Icevermin asked in StrongLifts.com Forum:
I need some help getting motivation to hit the gym and the weights.
I don’t know why but I haven’t been there for a week. I feel extremely weak but at the same time I have no desire to regain my strength. I meant to go yesterday but I got distracted.
If anything I’m thinking about going today, Thursday, and Saturday and then skipping my two day off just for this week and re-starting fully on the StrongLifts 5×5 program (as in correct days and what not) on Monday of next week…
I’m scared I’m going to keep getting weaker but at the same time I’m just not motivated to go to the gym.
I was starting to stall on my overhead. I went from pretty much bar squat to 165, Bench to 115, Row to 105, Deadlift 205, OHP 95, 10 dips each set and like 7 pullups each set.
Then prom came and I got lazy. Now I have no motivation to do anything.
Turning Pro. In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield writes the key to overcoming resistance is to become a Pro. A Pro shows up everytime and does what he has to do. Quote:
There’s no mystery to turning pro. It’s a decision brought about by an act of will. We make up our mind to view ourselves as pros and we do it. Simple as that.
What I Do. Today was one of those days. Slept bad, woke up tired and didn’t feel like training. I did what I always do: go to the gym & lift the weights. Don’t let your mind play tricks on you, strength is always there.
- Set Goals. You Squat 165lbs. Put 200lbs as goal. Review your goals before going to the gym. Set new goals when you achieve them.
- Just Go. Don’t rationalize. Put your gym clothes on, check which exercises you’ll do today, drive to the gym, lift the weights, done.
- Deload. Lower the weight by up to 50% if you’ve hit a plateau. Add weight progressively until you’re back on track.
- Eat. You need food for energy. Eat every 3 hours, eat proteins, veggies & fruits with each meal, eat carbs for energy, drink plenty of water, etc.
Share Your Motivational Tips. How do you motivate yourself to go the gym when you don’t feel like it? How do you keep motivated to train consistently? How did you deal with similar situations in the past? Share in the comments.
We all know that once you get there it’s worth doing. I’ve never had a bad workout. I may not lift the same weight or swim as fast if I’m having a bad day, but I’m always glad I stuck with it, even if the victory is purely mental. I’m not saying going to the gym is easy all the time, but it is a simmle, little things that we can do for ourselves.
If you’ve been working out consistently for a long time and you are really struggling to find the motivation, try taking a week off. This will help your body recover, and it will also make you realize how much working out is a part of your life. By the end of the week, your body should be feeling pretty refreshed and you will be dying to get back in the gym. Sometimes rest like this is what you really need.
My motivation is the girls at the gym. I’ll drive to a farther gym bc there is more to look at while I lift. It works especially well if you work in an office with no women.
Social support is the number one way to stay motivated in my opinion. That could be joining a forum online, getting a gym buddy or just asking your wife/husband/significant other to support your efforts.
Main thing is to not think about it. Your mind will continue to tell you that you are too weak or too tired and before you turn into the parking lot (or in some cases after you actually park) you turn around, go home and regret not working out.
I try to play the most pumped up tunes in my car at full blast before I hit the gym plus down a pre workout supp if needed on those unmotivated days.
I agree with Tony when he says taking a week off once in a while. After the week’s up, I’m just itching to get in there and throw around some iron. Also, some people may have some kind of subconscious fear when it comes to their lifts. Especially a massive squat. What I do is convince myself that I’m some sort of supernatural being outside of my body, but I still have full control of it. I just go to the rack and say “Let’s see how much I can make this son-of-a-bitch work” and sadistically laugh to myself throughout the burn. A little peculiar (just warning you, you may get some looks), but then again, it works wonders for me.
There are several motivators that I use to get to the gym, depending on my mood.
My most powerful motivator is to be a master of my actions and behavior. By forcing myself to do something, even if unpleasant, I become stronger in that my mind controls my body.
The next most significant motivator is the desire to be healthy. I’m 18 years old, but my family has a history of diabetes and heart disease. I am very proactive in making sure I don’t go down this path.
Finally, I want my physical appearance to reflect my mastery of myself, and I want it to be a symbol of my vitality. I take it as a personal challenge to become very fit looking to prove to myself (and to girls) that I am indeed a master of myself and very vital and healthy.
Along the way, nothing works better than a plan/schedule with clearly defined goals where progress can be checked objectively and regularly. Nothing has helped me as much as keeping a training log has.
