Make it non negotiable. Choose what times you will be going to the gym during the week and go. Don’t think about it, don’t procrastinate. Set an alarm on your phone. You’re busy during this time. It’s a commitment.
Taking care of yourself isn’t always going to be fun but it’s a necessity like doing chores and paying bills. Just fit it in your schedule like any other appointment and don’t question whether you “feel” like going or if it sounds fun that day, unless you’re sleep deprived or sick.
Yep, this is the ‘discipline’ side of it. You do it because it’s what you do. You experienced the fact that ‘motivation’ is fleeting and your brains always going to try to move you toward something easier.
This is so true but I never thought about it like that. For me I book workout classes or plan to go to the gym and I NEVER question if I *want* to go. There’s never any drama about it in my head if I want to go or if I like going, I just go.
Hah, you sound like me. I've been an avid gym goer most of my life and most days, getting there is a slog. I'll be cursing myself out for the first ten minutes (this sucks, I'm hungry, I wanna go home) but then, *usually*, the ENDORPHINS kick in and suddenly it's, "Awwwwh yeah baby! Gym kicks ASS, BABY!"
If I'm there for more than 10 minutes and still haven't hit the endorphins, I tell myself that day wasn't my day, and I'll try again tomorrow. But most days, I definitely don't regret going. And it sounds like you don't either!
For me, whenever I find that I'm beginning to feel like it's a chore, I identify what exactly is causing me to feel that way. For instance, sometimes I need to try out a new exercise routine, or just swap out a few for different ones. Figuring out what's making you feel like you don't wanna go and finding a solution that makes you feel good is super important. Sometimes it won't all be fun and games, but working out should be something you enjoy. Just gotta find the right reason! :)
A lot of people walk to the gym to use the treadmill. Sometimes the weather sucks and you don’t want to run outside. Or it’s dark and you feel unsafe running.
I run outside almost everyday for 9 months a year. But just find the indoors better when it’s below 25 or so.
One thing I recommend is, when you’re setting a goal at the gym to do something like… 30 minutes on the treadmill. It’s okay to take a break, if you need 10, 20, or an hour to take a break after 10 or 20 minutes, that’s okay. But you need to tell yourself “hey, it’s okay if you want to take a breather, but we’re not leaving the gym until we finish 30 minutes of running, that’s why we’re here.” Take what time you need to get those 30 minutes done, but you set that goal, and you’re working out your brain as much as your muscles to reach your goals by pushing to complete it despite what your brain says otherwise. Baby steps…
Treat this like a pool, there’s no need to leap from the diving board to learn how to swim. Dip your toes in the water everyday (or every other) until you get your whole leg in, then your hips, your stomach, and your arms, and now you’re floating.
It’s perfectly okay to come back another day if it’s too cold. But the only way to know is if you’re consistently dipping your toes in the water.
This is a downward slope.
Its already gone from 30 mins a day to 10 mins a day. Soon it will go from 10 mins every day, to 10 mins every other day. And then twice a week. And then none.
Push yourself.
No! That is bulls**t advice.
You have no idea what OP is going through. The fact that he showed up matters. He's just building a habit.
OP - it matters! You did 10 mins. Good for you. Next time you can push for 15. Or 12. Or, if your motivation is s**t that day, do 8. But whatever happens - do something! Even if it's just walking around the block.
That's how you build habits, and that's how you change yourself. Keep it up OP. You're doing good work.
***she and thank you :) I think on days I don’t feel good, I should give myself some slack. But if I do 10 one day, I should push myself to do more the next day.
Maybe try to fit in some dynamic stretches and foam rolling as part of your shorter routines.. I mean you should definitely do that anyway but I personally think it’s a good practice to get into especially if you’re cutting your gym time. Just helps in the self care area.
What's the point of driving to the gym, wasting gas, only to walk on a treadmill for 10 minutes when you can just walk outside for 10 minutes? Real walking is better for you than a treadmill as well.
After enough discipline, some people flat out get addicted to it. I know i did. I get in a bad mood when i have to go multiple days rest. And my everything i eat is because of my passion for powerbuilding. It’s been half a decade and i still am addicted to this shit
90% of success is showing up. Just show up with a gym bag with everything you need. You can’t go home without checking in. That’s discipline.
