2026 Workout Audit: Make Sure You're Avoiding These 3 Mistakes

We’re all short on time, so why not ensure you’re maximizing the little time you have to spare in the gym? Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, these mistakes naturally happen when strength training. This audit will help you to check in with yourself and make sure you’re both making the most of your time in the gym and making the progress you hope to see. Read all the way through so you not only know what to avoid, but what to do instead. 

Mistake #1: Ignoring the prescribed RPE

RPE stands for your rate of perceived exertion, or a measure of how hard you perceive yourself to be working. Since it’s subjective, it’s really important to be as mindful and honest with yourself as possible when strength training and using the RPE scale. Training in a variety of RPE’s ensures that you’re pushing yourself just enough without under- or overtraining.

How does the scale work? I like to think of the RPE scale as a 1-10 scale, 1 being no effort, practically just lounging on the couch, and 10 being something so exerting it can only be done once, like lifting a very heavy couch to get something out from under it. 

If a 10 RPE means you can perform 0 more repetitions of the movement, a 9 RPE means you can squeeze out 1 more repetition. An 8 RPE means you can squeeze out 2 more repetitions. A 7 RPE means you can squeeze out 3 more repetitions, and so on. 

To apply this scale, let’s use a squat, 4 sets of 6 repetitions at an 8 RPE as an example. If you are truly using a weight that is appropriate for an 8 RPE, at the end of every 6-rep set, you should only be able to feel like you can do 2 more reps before your form begins to compromise. 

Unfortunately, too many people leave too many reps in the tank because they begin to feel the burn in the targeted muscle. But feeling the burn does not automatically mean you have reached a challenging RPE. Your legs can burn while doing squats, and yet you might be able to still continue on with 8 or more fiery reps. Leaving 8 or more reps in the tank may mean you’re actually only training at a 2-3 RPE. 

People also make the mistake of grabbing the same weights and doing the same number of reps for weeks on end. After 3 weeks of a 4x6 squat with 20 pound dumbbells, you might need to increase to 22.5 or 25 pound dumbbells to continue to reach an 8 RPE. If going up in weight doesn’t seem like a good option, you can also perform 7 or 8 reps instead of 6 to reach an 8 RPE. Maintaining the same starting weight and reps will likely result in training at a 6-7 RPE after 4-6 weeks. 

If your goal is to gain strength and muscle tone, regularly training at a low RPE’s will interfere. Check the RPE prescription, follow it as accurately as possible, and push yourself when necessary to build and see muscle on your body. 

Mistake #2: Going from exercise to exercise with no rest 

HIIT training, or High Intensity Interval Training, took us all by storm over a decade ago, and studios like Barry’s Bootcamp, Orange Theory, and Shred 415 are still going strong. Going back and forth between running on a treadmill and lifting weights is a great workout that keeps your heart rate elevated in a cardio state nearly the entire class. 

And that’s exactly what these classes are: cardio. When your heart rate is elevated and you’re out of breath, your body is not able to pick up a weight that will truly challenge you in a squat. So you pick up something lighter that allows you to keep moving. This is a great way to build endurance, but not a great way to build strength and muscle. 

When you’re strength training, it’s important to take time to recover between exercises for anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 whole minutes (it depends on the prescribed sets, reps, and RPE). This recovery time allows you to continue to pick up appropriately challenging weights without feeling breathless and fatigued before you even begin. 

If your goal is to gain strength and muscle tone, slow it down. Shake out everything you know and have experienced with HIIT training, and remind yourself that this is a different type of training. Rest appropriately, rinse, repeat, and watch the gains come. 

Mistake #3: Racing through the exercises themselves

When we get better at something, it is only natural to do it faster. There was a time when it took you a whole 3 minutes to tie your shoes. Now it takes you 3 seconds. If you’re a runner, swimmer, or cycler, it can be really fun and rewarding to see yourself complete the same distances in shorter times. 

When it comes to strength training, the goal is not to get faster. In fact, it’s the total opposite. The goal in strength training is to keep a steady tempo and remain in control of your breath and your form the entire time. The slower you’re able to go, the more strength you’re going to build. 

This is because of a concept called “time under tension,” or the amount of time your muscle is under the tension of the resistance you’re using. Completing 10 bicep curls – 1 count up, 1 count back down – with 10 pound weights may not feel too challenging. Completing 10 bicep curls with 10 pound weights but slowly curl up for 5 seconds and slowly return to start for 5 seconds? Now, that’s a challenge as your muscles are under tension for longer and have to work significantly harder. 

When you don’t consider tempo and just bounce your way through exercises, your joints are going to feel it way more than your muscles. To gain strength and muscle tone, take your focus off of how fast you can complete a set and instead, challenge yourself to focus on how slowly you can complete 1 rep. You’ll feel the difference after just a few weeks. 

Try out these tips and feel yourself overcome any imbalances or plateaus you’re experiencing. If strategically prescribed RPEs, rest periods, and tempos are not currently a part of your training regime, it might be time to up your game. Working with a coach is not just about learning basic exercises, but experiencing what training with a scientific, strategic approach can do for you.

Strength training and program design have been my expertise for almost a decade. No matter what your current ability level is, I can help you to gain strength and confidence both in the gym and in your everyday life with your very own custom program written for you, your goals, and your schedule. Click here to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more.