I know it sounds terrible, but whenever I don’t feel like going to the gym after work I take a look at the people around me who clearly aren’t even thinking of going. My desire to set myself apart– in this case as exceptionally fit, exceptionally healthy– usually overrides the tendency toward laziness. I do the same thing if I feel like cutting my workout short or not going as hard. I take a look around. If I want to be better than average, then I have to make a better than average effort.
I look in the mirror & think to myself: ‘Am I pleased with what I see?’. If the answer is yes, I don’t go to the gym.
Try switching what time you work out - I used to exercise in the evening, then I switched to morning workouts and my enthusiasm got a huge boost.
Nutrition is a huge thing too, like you mention in the blog - if I don’t eat that well, I don’t have a good workout. I eat a bowl of oats and milk beforehand, orange juice during (sometimes), and a nice PWO shake afterward.
Then there’s chemical methods - I personally have never tried any pre-workout supplement bar caffeine pills - but I’ve heard positive things about a couple of pump products. Caffeine pills do work wonders though (obviously stay away if you have heart problems) for me in the AM.
After lifting for awhile I feel crappy when I don’t work out. Also when I’m at work, I’m dying to go to the gym even when it’s my off day. It becomes a habit, and I love the intensity of the workouts, always trying to go past my limit.
That’s what motivates me to workout.
I like to use music to fire me up for a work out, and I like to listen to some of my favorite PODcasts, or audio books while doing cardio ( since I can’t stand cardio, but have some fat to lose). Since the gym is the only time I get to listen to this kind of stuff I generally look forward to going.
My motivation is to not be motivated. The word motivation to me means that I need to do something that I naturally don’t want to do. Motivation means I need to convince myself to go to the gym and work out. Motivation means I need to convince myself to not eat crap food. If I need to be convinced, that means that I have a lot of resistance. The harder I fight my resistance, the harder resistance fights back.
The trick that has worked for me is to mentally become what I want to be. What do I want to be? Fit. What do fit people do? Eat well and exercise well.
Do you need to motivate yourself to pee first thing in the morning? No. You just do it because that is what you do. There is no self rationalizing, “Oh, I don’t have to pee today, I’ll just start peeing tomorrow.” There is no resistance when I’m in a pattern where I just “am” (for lack of a better word).
I go to workout in the morning before work, because that is what I do. The days (or weeks
) that I don’t go to workout, it is because it’s what I think I need to do.
Transform your mind, and it will become so in the physical. You are not someone who needs to be motivated to workout, you are just some who works out.
This sounds quite familiar to me! I have quite soms days when I have a hard time motivating myself and when I feel weak and tired.
For me this is when I are stalled on my lifts. I get my motivation from setting PR’s. Usually I just change an excercise or two and the fun starts coming back! You have to learn the technique and the first weeks you get stronger every training! I stalled on my machine crunch for example, I replaced them for Dragon Flags and I can hardly wait to train my abs again!
Same for deadlifts; replace them for sumo deadlifts for a while. Bench Press; do them incline or with dumbbells. Go frontsquatting for a few weeks instead of the regular squat!
For me the key to keeping myself motivated is keep making progress.
I’ve found it pretty easy to stay motivated on SL 5×5. I think I’ve missed 4 workouts in 11 weeks. I find I’m pumped every lifting day by either:
#1) Achieving a new PR on a 5×5 feels awesome and I want to go farther
#2) I failed last time on a 5×5 and want to break through this time (feels awesome when you do)
#3) I am deloading so I know the weight will feel light, and I am excited to be able to refocus on technique and lift hard and fast to get the strength I need to break through where I had to previously deload.
I find motivation a bit harder for doing cardio type activity on non-lifting days, especially since it’s been raining non-stop for weeks here so trail running is currently out of the picture.
Get yourself a training partner! If it wasn’t for going to the gym with a good friend of mine, I’d probably not go at all. We keep each other motivated and if I’m ever feeling off it, he’ll drag me there anyway; and visa versa. Having a like minded training partner is my motivation.
change your training! you need to enjoy your time in the gym to progress.
