One of the main problems in getting good progress from your fitness program, is not targeting the muscles that your are working on...correctly.

Learning how to correctly target the muscle, or muscles, you are trying to work on, will dramatically improve the progress you get from any workout routine.

We have ALL made these mistakes, but there are some simple and efficient ways to target muscles properly, and to correct the simple mistakes most of us made, or still make.....

The VERY first thing, and although it seems like a very simple thing, it is the one thing that causes the most trouble....and that is, actually FEELING it in the primary muscle you are working....
Sure, we all feel it somewhat in the muscles we target, but are we REALLY feeling it the way it is supposed to be felt ??

I will use some simple exercises as an example.....

When most of us "bench press"...do we actually feel it PRIMARILY in our chest and Triceps ???
The Pectorals (chest) and Triceps, are where it is supposed to be felt the most...and much less in the shoulders and back.
If you do NOT feel it more, and feel it DIRECTLY in your chest and in your Triceps....then you must change your form, or your weight used, or your rep speed...until you DO feel it directly in your chest, and triceps.
If you have to lower weight, do it...
If you have to slow your reps down, do it....
If you have to change your mechanics, do it....
You must continue to "tweak" until you feel it DIRECTLY in your target muscle groups.

This works the same for any, any, any muscle groups trained.

Take "standing barbell curl" for an example...how often do you feel it PRIMARILY in your biceps ??
If you swing your hips, if you bend your back, if you use momentum....you are cheating your own progress, and your own gains....and for what ??
To look a little more impressive, by trying to use a little more weight ???

The last I remember....PROGRESS is more impressive than using extra weight, with horrible form.

Think about the many, many exercises that we do, and think about YOUR form in all the exercises that YOU do.
Is your form correct, or could it be better ??
Is your weight proper for the exercise, or are you using momentum to cheat the movement ??
Do you feel it in the EXACT muscles you are working, or just feel it "some" in the main muscles, and you feel it "just as much" in other places as well ??

If you do not feel it in the exact place, and the exact muscles that you are trying to work out, then you NEED to adjust to get maximum progress.
You need to fix it, you need to correct it however necessary...if you want the progress you deserve from your efforts.
You have to adjust the weight to manageable levels, you have to adjust your form until you feel it where you target it to be felt...even if it makes it HARDER, your progress will more than make up for it every time you look in the mirror.

The other main mistake we make, is in rep speed, as most of us "return" or "lower" the weight much, much too quickly.
The correct term is the "eccentric" part of the exercise...or the "negative" part of the repetition.
THIS part, must be done much slower than the average person does it.
ANY exercise you do, the weight, or the movement is supposed to be CONTROLLED at all phases of the movement.
This maximizes development as well as maximizes safety.

I'm sure we have all seen people who do the "lifting" phase of the exercise, and then basically "go limp" and let gravity and the weight do the rest...usually at a high rate of speed.
This will cause severe lack of progress, and will cause injury on other exercises.

CONTROL the weight and the movement at all times, during BOTH phases of the movements, and your progress will show the difference.

Thrashing around with bad form to get a movement done with extra weights is not impressive, but fantastic progress with swelling muscles and dramatically lower bodyfat is VERY impressive....

You work out hard....
You push yourself to be strong, to be fit....
Do not hurt your own progress in the process....optimize it, feel it where it is supposed to be felt.
Target your muscles, and do what it takes to feel the exercise where it matters...and your body will tell the whole story.

Stop spinning your wheels, with wasted effort...and feel the effects how they are supposed to be felt.

NOW, go get it done.