8 REASONS YOUR GYM PROGRAMME ISN'T WORKING....

1. YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY FOLLOWING A PROGRAMME

You hit the gym 3 days a week, day one you're like "think I'm gonna do some chest today" then on day 2 you decide "today I'm gonna hit my arms". Back in the gym on day 3, "what shall I do today? Think I'll do some chest". Deciding what to do off the top of your head each day is not a programme! You need some organisation and structure.

2. YOU'VE FOLLOWED THE SAME PROGRAMME FOR TOO LONG

You started training at 18, you copied your first program from 'Men's Health Magazine'. It got you Bigger and stronger. Now, 10 years on you're doing the same plan because "well it worked before". You need variation in your program, change your lifts every 3 to 4 weeks. This will promote growth and prevent boredom.

3. YOUR PROGRAMME ISN'T SPECIFIC TO YOUR GOALS

Your goals are to increase your 1RM Squat and grow your pins so you don't look so top heavy... yet you hate leg doms so much you only train legs once a fortnight. Nah, your program needs to be specific to your goals. You want big legs? TRAIN LEGS! You want to increase your squat 1RM? Then hit squats, HEAVY, at least once a week!!

4. YOUR PROGRAMME DOES NOT HAVE A REALISTIC PROGRESSIVE ELEMENT TO IT

You come to the gym and do the same weight on your exercises months and months on end. On your main compound lifts, try starting with 75% of your 1 rep max for 3x5. Then each week add 2.5kg to the weight, and repeat your 3x5 weekly. Eventually you will hit a wall and no longer be able to do 3x5 with your PROGRESSED weight. When this happens, go to 4x4. Continue to add 2.5kg a week. Again, when you plateau, go to 5x3, still increasing the weight weekly. You will consistently get stronger week after week following this basic linear method.

5. YOU'RE NOT WORKING HARD ENOUGH

Texting your hunnies in-between sets and doing peck flies till you feel a 'slight burn' ain't gonna do nothing! Train your hardest man! Push yourself. Grunt, moan, groan, whatever! Give everything to get that weight up, run that last km, or to get that PB on your plank. Putting in half the effort will only achieve half the results... and you have to earn those calisters!

6. YOU'RE OVER-TRAINING

On the contrary to point number 5... you're doing too much. You're absolutely smashing the gym 7 days a week. Hitting legs 3 times, push 2 times, pull 2 times, finishing each session with cardio to finish you off. You're sleeping 5 hrs a night and then back to work the following day for another 12 hour shift. RECOVERY is massively important to training. You need to rest, stretch, take Deload weeks. Take at least 1 or 2 days off a week to promote recovery, and in turn your body will thank you by making you GROW.

7. YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

You're following Ronnie Coleman's training plan you got from 'T-Nation.com'... completely overlooking the fact that you're 17, a beginner, and don't have PEDs coming out of your ears... what works for him ain't gonna necessarily work for you. Take note that you are an individual, you are unique and you need a specific plan for your body and it's genetics. Invest in a personalised programme that takes into account your goals, posture, limb length, experience level etc etc.

8. YOU ARE NOT COMPLIMENTING YOUR PROGRAMME WITH SOME ON-POINT NUTRITION

Your plan is perfect! It takes into account all the above points, it's specific, personalised, you're training hard, yet you are STILL not seeing any fat fall off and you're stuck in your size 18 dress. The answer? You're still eating in a calorie surplus! In other words, you're still eating and drinking 3,000 calories a day, when in reality your body requires less that 1,800 to burn fat (that's an example). Invest in a personalised nutrition plan that takes into account your weight, lean mass, goals, and activity level. Once your nutrition is on point, and you're training right, you WILL get the results you crave

There are millions of different training methods and plans to follow. You can follow as many as you like, however if you are not implying these basic principles you'll get no where. Get the Training Principles right first, then any method will work!

Happy Training!!!