What can you do to make your time at the gym more effective? Below is a brief outline of some of the things you can implement straightaway.

Perform exercises that will cover all planes of movement. Get off the machines and start to use free weights and other tools. We live in a three-dimensional world so its beneficial to exercise in one too.

Your body needs to work through a full range of motion. Lifting more weight than you can handle and only moving the resistance through a partial range won’t produce the results you want. It could also make you more susceptible to injuries.

All movements should be controlled. If you are moving through sets too quickly by doing quick repetitions you are robbing yourself of time under tension and cutting down on the intensity of the workout. This can also lead to injuries and poor results.

During each movement you should activate the parts of the body you are targeting. Moving a weight from A to B isn’t enough, to get the most from an exercise and see improvements it is important to learn which muscles are responsible for the movement and activate them by tensing them as you move.