TRY THIS - exercise 6 days per week, resting sunday.
what this does for me is allow my workouts to be short and sweet.
after a hard days work the last thing you want to look foward to is a grueling 2 hour workout. no enthusiasm there. chances are you wont be in the right frame of mind or worse you will skip the session. you can do two body parts in 45 minutes without rushing. also note i said exercise. you dont have to lift weights 6 days a week. 3 of those days you can just do abdominals, streching, running, boxing or have a light weights day, anything goes. do something you enjoy. it will help you recover.
you may think you will overtrain. you wont. your body will recover quicker from a 45 min weights session than a 2 hour one.
i personaly have got alot stronger in the last 2 months taking this approach. despite adding 18 miles of running to my weekly programe.
try it, i hope it works for you,
mark.
p.s sorry for my spelling
How to motivate? I just look at this website called Stronglifts.com and I’m pumped to go. I hear it’s full of good info
I schedule to work out before or right after work. If you allow yourself not to go, you won’t. If you make it a part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth, you will go. Plus if you go before work, you can go home or out and pursue other interests.
@Pete M
I wish! I can’t seem to keep a training partner for more than a couple of weeks.
At first, it was to reach goals. Now, it just “has to be done”. Like eating, sleeping, etc..
For me it’s remembering what it was like to NOT be healthy. I have a scar and a mental cue that always reminds me how physically ill I was at one point in my life.
So instead of ‘convincing’ or ‘motivating’ myself to go workout, I simply remember what it was like to not. How difficult it was to pick up a glass of water. How driving my car was hard, due to turing the steering wheel.
Being thankful I’m healthy enough to work at being better.
If you woke up breathing this morning, congratulations you get another chance.
Motivation comes from within, no matter how many people scream at you, or give you wonderful eloquent quotes, or talk about other individuals life challenges. At the beginning of the day, there is only one person looking back at you in the mirror.
Best of luck.
I asked this question a while back to other people at the gym.
Question: ‘It’s a friday night, what are you doing here?’
The reply was: ‘Same reason why you’re here.’
And my reason was that I wasn’t content on being average. Hey, it’d be easy if it was.
Also, to a lesser extent:
2. I go because if I don’t go, I’d be losing money. Subscription to the membership is already paid.
I take baby steps in my thinking. When I need to go to the gym, I don’t think about what I am going to do there, how I am going to perform. I am just going to a location, for me it’s not that far so it’s not big deal.
So, when I am going to the gym, I don’t think about working out before or during the trip. My only goal is to just get there, not thinking about what’s going to come after.
Once I get there, it’s pretty easy. I’m not gonna have come all the way to the gym and just come back not having done shit. I’ll start my squat warm up sets. Once I warmed, it’s the same thing, I won’t stop there because then there was no point to warming up. In that progression I end up getting through each workout.
Personally speaking, when I feel this way, it’s almost always because I had a bad night, where I had trouble sleeping, or I didn’t eat well(skipped meals, etc).
Know your body. I know mine. Again, I miss workouts because I didn’t get enough rest, or I didn’t eat enough. If I did sleep well and ate properly, then my body is probably running down after weeks of training and I need to back off. A week’s rest is vital, not only physically, but mentally. You’ll feel recharged and may lift more than you did previously.
It all depends on you. I know that I come up with excuses not to work out, so avoid this type of thinking. It’s also a key to limit the length of time you work out. Long, drawn out work out sessions can play havoc with your mental state, making you absolutely hate going to the gym.
Mates are one of the best motivators.
)
If I’m not in the mood for lifting then my mates will get me there and then pump me. In no time I’ll be catching their vibe and ready for action.
And vice versa… If one of your mates is talking about how they can’t be bothered, they’ve had a crap day at work etc… tell them that a good session will have them feeling much better afterwards (and if that doesn’t work, beg them cos you need someone to spot you for the next massive set you’re going to try!
In short, strength training isn’t just about health it will help you a lot in athletic events. It becomes very useful in gymnastics and swimming, two sports which I take part in. You’ll come out with better athletic abilities from the strength workout. Over all gymnastics will help develop your body even further in endurance, strength, power, and flexibility, however you will want to supplement some of the work to make high-effort sports like gymnastics easier for you. Also being the only guy who goes to my gymnastics class I get to meet a lot of really, really gorgeous tight girls, and strength training helps me look my best and perform my best. Pete M has the right idea. Getting a training partner will help you focus on the goal. In my high school we used to train in the weight room and we would have friendly competitions to see who could beat a 220 lb zeroed squat by let’s say two weeks. Competition is a useful tool when you want to stay focused and committed to training. So all in all, motivation: taking part in sports, impressing the ladies, and friendly competition.
After I got leaner by exercise, I looked better, and got rid of many health problems linked to my obesity, including hypertension, sleep apnea, and vertigo.
The health benefits motivate me to maintain (and even improve) my lean %. Plus, chicks find me as their eye candy.