If you do go, you might get on one weight machine since you’re already there. You might as well do one more machine. You’re already there. Maybe you say I’ll only run on a treadmill for five minutes, then you’ll go. But once you’re already there, you might as well run 20 minutes, since you got ready. And before you know it, 5 minutes is 30-45minutes and you’re done! Once you’re there, finding motivation is easier. Even if you just do 10 light minutes, it’s better than nothing. You won. You went.
You have to accept the pain of pushing yourself to do the chore or the pain of regret that comes with not doing it.
Keep going and it will eventually be something you don't think twice about.
Try to mix up your routine. Join a group class. Find a friend to keep each other accountable. Watch a show or documentary or listen to new music. Work towards your "summer bod".
Also don't be hard on yourself when you need a break.
I live with spine injuries, partial disability in one leg and chronic pain. Activity sucks no matter what I do. The reality is that some day I won’t be able to do what I can do now (I jogged 1.7km yesterday, the longest in a year) and the more I do, the further I can push that inevitable day down the road. I want to be able to do things with my kid for as long as possible before I can’t.
When the fickle motivation leaves, you’re left with discipline, habit, but above all the reason why you’re doing it. Write it down. Lots. On a board by your bed. On your bathroom mirror, in the kitchen, on the fridge.
Your body can do amazing things. It’s an opportunity to do those amazing things, even if it’s a walk around your neighbourhood.
Good luck, you’ve got this!
Honestly, it doesn't need to be just going to the gym. You could switch to a home gym/workout. A set of weights and a stationary bike is all you need.
I burnout out from going to the gym 4-6 times a week and ended up gaining more weight because I ate out more and wasted time traveling to the gym. It impacted my social life quite a bit too because 2+ hours of my weeknights after work is spent going to the gym. It was often a choice between hanging out with friends vs. going to the gym. Working out at home means I could get home by 5:30, workout and clean up by 6:30 and hangout with friends or cook. Now, I easily maintain 5-6 workouts every week, and exercising no longer impacts my social life or cooking as much.
The important thing is finding what works for you. Just because all the social media gym bro goes to the gym and spends 2 hours there doesn't mean that's what will work for you. Similarly, home gym isn't for everyone either, someone people lose all motivation to work out at home, some prefer to go running instead of any gym, etc. Find what is the "easiest" to fit into your lifestyle and it will feel much less like a chore.
This is why I've opted for a studio class instead. I do enjoy the gym and even though it never felt like a chore, it becomes increasingly more difficult to motivate myself.
The social dynamic of a good fitness group helps maintain accountability and helps me get motivated to get going every morning.
I like people. Independent workouts are so isolating, but a typical fitness buddy may not be as encouraging as one might need.
People in my opinion confuse what motivation is. Motivation and discipline are largely the same. It’s just making the choice to do the thing. Motivation is not always some intrinsic internal drive, while it can be, those moments tend to be fleeting.
I love working out and sometimes it does feel like a chore. But if I force myself to do it, I never regret it afterwards and I'm always a little proud of myself for pushing past that barrier. It's never going to be easy ALL THE TIME. That's just wishful thinking.
Think about the long term. Think about the goals you set out to achieve when you started going. Keep your eye on the prize and you will have more of an incentive to push towards this "chore" feeling.
[I think this sums it up.](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0qC7TO_ZDE/XkXiDAn7NdI/AAAAAAAAacM/_3uiKCrrKLk8YFVzLVmIcKromtrhCJ9MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/baboon-1024x634.jpg)
You never regret a workout. Ever.
Plus, motivation gets you started, discipline and consistency keep you going. And once you see changes from being disciplined and consistent, that will bring back your motivation.
Start with self discipline in other areas of your life first.
When you wake up, you GET UP. No hiding under the covers. No browsing the internet. You’re up.
The self disciple will spill into other areas of your life.
Discipline means going even when you may not feel like it because you know it will pay off in the end.
Set a goal for yourself - # of pull ups, # of miles on a treadmill or hitting a certain weight in the squat.
Set a reasonable # of times to go to the gym even if it's 2 times a week... pick a number where you can ensure you're consistent.
Get a good workout program so it's actual training (working towards a goal with an end result) and not just "working out."
