How To Stay Motivated In The Gym
Posted by PredatorAdmin at 17:49 19/01/12
If you’re reading this article, it is probably safe to assume that you have at least some interest in improving your physique or athletic performance. Regardless of whether you’re looking to gain muscle mass, lose weight, improve sprint times or build strength, we are all looking to push towards our goals and constantly improve in some capacity. But why do so few people seem to achieve their goals and so many trainees appear to stagnate and plateau?
Of course progress may be limited by poor dietary regimes and training techniques (these issues are perhaps another article for another day) however, the underlying issue often boils down to inadequate motivation.
Ever noticed that you will never hear athletes in what would generally be considered absolute peak condition complaining or making excuses? They simply get on with it. If only it was that easy? These uber-dedicated athletes are often so focused that they will let nothing get in there way and also generally happen to be blessed with genes that produce results quickly.
However, that doesn’t mean the rest of us who unfortunately don’t possess freakish genetics and find it hard to juggle exercise with work, family and social commitments can’t achieve results too. It just requires a little extra work.
The following tips provide guidance on increasing gym motivation regardless of external distractions, which goes a long way to help you achieve your goals.
Set yourself specific and realistic goals – Rather than aiming to simply “get big” or “lose weight fast”, set yourself specific goals within a given time frame e.g. “lose 5lbs by the end of the month”. In the days towards the end of your time frame, you will push yourself much harder than you would with a non-specific goal. Constantly set yourself mini-goals and targets to ensure motivation month by month.
Find a workout buddy – If you find yourself regularly skipping sessions then a workout buddy may be the answer. Not only will this discourage you from no-shows as you will not want to let your partner down but some friendly competition between friends should also help improve your workout performance and maintain your motivation to go to the gym.
Schedule your workout times in advance – Write down your workout times in your diary, calendar and phone and stick to them as if they were any other meeting that you need to attend. Choose convenient workout times based on your other commitments and don’t worry too much about working out at a particular time in the day. Also aim to stick to plan a regime and stick to it, rather than simply turning up to the gym and doing as you fancy. If strength training is your aim, always record your lifts and structure a plan that will help you progress over time.
Educate yourself – Perhaps the biggest motivating factor of all is educating yourself on the whole host of benefits that exercise can have on health, wellbeing and performance. After doing this, you will find it much easier to ditch the sofa and TV for the gym. Also set some time aside for learning and reading up on how to achieve your goals to increase your determination to succeed.
Reward Yourself – A fitter and healthier body should be enough motivation but there is no harm in rewarding yourself for reaching your goals. Buy yourself that nice shirt you’ve been looking at as a reward for nailing that big lift.
Change up your routines – Aim to change up your routines regularly. Not only will this decrease the boredom of doing the same sessions over and over again, but it brings the added benefit of shocking your body, leading to improved results.
Cardio – Let’s face it, most of us do not enjoy running on a treadmill and using the cross trainer for half an hour each but cardio CAN be fun. Gym classes, skipping and sports can be effective and enjoyable ways to burn calories.
Listen to music – Listening to music whilst working out may not be for everyone but if you’re one of those people who likes a deep beat when working out then bring your iPod with you to drown out other distractions.
Use your lunch breaks – Providing you get sufficient time on your lunch break, this can be a great time to get some quick cardio done whilst you are fresh in the middle of the day.
Subscribe to magazines or join interesting Facebook or Twitter pages to read motivational tips, whilst also building nutrition and training knowledge.
Author: Hassan Muzaffar
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Seven Tips To Ignite Your Cardio
Watching Porn Before Hitting The Gym
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