The point about not allowing your mind to play tricks on you is key. I quit smoking three years ago, and the key to doing that was to recognise that both your mind and body can come up with excuses, rationalisations, et. at. to justify reaching for that one cigarette. On earlier tries, I would even break out in acne, and the next cigarette would be “medicinal”. On the final attempt, I just saw through all the excuses, and I was free!
Same thing with training — tired, low strength, “no motivation”, “is this stuff really needed” etc are all tricks. See through them!
My main motivation was to look good physically but every once in while I will loss my motivation. Then only factor that gets back me on track was POST WORKOUT MEAL. I just workout during those days for the sake of heavy POST WORKOUT MEAL. hahaha
Stick a Rocky film on. Great inspiration right there.
My motivation to go to the gym is really simple… I just love it. I love working out, I love building my body, I love getting stronger and beat my previous lifts. I love the sweat, the sore muscles, the DOMS, the light headidness when you lift, everything of it. But that’s just me I even love being hungry.
I still get a bit jealous when I see someone outlift me, or someone walking around in a better condition then I am. Jealousy is just a precursor for wanting, so that leaves me with just do what it takes to get the thing I want.
When working out, or dieting I do what I like best. I choose my diet, my food, my workouts to suit me preference. I like knowing why I should do things. I like understanding these things, and understanding gives me more motivation to do them, because I know why I do them and what it effect will be. I don’t eat stuff I don’t like, I don’t do exercises I don’t like. There’s no need for me to do them, which makes it way easier to do what needs to be done.
I drink NO Explode before gym it has caffeine so it deals with laziness petty good plus many more nutrients.
i just shout to myself “DO WORK SON !” and I go lift heavy weights
I just touch my belly blubber and feel that and inch underneath it is a plate of rock hard muscle, wich might appear if I stay on track or sink further into fat
Motivation has always been an issue, otherwise I would have the body I’ve always wanted already and would not have to work as hard. My motivation is fueled by 2 major factors: 1. Results and 2. Friendly Competition.
1. When I see what happens after 2 weeks of eating clean and training hard, I want to see what another 2 weeks will bring.
2. I found some friends on the forum with whom I can compare stats and PR’s. We have a friendly competition on where we are in the program. Who has better dips, who squats more, etc. It is both fun an motivating.
Another motivation for me which is more of a perk than anything is the additional “affection” I get from my wife now that my arms and shoulders have gotten bigger!
The best motivation are the words that come from Mehdi, when it is all said and done!
I ran into the same problem after a vacation back in late Feb early March. I had taken a week off from training and it was hard to get back into it. There was a post from 3/7/08 that hit home. (My sister has Spina Bifida and is paralyzed from the waste down). That was when I realized I had no excuses. Plug into that post and watch it. It reminds us how lucky we are to have the mobility to do a full work out w/o having to compensate for physical challenges that other people have on a daily basis.
As for the overhead press stall. Go back to Mehdi’s rule of thumb: Three time stall then deload. (I ended up having to do the same with the overhead press) Just keep in mind the long term goal. Make sure the nutrition is right as well. I just started the Precision Nutrition program and this has given me huge insight as to where I was going wrong, and why I think I stalled.
First of all, when you are absent for quite some time, the best way to go to the gym is to “just go”. Simple. Working. The “Just Go - Don’t rationalize” statement of yours, Mehdi, is absolutely true.
Now, personally, I’m having a daily routine of going to the gym since I started 6 months ago. I go 5 times per week. I would like some advice about how NOT to go to the gym rather than how to go ( :p ). Now really, if I take a rest for a day and the next day is Sunday (that means… taking a rest on Saturday (lol) ) I feel sick because the gym is closed. I don’t feel good when I’m absent for more than one day. So, making the gym a good routine is probably the best way to keep yourself going there.
Of course overdoing it isn’t any good either.
Every day that I skip going to the gym, I spit into a jar. At the end of each month I drink the contents of the jar. This is my motivation.
Why? Because you can sit around all day reading articles, looking at pictures etc. but the more you do that the more that cognitive dissonance grows, until it become unbearalble. The only way you can live life and make things happen is by doing. The only way you can get strong is by actually training, not watching tv, or internet or whatever. Books and articles are only to point the way and give suggestions. If you don’t actually do the stuff… well, we all know what happens.
Great quote, if you want what other people don’t have, you have to do what they do not.
How I stay motivated:
-Getting stronger, hitting new PR’s.
-Making gains, looking better.
-Discipline, knowing that if I skip a workout I’ll be down on myself and I can’t let that happen.