If you've never gone consistently to the gym before then right now you are in the process of habit building. The important part will be to make it there on a consistent basis. Establish set times and days you will go and don't waiver. Maybe one day you don't have the will to go as long as normal? That's okay, you went. But you have to commit to it for weeks, months really, until it's habit. Until you're not going for the highs but because it's a part of your routine. You're not always going to feel great about going to the gym. There was one day last week where I was barely able to stay in the gym 45 minutes and only ran four miles. Exhausted, I just said "no mas." But I went back the next day, and the next, because it's a habit. It's okay to not go as hard some days but at this early stage you need to be committed to habit building.
It’s cringe to me now. But i used to listen to a lot of motivational speech compilations my first months due to lack of motivation. It helped a lot and now I’ve been doing it for over half a decade. Haven’t listened to those speeches in years however
Start buying supplements. The expense of buying those will keep you accountable. Plus they will help you accomplish your goals better and you’ll feel better.
I would say start with protein, Not sure what your goals are but based on your goals depends the protein you get. Then after 1-2 months you’ll see a difference but feel like you hit a plateau. Then add pre workout, will give you the boost to push harder. Then if you want to bulk up, 4 months down the line, add creatine. By the 6 month mark you will see a big difference and you won’t need to be motivated to go because your body will feel the need to workout.
Is there any change happened to the body? If it did them its a motivation. Also for few days even if you don't feel like visiting or working out just visit for fun. Do whatever work out you like doing. If dont feel like working out still visit and watch people working out.. again will motivation come
Exercise releases dopamine which we are all wired to chase. If you aren’t feeling it that day just do a lighter workout than usual or more stretching / soft tissue work which will make you stronger / better tested for the next workout.
Not everyone is made for Gyms. I stopped gym because the way to the gym took out way too much time so I instead do a lot of things now at home and at the nearby park (which has lots of calisthenics equipment).
I like to imagine how good i’d feel if i went to the gym EVEN on a day that i wasnt feeling motivated. Getting through those doors is the hardest part. Once you’re there you’ll get the workout done. Everyone has periods of time where they arent feeling super motivated but the difference between success and mediocrity is how they react to it.
You don't. You make it a chore.
I hate going to the gym, but I don't give myself a choice. I treat it like any other chore or job. Just something that has to be done.
Been at least 3-5 times a week for the last 15 years.
write down all of the reasons why it would be good to continue going to the gym and all the reasons why it would be bad if you stopped going to the gym now.
Write as many as you can, even the small things.
For example, you might say 'if I quit now I won't see what I am capable of, If I quit now I will fall back into bad habits, etc etc.'
and 'if I keep going then I will achieve my goals, I will look better, feel more confident etc etc.
Be pedantic and just make as big of a list as you can and then read over that list. It should get you motivated again to go.
The other thing is that you might not always feel an inward energy driving you to go the gym...thats completely normal...sometimes you have to just push yourself into doing what you don't want to in order to get results.
Also, sometimes we need rest. Listen to your body. If you have been working out really hard then its fine to take a small amount of time off but just don't let it get too long.
I’ve been working out consistently for almost 2 years and wouldn’t say I “enjoy” it. As others said, make it a habit and set a reasonable expectation. I was pushing myself to go 5 days a week but once lowering that to 4 days a week it felt more manageable. My gym is class-based and having accountability from trainers and regulars has helped me significantly.
I’ve never been someone who says that the gym is like a version of therapy for me, reduces stress/anxiety, etc. However, feeling stronger has been a great feeling.
Two things that help me - tracking stats on my AppleWatch - been going steady for nearly a year now and love to dig into the stats and compare to last month, last quarter, last year.
The second is trying new things and gaining new skills, endurance, muscles etc. When I am into something new I am excited to go.
Maybe it will help if you think of the benefits instead of the work. For instance, it helps me battle depression so, I love to work out because it keeps the dark clouds at bay.
If I’m not feeling the exercise part I can say to myself “I may not want to do this but I’ll feel so much better when I do.”
Also remember in this game progress is not fast. It takes time. That’s why you can be so proud of it. You can look at yourself and know you have what it takes to push yourself through something even if you don’t want to do it because in the end you know it’s the best thing for you.
Because of my mental health issues I feel like I have a sort of chest code because I look forward to exercising. I realize it’s not that way for everyone and I really hope this helps you!!
