I’m going to be honest, after an hour at the gym I end up nearly disappointing myself to tears when I go to look in the mirror – I expect to find a glistening Adonis staring back at me, with abs of steel and no room for my inner organs because of all the muscles. Obviously this never happens.

Luckily, Dan Roberts has written in the Independent giving some hints on how to make the most out of exercise programmes.

First, he said that it’s important to get back into the swing of things as soon as possible after the inevitable lapse – take control and don’t give up too soon.

Next, be realistic (I think this one’s for me). So you should set yourself obtainable goals "such as getting stronger or more flexible, banishing back pain through stronger abdominals and core muscles, or improving your posture, body image and self-esteem", he suggested.

And don’t expect that weight to drop off straight away, he said.

Finally, he advised always trying to mix your exercises up – so that the body doesn’t get too used to the same old workout.

Personal training company FitBase recently suggested mixing a selection of motivational songs on its website and downloading them to use in the gym and further assist our quest to get fit.

Tags: bodybuilding, exercises, Fitness and Wellbeing Tips, weight loss, workouts