-Lastly, it’s fun! I simply enjoy working out!
JUST DO IT….as the Nike ad said.
Some days I just plain don’t feel like going to the gym. Coming off work…its 5:30pm and I have zero energy. Train your mind to go…go on auto-pilot and drive to the gym. Hump through the workout..reduce the weight as Medhi said and stick to it.
You will feel a lot better after and have more energy. Plus you will feed good knowing you sucked it up and went. I always have a greater appreciation of the workout when I know I just did not feel like going. I might not have put up the most weight or reach my goal for that workout, but its more rewarding and i know next time I will.
The fear of becoming what some of somewhat older coworkers have become, unfit, and disappointed with some things in life drives me, to overcome the lack of sleep, the immobility in an office for up to 14 hours a day, to spend an hour moving, feeling alive again. Thats what motivates me.
I make going to the gym a priority. I’ll go in the morning if I can, if I can’t I hit the gym in the afternoon on my way home from work. I’ll go at night if my family needs me in the afternoon. Lifting the weights is like brushing my teeth I never fail to go 3 days a week.
Going to the gym is a life long commitment to looking great and feeling excellent. I do it so that 10 years from now I will still be able to keep up with my sons. I do it so my wife will still find me attractive at 60. I do it to ward off diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. I have a pedestal man, the person I want to look like, and I don’t look like that yet. I’m lifting the weights for my sons, my wife, and me. I have a ton of reasons to go and no reason not to.
i always make sure i get my workout in. if i feel weak i go a bit lighter that workout but i always show up. no matter what, i show up. If i am depressed i know of no better cure than workout through it with a heavy workout! this is fantastic advice, about training like a pro. a pro can’t affored not to practice his professoin. a pro has to be there no matter what.
again, great advice!
I’m in the same boat as you are. Motivation is key and it’s ridiculous how my mind will talk me out of going to the gym, eating right and everything else I’ve applied toward my goals. The key is indeed not over-thinking and just doing it. I find if I just walk the walk and ignore my head I get more done. Best of luck to you, it’s reassuring to know there are others who find it as challenging as I do.
- Mike
I’m a middle-aged guy who started doing triathlons a couple of years ago after a buddy of mine died of leukemia (see http://www.teamintraining.org). I’m not terribly strong or athletically gifted (far from it!) but when I’m suffering in the gym, I know it’s in preparation for a race & why I’m doing it.
Still, there are times when it is tough to make it in. If my body needs an extra day to recover (say from a big workout, or after a bad night’s sleep), I’ll take it. Perhaps I’ll do some light cardio or even a long walk instead. The idea is to get fit; if I hurt myself trying to maintain a schedule, I’ll defeat my long-term goal.
The hazard is missing a week’s worth of workouts. Getting back in the habit is always the toughest part. I find the stronglifts community the next best thing to a training partner, with its constant encouragement & tips.
Breaking free of the regular routine workout and telling myself that I’m going to the gym to have fun helps. I even begin thinking about the wonderful ladies that I would get to see.
Once at the gym, I try to do a random set of excercises, in no particular order - usually the excercises I love most. I sometimes even end up getting a whole body workout in the process.
To me lifting is kind of like an addiction. If I take off more than two days I feel the withdrawl. I don’t think I’ve skipped more than 4 days in a row from lifting for nearly 7 years. But I do have my fair share of bad days or days where I have to work around a particular injury. Those days in my opinion are better than the days you feel great and running on all cylinders. Yeah you may not lift as much but in your mind you feel you can take on anything…including your body and mind. Sometimes I convince myself of not even thinking about it while I’m lifting during the bad days and soon enough it’s been an hour and I’ve gone thru all the lifts. Point is those bad days can really tell you what your made of.
Step 1: Take your clothes off.
Step 2: Take a picture of yourself naked.
Step 3: Head to gym after cursing and demoralizing yourself.
Step 4: Listen to favorite music on way too gym.
Step 5: Go CRAZY!
Great comments so far. I don’t have trouble motivating myself to go to the gym or exercise, my trouble is with eating healthy.
As far as motivation for the gym, go on Youtube and search for Ronnie Coleman. I don’t want to look like the guy, but the stuff he yells in his workouts is hilarious and motivates me to lift some peanuts. Yeah buddy! Light weight!
I need motivation NOT to go to the gym. With a few obvious exceptions, training is the BEST part of my day!
Alex - your comment about spitting in a jar every time you skip the gym and then drinking the contents of the jar at the end of the month - that is both disgusting and very clever at the same time. Just the thought of having to drink that jar is making me sick…unless of course there is never any spit in it! Good motivation tool.