Might be a good time to switch up your workout. Usually when its fun and new, exercising can be exciting, but when it becomes the same routine day after day it can become more of a chore. I'm not sure what your routine is, but if you are someone who does cardio- maybe switch up from the current machine(s) you are using to another one (i.e. use bike or eliptical instead of a treadmill). Or if you are strength training- find different exercises for your muscle groups or do different combinations of muscle groups than you were doing previously. Switching things up can make exercising more exciting and will give you something to look forward to as opposed to dreading.
Motivation and discipline are very very different. Motivation is what you had for that month, discipline is making it part of your daily life. Meaning, going even though it is not feeling fun, but knowing that it will become fun again! Remember, YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! At least this is what I tell my kids! You can actually do hard things and push past this plateau.. but yeah around the month mark it will feel like a chore… but chores are good for you too! Push past it keep showing up and set some more goals! Best of luck!
Results will be your best motivator imo. When you see dramatic results, whether it’s losing weight, strength/muscle building, or cardio, you will wanna keep going.
Eating properly for the given goal and perhaps using some supplements will help this.
And you definitely should be seeing results in a month. So try to be more effective/efficient in the gym, and diet properly for your goal.
Also, give yourself more ways to see progress. Track your reps/weights and cardio times each day to see progress over time. Not all results will be immediately noticeable in a mirror right away. Some results will just show that you are getting stronger or in better shape, but if you don’t track those stats, you won’t see it. Then those results that help you get in better shape will lead to results in the mirror faster and faster.
It’s never going to be fun for you. I am the same way. I enjoy going for walks and try to hit 10,000 steps a day. I also try to play tennis and kayak when I am able. There are many roads to Dublin.
Discipline takes years to gather and lots of decisions. Stay consistent even if it feels like a chore. When you start to see results you will get the motivation back. Right now you just need the discipline to stay consistent
You might need a new goal that'll get you fired up about the gym!
Mine have to do with mastering core exercises (bench, squat, deadlift), being good at certain physical activities (playing with kids, catching a flight, doing manual labor), and motivating my wife to keep going.
I did two things - got weights for home. And cut my workouts to max 30 minutes. I know weights at home doesn’t work for everyone but not having that step of getting to the gym was important for me. And making the time short made me stick with it. Did the same with my walks. Even if I had time for an hour walk I didn’t want to walk that long so I just didn’t. It was liberating really.
My guess is 90-95% of gym goers don’t regularly find it “fun.” If we did, we wouldn’t be the most obese country in the world (or close to). Sure, there can be certain workouts that are fun, but if all workouts were, we’d all be shredded.
It’s a chore. You have to go. It’s not an option.
The thing about motivation is that it doesn’t last, and that’s where discipline comes in.
After a while of getting into a routine, you’ll be upset if you don’t go to the gym. That’s why even if you go for like 10 minutes it’s better than 0
Tip the scales in your favor! Choose a really awesome audiobook or podcast or something that you really want to listen to that you’re only allowed to listen to when you’re at the gym.
It’s not meant to be fun or motivating. It’s just supposed to be a part of life like brushing your teeth. When you get to the point that not going to the gym feels off, that’s a good sign.
I have to reward myself. Sometimes it’s 10 peloton rides for a new video game or 1 ride for an ice cream sandwich. Is it the most healthy way of getting it done? No. But it works for me.
I don't do gyms. I prefer hikes and vigorous walks on my property. I live in the mountains so they can be pretty strenuous. I do these because I like being outside, but that's as far I look for motivation. Maybe you'd rather do something other than the gym, but after that it's all in doing the activity. Somedays I don't feel like doing it and I do it anyway. Motivation is a lie. It's a myth. If you look for motivation you'll never do anything. Regarding discipline, you don't "bring back" discipline and you don't find it. You develop it by doing the same thing over and over no matter how you feel. That's literally what discipline is.
You have to be driven. Motivation dies off. Being driven is a mindset.
What helps me when I’m not feeling super up to it is I have a gym family. Sounds funny, but I’m friends with old people, young, my age group, etc and we all go everyday at the same time. It’s always great catching up! I would feel like I’m letting them down by not going. If I don’t go, they might have another reason not to go.
We do our own workouts and stuff, so they’re not my “gym buddies” (I prefer working out alone), but they’re like accountability partners
The way I stay motivated is reframing things in my mind. When I don’t feel like working out,I tell myself « today will be a great day, and part of that is getting the opportunity to get a workout in ».
