to each other to getting there.
By adding a scheduled call, you will be accountable not only to yourself, but also to your peers. If you are all part of the same club or online fitness community, follow the training schedule set by your coach and help each other out.
Use a fitness tracker: Fitness trackers help keep you accountable when no one else does. Use them to track your steps, calories burned, heart rate, and more to make sure you keep moving while stuck at home.
Conclusion
Transitioning to home workouts when you're used to the gym can be a little confusing. Where to start? What to do?
These are all questions that we ask ourselves. The reality is that any movement is better than no movement. Whether you have a home gym or you use your body weight, you can make progress.
Find a workout plan that fits your goals and situation and follow it as you would in the gym.
Just because you're at home doesn't mean you can slack off. Don't make the same home workout mistakes that derail your fitness goals.