I get my motivation on many ways.
First I think on after the weight lifting session, I usually feel great after doing my workout, so I set my mind on how well I will feel once the workout is finished.
Checking my training log sometimes helps too. I get back to 6 months or even a year ago, I read the weights I was lifting then and now and this motivates me.
I also own a blog in spanish about weightlifting. I say to myself: “How can you write about weightlifting if you are not consistent with your own training?”
I also think about transforming my body as a way to honor God and that motivates me.
Finally is a way to test willpower at times. I think : “are you going to lose against a bunch of iron? Come on!”.
Ronnie’s videos are a great motivation too!!!
I’m in the “just go” camp. Asking me how I get motivated to work out is like asking me how I get motivated to shower in the morning. It’s just something I do, and if I don’t get to do it I become unbearable.
The desire to stay healthy and be physically fit so I can enjoy my athletic endvours is my main reason for all of the work I put in, so I remember back to when I was fat, out of shape and weak, then I remember I lost 50 pounds last year and so far this year I have put on about 10 pounds of muscle and I see my goals coming and going and thats all that I need.
Icevermin, a lot of great posts already, and a lot of great suggestions by posters. A couple things I remember:
1. A professional is someone who does a good job even when he/she doesn’t feel like it. No matter what profession you work in or sport you play, think of those who are always on top of their game. There are days when they don’t FEEL like giving 100% but do it anyway.
2. I too have stalled from time to time and have worked through those using Mehdi’s de-loading techniques. At least once a week I am stalling on one lift or another so I know I’m working at or near my limit. However, my growth has been steady and I’ve already achieved certain goals and have set new ones. From your original post it sounds like you have progressed well too - give yourself some credit for results achieved already and set some new goals.
3. Even if you’re not setting PRs or using the same weight because of injury, lethargy, or lack of motivation, if you get to the gym and lift SOMETHING it’s better than nothing. There have been days when I was convinced I was tired and couldn’t lift much and when I got to the gym and started lifting I had one of the best workouts ever. Like Mehdi said, my mind was playing tricks on me, trying to convince me I wasn’t going to do very well.
Things that work for me:
1) Watching videos of people working out and lifting huge weight. Seeing someone perfectly squat with five plates on each side with the bar slightly bending on their back makes me motivated enough to go to the gym and work to achieve similar strength gains.
2) Setting goals. Goals give direction and help you strive to achieve. Plus it feels completely satisfying when goals are reached.
3) Training partners. They help to motivate you and provide assistance and support. They also provide enough guilt when you bail out of a work out session and leave them hanging that you won’t want to disappoint them again.
4) Summertime. Summertime means beaches, pools, and less clothing so I work in the gym to increase muscularity and get rid of the belly fat (coming along very slowly).
I had no idea what motivational tools we women can be at the gym!!
Too bad that more people aren’t into eating healthy, working out (and loving it!) and looking good! Keep up the great stuff!!
My gym is downstairs. I’ll go down there and sit on my bench and read Starting Strength. Before too long I get inspired to actually start lifting.
I find I have the same problem after taking a long time off (more than just a few days). That first trip back to the gym is really hard; I make up all kinds of excuses as to why I can’t go (too much work, too tired…). I’ve found it helps to just get out and do something, anything; even if you have to really take it easy the first time so it doesn’t seem so daunting and impossible. Then your body will remember how good it feels to work out, and it won’t be so hard to go back the next time!
Man I would kill for my own home gym.
Just the basics are enough, a pullup bar, olympic bar, some weight, a bench…
don’t be a wuss
This is a really great subject to address. This website is also very imformative and I am glad I stumbled on it about a year ago. After lifting weights for the last 20yrs I have run into this problem many times. Usually what works best for me is to restablish why I am working out in the first place. If you have ever been serious about lifting weights for a decent amout of time (hit the wall) then you know what I mean. I also try new way’s of training. Instead of power lifting and all the injuries that come with it I try going lighter for a while. I have found HIT training pretty rewarding also. If your looking for pure power strength or competeing than this isn’t going to help but if your just wanting to work out this is a challangeing alternative.