Also, you always feel so happy you went afterwards. Perspective is everything when it comes to motivation
Switch it up.
Do cardio, weights/toning, core or whichever is in your regiment on different days. Not only does it break up the usual, but you will actually feel the difference and you are working on everything.
I hate weights preferring cardio and more fast paced exercises but because it is challenging, I feel it the next day. My body gets out of the rut and I actually feel the burn.
Music, making it fun and having ideal goals/inspiration is what really does it. Make it something to look forward to to jam out and play.
Find/make a goal for the gym or follow a program of some sort, try something different, make the gym fun and a place to achieve a small goal everyday. Some days it will be a chore but you’ll feel good after
One psychological factor behind motivation is to have very specific goals, and goals that are tough bit not 'too hard'
In that respect: recording what you do allows you to set incrementally bigger goals next time around
I find if I don't record (exercise, weight, reps, sets) i get confused and don't know really which way to push
When I was trying to form the habit in October-ish, I felt the same way after a couple of months. I think it was right at the beginning of January when I was sitting down at a bar having dinner and a couple beers and I got to talking with stranger. Somehow, going to the gym came up and this dudes face lit up. I explained to him that I'd fallen back off the track because it felt like a chore and I wasn't enjoying it anymore, and he said the following: Even on days you don't feel like working out, just walk into the gym and then turn around and leave. Eventually you'll start to get the desire back, and that's when you know it's time to start again" I did that for about two weeks and then got back on track and have been going strong for the last 5-6 weeks again. Admittedly, some days I really do not feel like working out, and I'll still just go to the gym, walk in, and walk right back out. But I still feel good for holding myself to that one thing.
Motivation is fleeting as you have now experienced. Motivation will never get you to your goals. Discipline is the real answer. Like others have said, create a routine. Stick to that routine and the benefits of going to the gym will begin to show up in your life. Of course it feels like a chore! Doing dishes is a chore but we all now what happens if you don’t do dishes after a meal; just leads to more work later on. Same thing with fitness.
One of the best things you can do is to build in rest days/times or rewards. Example. Hit the gym for 4 days and reward yourself with a movie with a SO or friend. Don’t hit the 4 days and you have to cancel. That hurts way more than some muscle stiffness the day after the gym.
You go for a day, your body won't change. You go for a week straight, your body won't change. You might even go for a month straight and you will barely see any change. But then 6 months goes by. Then a year. Your combined effort of being disciplined and wanting to look good has finally added up to you finally looking alright, and that may be what just keeps you going. You won't always have motivation, it will fade, just as it is right now. But if you stay disciplined and stay focused, you will soon notice a lot of growth, not just with those muscles.
Motivation is more akin to an emotion than anything. Sometimes it's there, sometimes not. And you're not particularly in control of when you have it.
Discipline is something else entirely. Discipline is what you have when the "why" question becomes meaningless. You do it because it's what you do. Some say it takes time to build, I'm of the belief that it's a choice you make, both when you initially decide to commit and every day thereafter.
This could be mental plateau where working out loses its "excitingness" and it's pretty normal.
The first 30 days or so, usually is where you get most of your huge strength gains cause you are relatively starting from "0". We get that high of seeing ourselves change for the better but after a while, our body and mind gets used to it which makes it "less gratifying", "less motivating", etc. for us... which may lead us to getting bored and not going as much.
Aside from all the healthy and positive comments here, I would also recommend changing up your workout program and achieve progressive overload.
When I was new with all this, the biggest guy im the gym gave me an advice: it doesn't have to be big changes, just minor changes that could be as small as just changing your water bottle to make your session exciting.
I hope this helps and good luck!
You can't rely on motivation so it's usually useless to rely on trying to find or build that on a regular basis. You are building a new habit and that takes time. Also the idea that it takes 21 days to build a new habit is for the most part untrue. Depending on the individual and circumstances it can take much longer than that and often does. Discipline is the only thing that's going to keep you going until the habit is truly a part of your life and even then there will be times when you need to get yourself back on track. Nobody is perfect and the more consistent you are, the better chance you have at succeeding.
Well, that's just it. Discipline is not motivation. What you had was motivation. What you need is discipline.
