Many people go to the gym day in and day out, but do they make progress? Why is it that some people go to the gym religiously, but never see results? How do you know if your workouts are actually working? This article provides a checklist of things that you should look for before and after going to the gym.

Do you feel anything in the areas you're training? The day after you train a certain body part, you should feel a slight soreness, especially if you are a beginner. This means that you've properly worked your muscles and that lactic acid is present. If you feel anything more than a dull soreness, you may have injured yourself and should consult your doctor.

Do you feel good after a workout? After a good workout, you should feel spectacular. Your spirits should be lifted, and you shouldn't feel any anxiety. Little should bother you because your body has a surge in endorphins after training. Exercise has been known to eliminate stress and anxiety.

Do you feel any strength when you train? You should feel strong and energetic from one set to the next. If you start training and your energy level plummets, you probably are using too much weight, you may be rushing through your sets, or you may not have eaten enough before going to the gym.

Do you feel a "pump"? After you do a set, the muscles you've worked should feel full and hard or "pumped." According to exercise experts, feeling a "pump" means you've trapped blood in your muscles. Lactic acid is present after working a muscle, producing a natural growth hormone. Studies show that natural growth hormones will help your muscles grow and make your fat cells shrink. Each time you work out, you're making microscopic tears in your muscles. So you should work each muscle to "failure," meaning, for example, that you do arm curls until you are no longer able to do another rep. When this happens, it means you've exhausted the muscle, and it will likely grow back bigger and stronger with proper rest. If you are not feeling a pump and not exhausting each muscle to failure, you are probably lifting too light a weight or are using improper form (meaning you aren't doing the exercises correctly).

Are you feeling the wrong things? Perhaps you can't wait to get out of the gym. If training bores you, you're probably not doing enough exercises, your body isn't releasing endorphins, and you're likely getting bored. Do you feel joint pain? You may have injured yourself by either doing an exercise wrong or by overdoing it. Do you feel sick after your workout (nauseous, with muscle cramps, breaking out into a cold sweat, etc.)? If so, you either did too much or you were ill before you entered the gym. It's never a good idea to train when you have a bad cold or flu because training may lower your immune system and make you feel worse.

Are you making changes in your workout routine? If you continue the same workout for months, your body will adapt to the routine and you will stop seeing results. If you stop making progress, make changes. Start trying to lift a little more weight, train on different days, or add some new cardio; do something to break up the monotony of your regimen.

If you are working out on a regular basis, and you are not seeing any gains, then check the above questions. You should not give up on your exercise routine; you may simply need to make some minor adjustments to it so that you can begin seeing the benefits of your exercising efforts.

There are also supplements that can help your body repair the minor tears that affect your joints, muscle and ligaments as you build stronger muscles and joints. One such supplement is Phosoplex(tm). It is also effective in countering the muscle pain that often accompanies workouts. Phosoplex(tm) is available at Amazon and at http://www.BODeStore.com. So enjoy your workout without worrying about the future.