“I believe that your attitude, enthusiasm and expectations towards your workouts pretty much dictate the results you achieve. Henry Ford summed it up when he said, “If you think you can, or if you think you can’t, either way you will be right.” This has pretty much been demonstrated and reinforced by just about every great human achievement in history. The good news is that you can control your attitude and expectations to a large degree. The mental preparation and expectation begins shortly after a workout is completed. Take a few minutes to evaluate the training session and then jot down some specific goals you wish to accomplish in the next session. I continue to be amazed by how few people will take the time to use written goals in their training program. Write the goals on an index card or a post-it note and stick it on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator or some other place where you will frequently see it. The human mind cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imagined so it’s important to spend some time mentally rehearsing your workout. When you enter the gym, you must expect and literally demand a good workout, rather than in just hoping and wishing for one. You have to develop and maintain the proper mental toughness and discipline which is necessary for you to reach your own potential. This toughness is largely the ability to deal with pain, fatigue and discomfort associated with hard and progressive training. There are tens of thousands of people who want better strength, development and conditioning and they are totally committed to spending two or more hours a day, six days a week in training, they are willing to buy supplements, equipment, they are willing to do just about anything……except to include and embrace pain, fatigue and discomfort as necessary in their training. In fact, everything they do, everything they buy, every excuse they make is to avoid pain, fatigue and discomfort at all costs. The closest thing that I know to a “lifting secret” is this: Once you are willing to be uncomfortable at times in your workout, it does not take long for you to get used to it, in fact you may look forward to it and thrive on it. This is when you will embark on the journey to achieving the potential that lies within you.”
Keith Wassung
Two alternatives-
1. Get to the gym and add the recommended poundage but no more. If you get a good night’s sleep the previous night and are eating right, you may find its your best workout. Sometimes after literally dragging my carcas to the gym I end up having a great workout.
2. If that doesn’t happen, shut it down completely for a week. Rest, hydrate, and eat well (no garbage, lots of FFV and lean proteins. Stretch and maybe light calisthenics. On the next Monday, de-load but get back after it. I did that when I got sick 10 weeks into a new routine-1 week sick, one hurt, and now moving the weights back up.
When I feel like not going to the gym I wake up and go. On my way there I talk to myself, reminding me that the worst thing that can happen is not going, because that skipping workout will increase exponentially the risk of not going next day and so on.
When I get to the gym I make a truce, that means I will do as much as possible wether the workout happens to be a lame one or a good one. It doesn’t matter. I am there and might as well do it. Squats, being the first thing, are usually crappy on those days, however, the rest starts to make me feel a bit better.
By the time I am done feel better, not high or pumped, just enough to realize the “autocrab” did not get me.
But the best part is later in the day. As time goes by I realize the workout was not that dreadfull, crappy, sh***y, or whatever you want to call it, it was a good workout because I did it, and if that was a bad gym day I cannot wait for the good ones to come!
I think it’s important to not become obsessed by gains etc. Gains are unpredictable, sometimes they come easy, sometimes they don’t come at all. When you stall, it can be frustrating when you can’t think of a reason why. I tend to look at every detail and try to fix it, getting too frustrated over something that is hard to control. Right now I’m trying to look at the bigger picture, the weight/strenght I might lose will eventually come back to me with interest. Realising when you need to rest is just as important as lifting itself. Believe in yourself, it will be ok…and sometimes focus on other things.
Not really how I motivate myself in the gym, but a lesson I recently learned. I took a week off, actually regaining weight and strenght by resting.
sorry if i’m repeating anything by other people BUT:
keep in mind that sometimes just going to the gym period is more important than what you do there, just to keep up the habit. so you can say to yourself “okay i’ll just drive there and go on the eliptical for a couple minutes, easy” because it always feels good to get out of the house. when i go for a smaller workout i end up doing a longer one as always because i just get addicted and must do more more more!
it will quickly get easier and easier to go because you get addicted to the good feeling you get during and after a workout =)
looking at sites like stronglifts and going with a friend also helps
Listen to music you enjoy when working out if you are feeling lazy. The music will get you pumped up and ready and it will distract your mind from excuses. Music will help you just do it. Afterwards you will feel better that you didn’t skip the work out.
Unless you’ve got to have solitude…
1. Find a workout partner that you don’t mind being around. (My brother-in-law is mine)
2. Set a time.
3. Give your partner hell when he skips.
You’ll go consistently because:
1. You like lifting, the results from it, and you enjoy the company.
2. Spotters help you lift more/check you form (placebo effect or not).
3. It’s a lot easier to let yourself down than your friend.
Think about why you choose this lifestyle. Few succeed and many fail strictly because this lifestyle is a constant test of your resolve and your inner strength.