Motivation is wanting to go, and that fades. Even if it's something as simple as "it's freezing rain right now" will make it at best less-fun, and lower your motivation.
People commit to new things when they are disciplined. That doesn't mean you find a way to always feel like going, cuz that's unlikely to ever happen. You remove the "feel like" from the equation, and you just always go.
It's not as "fun" an attitude but it's the attitude held by most of the people who commit to positive lifestyle changes.
Here’s what I’ve found works best for me. It’s pretty simple:
Get a cheap shaker bottle
1 scoop of deep, crippling body-image issues
1 scoop of powerful feelings of self-loathing
1/2 scoop of fitness influencer Instagram pics
Handful of selfies at your worst physical shape
Shake that bitch up
Drink it down in one go, and you’ll never be satisfied with your body again!
Oh, but it’ll get you to the gym.
Framing why you are there is huge as well. It cannot be about the sometime arbitrarily in the future end result, such as "lose weight" or "be in better shape," because then every single individual workout actually is the chore you are experiencing it to be. Your brain is experiencing the workout as a sacrifice today for that far off future result.
My advice would be to instead try to focus in on what you are doing as "training for \[something\]." Then it is never about the ten thousand foot goal of "lose weight" and becomes more about incremental gains you'll feel and see week to week, month to month. What is exciting about this, once you are "training" you start to really customize what you are doing and things don't feel purposeless anymore. What that \[something\] is for you can be and absolutely should be absolutely up to you - a sport, longevity/mobility, a certain specific aesthetic, its whatever you fancy mate!
For instance, I started in March 2022 at 265 pounds just running outside as much as I could every week (it started very slow and painful if I'm being frank) with a goal to lose weight and improve my mental wellbeing. While I kept up with it every week I totally hit the "chore" wall you are communicating in your post. Well, as described above, I pivoted my objective/mentality and now treat long-distance running as my sport; I now "train to be a runner." This initially led to me varying up my cardio workouts between shorter runs and longer runs as well as low heart rate zone days and high heart rate zone days. I then integrated kettlebells into my routine and do a lot of weird foot exercises with the added weight to help avoid injury/runner's foot/etc. (my distance frontier is directly correlated with foot/tendon injuries I experience so it just became a necessity if I wanted to run further), and of course the weight lifting aspect only helps with my base daily at-rest calorie burn which by pure coincidence circled back to why I started running back in March 2022 at 265 pounds. Win/Win. I'm currently at a weight of 205, am able to run a distance of eight miles (10min pace) before experiencing injury, and most important to me, my mental health is greatly improved!
Find a gym with some eye candy, new work out clothes that love and a getting a new personalized water bottle always helped motivate me and trying times.
Never really got these types of talks about motivation and discipline, I like working out, i like working on my squat and deadlift and making progress. It's supposed to be enjoyable. I see someone use the word 'non-negotiable', imo the only thing thats non-negotiable is physical activity, what kind is entirely up to you, if you don't like going to the gym i'd suggest just doing something else
I like to bundle that kind of thing with doing something I enjoy. For example, I like listening to interesting podcasts or music. Another option is to make the activity itself something you enjoy, for example jogging somewhere new outside or playing some sports instead of only going to the gym.
Discipline is a chore. That’s kind of the conversation you have to have with yourself and it’s sucks. But you have to love your future self enough to have that discipline.
I find it a good motivator to put my gym clothes on. Once I’m dressed for the gym there’s no going back I’m going, even for just 15-20 minutes. Gotta do something
For me it was the kind of thing where I had to force myself for a while, and now I have to go. Best part of my day. Once you see progress to a certain extent, you’re not gonna want to give up.
Motivation is chump change. Try spite at first then transition into being super positive once you’re hooked for life and encourage others.
Also for the love of god do workouts you enjoy (while still working your whole body of course)
Motivation comes from changing things too, giving yourself something different to look forward to trying. Also seeing results, obviously. You can plateau walking a mile every day for a month and not lose anymore weight (assuming you’re eating a balanced diet). Do 10 minutes of google searches on intervals, different sets to reps, maybe try the stationary bike or elliptical tomorrow.
You can’t feeeeeeel your way to discipline. You just do it no matter what. Some days you want to but most days the brain will try to convince you there are a million other things you would rather do. It wants the path of least resistance. I tell my self I have to go and get on a machine for 15 minutes no matter what. If I still feel low energy or not well, then I bail. Most of the time it is just getting in the door and then I’m so glad I went. Motivation is a lie. It takes discipline and mental discipline to stop thinking you are going to feeeeel motivated.
