You know there’s no magic bullet for getting in shape.  You simply have to put in the time.  But what if you didn’t have to put in as much time?

That’s because people don’t always work out in the most efficient ways for reaching their fitness goals.

Here are five ways that well-intentioned exercisers go wrong:

Time-waster #1: Socializing instead of sweating

Sure, you can make friends at the gym.  And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as it’s not preventing you from your main mission.

Fitness Fix: Stay focused.  Save your socializing for before or after your workout.

Time-waster #2: Following the same old routine

You hit the gym on autopilot, spending 45 minutes on your favorite cardio machine followed by a quick circuit on the weights.  While you’re doing enough activity to keep your heart healthy, you won’t see big boosts in your overall cardiovascular performance or strength.  Your body has adapted and you’re doing a lot of movement but you’re not doing enough intensity to get a training effect.  Even just two weeks of the same routine is enough to get in a workout rut.

Fitness Fix: Shake things up. Challenge your body with different types of cardio, incorporating various machines and classes into you regimen.  Use both free weights and machines in your strength program.  Vary repetitions and sets.

Time-waster #3: Cheating.

Leaning on handrails of the stair-climber or elliptical machine counters your efforts by offsetting some of the burden of the activity.  Draping yourself over the machine can reduce the number of calories you burn by as much as 20 percent.

Fitness Fix: Stand tall.  The rails are meant to help with balance only as a safety measure.

Time-waster #4: Too many breaks.

Resting a couple minutes between sets of resistance activities helps your body recover and gear up for the next challenge.  But too much downtime is a waste of time.

Fitness Fix: Keep your heart pumping.  Skip breaks between resistance activities and instead go straight from one move to another.  This works best when alternating between activities for the lower body and upper body.  “Super-setting” is a good option when pressed for time or when you want to mix up your workout routine.

Time-waster #5: Not hitting the weights hard enough.

Afraid to “bulk up,” many women lift weights that yield little results.  Research shows that women who strength-train get much more toned when they have a personal trainer pushing them than when they go it alone.  Those who train on their own don’t train at an intensity that has an effect.

Fitness Fix: Push your muscles “to failure.”  Use weight that is heavy enough that you can’t do even one more repetition by the end of your set.  Sets generally involve eight to 20 repetitions, and it can be good to vary reps, as mentioned above.  And stop worrying about bulking up.  Most women simply don’t have the biology to build bulging muscles.

By Jacqueline Stenson

Contributing editor MSNBC