I like to read articles on animalpak.com or t-nation. I have quotes and pictures pinned to a book which i look at for inspiration.
What a lot of people fail to do is to plan their workouts. So at least have a basic plan or structure that you can work with. Otherwise training becomes monotonous and you waste a serious amount of time.
When i don’t feel like training, i just force myself to go in. There have been times when i’ve had hardly any sleep or food but still forced myself to training and hit pb’s on those days. But there have also been days when i’ve gone in and had a bad training session, however those sessions pissed me off so much they caused me to refocus and pushed me back on track again.
I once had a job that required me to travel a lot around the country, the first thing i would do is find out the nearest gym no matter where i was in the country. I would will myself to find a gym somewhere. I frequently worked construction for 10 hours, gone in and still squatted heavy.
There were times when i had football practice in a different county. I would take the 2hr train straight after work carrying all my pads, train for two hours and take the two hr journey back and get ready for work the next day at 8am. But i never really felt tired, because here i was distinguishing myself from the rest, like a hero who has more on his back then most can imagine, but he nevertheless perseveres. Going round, going through, going under, going over obstacles, however he can.
Don’t allow yourself excuses. Even when you are entitled to one, dismiss it, slap yourself around the face.
Arnold said: It is not strength that makes you strong, it is going through struggles and beating them that makes you stronger.
-A good partner will get you in gear when you are haveing a crapy day or week and you will do the same for them.
-I big on supplements, a few products get me going even when I dont want to go.
-I can never forget why I go in the first place…….. to be all I can be!
I haven’t been working out for long and for the first 5 months or so I didn’t make much noticeable progress, so it was difficult to keep going. After doing some research as Mendhi always recommends, I think I’ve found a way forward that is right for me. This is mostly evident to me because friends and family have commented about me having big/bigger arms and shoulders, and wondering how that has happened (I don’t tell anyone I train at home with a few weights and a bench). I therefore inadvertently became motivated towards getting/sustaining these flattering comments from people (shallow but it works). I read a lot of comments about being motivated just to GO to the gym, and if I had to go to a gym I think my laziness would hinder me, so if you’re like me I would suggest getting a home gym as it’s a lot easier start your work out, and fit in with your life. Walking into the room and just looking at the weights is almost motivating. I also find reading all the newsletters and links from Stronglifts interesting and inspiring when you realize what is possible. Different people have their own inspirations and motivations, and ultimately you have to ask yourself what is your ultimate goal and focus on that every day.
Sorry, one other comment. I too have suffered with losing motivation only after a period of missing a session/sessions. I therefore try everything possible never to miss a session - changing social appointments to suit, getting up early especially to fit it in, when I’m at work doing it at lunch time to fit it in, timing drinking sessions so that hangovers never impede, and lastly when I’m on holiday improvising with loads of bottles of water, press ups, pull ups etc! One thing I’ve learned is I can’t afford to miss a session, ever. This has then became an obsession which has sustained me through difficult days - the challenge/goal is not missing a session.
I just tell myself that you’ve just gotta get there then someone else will do the training for you. Then just tell yourself you’ve just gotta get through your warm-up set. Once you get to that point you’re raring to go physically and emotionally anyway so you dont mind ‘lying’ to yourself cos it feels like someone else actually is taking over. If your not raring to go by this point its probably a good indication you’ve picked up a cold or something at which point you should do some light sets and anyway and see if it progresses. I might seem like some weird sports induced schitzophreniac but its always worked for me and I havent missed a session other than through injury in over a decade. If anyone else thinks this way let me know.
I generally have a problem with not working out so motivation is not so much an issue. With that said, I have had one or two instance in the last six months of not wanting to work out. I rationalized not working out since I had not really been taking a break at all and my “attendance record” was above 90%.
Recently, I have been working hard (even took a week of vacation) remodelling a room in our house and doing other home projects. I had a deadline to meet and worked 10-12 hours per day plus had other family obligations. I have been physically and mentally tired from this.
It was clear that I was not going to be able to do SL5×5 or start my intermediate training program for a two week period while doing this work. Rather than letting this get me down, I instead made sure that I did some other exercises that I could quickly do when I had a chance: pushups, chin-ups, pull-ups, pistol squats, reverse crunches, brick pinches and brick curls.
So, I think I am saying the same as some other replies in that if you can’t do your regular workout…at least do something physical. Don’t sit on the couch munching on chips and drinking beer wishing you were motivated to work out.
I think of my skinny jeans! I picture myself wearing them with ease and that’s motivation enough for me to hit the gym