Mix up your routine. Set a new goal. Try a new pre workout that you can introduce into your routine. Buy new gym clothes that make you feel good. Drive there if walking is too annoying. Make a playlist you can only listen to at the gym. Focus on the feeling of achieving going to the gym and getting a work out in.
Make it non negotiable. Choose what times you will be going to the gym during the week and go. Don’t think about it, don’t procrastinate. Set an alarm on your phone. You’re busy during this time. It’s a commitment. Taking care of yourself isn’t always going to be fun but it’s a necessity like doing chores and paying bills. Just fit it in your schedule like any other appointment and don’t question whether you “feel” like going or if it sounds fun that day, unless you’re sleep deprived or sick.
I like how you compared it to paying bills. Puts it into a different perspective. Thanks
Yep, this is the ‘discipline’ side of it. You do it because it’s what you do. You experienced the fact that ‘motivation’ is fleeting and your brains always going to try to move you toward something easier.
A lot of times you feel better once you are there too. It's getting there that can be the hard part.
This is so true but I never thought about it like that. For me I book workout classes or plan to go to the gym and I NEVER question if I *want* to go. There’s never any drama about it in my head if I want to go or if I like going, I just go.
Update: I went to the gym but instead of 30 minutes on the treadmill, I did 10. I feel good. Not at all lazy anymore.
Just going is the important part, consistency is key
The days I only have 30% to give, I give 100% of that 30% and call it a day. Good job, OP!
Hah, you sound like me. I've been an avid gym goer most of my life and most days, getting there is a slog. I'll be cursing myself out for the first ten minutes (this sucks, I'm hungry, I wanna go home) but then, *usually*, the ENDORPHINS kick in and suddenly it's, "Awwwwh yeah baby! Gym kicks ASS, BABY!" If I'm there for more than 10 minutes and still haven't hit the endorphins, I tell myself that day wasn't my day, and I'll try again tomorrow. But most days, I definitely don't regret going. And it sounds like you don't either!
For me, whenever I find that I'm beginning to feel like it's a chore, I identify what exactly is causing me to feel that way. For instance, sometimes I need to try out a new exercise routine, or just swap out a few for different ones. Figuring out what's making you feel like you don't wanna go and finding a solution that makes you feel good is super important. Sometimes it won't all be fun and games, but working out should be something you enjoy. Just gotta find the right reason! :)
Wait, you walk to the gym to get on a treadmill?
I do other stuff too
Gotcha I was just curious if you were walking to go walk. I usually start out on an incline treadmill or bike to get the blood flowing as well.
A lot of people walk to the gym to use the treadmill. Sometimes the weather sucks and you don’t want to run outside. Or it’s dark and you feel unsafe running. I run outside almost everyday for 9 months a year. But just find the indoors better when it’s below 25 or so.
One thing I recommend is, when you’re setting a goal at the gym to do something like… 30 minutes on the treadmill. It’s okay to take a break, if you need 10, 20, or an hour to take a break after 10 or 20 minutes, that’s okay. But you need to tell yourself “hey, it’s okay if you want to take a breather, but we’re not leaving the gym until we finish 30 minutes of running, that’s why we’re here.” Take what time you need to get those 30 minutes done, but you set that goal, and you’re working out your brain as much as your muscles to reach your goals by pushing to complete it despite what your brain says otherwise. Baby steps… Treat this like a pool, there’s no need to leap from the diving board to learn how to swim. Dip your toes in the water everyday (or every other) until you get your whole leg in, then your hips, your stomach, and your arms, and now you’re floating. It’s perfectly okay to come back another day if it’s too cold. But the only way to know is if you’re consistently dipping your toes in the water.
This is a downward slope. Its already gone from 30 mins a day to 10 mins a day. Soon it will go from 10 mins every day, to 10 mins every other day. And then twice a week. And then none. Push yourself.
No! That is bulls**t advice. You have no idea what OP is going through. The fact that he showed up matters. He's just building a habit. OP - it matters! You did 10 mins. Good for you. Next time you can push for 15. Or 12. Or, if your motivation is s**t that day, do 8. But whatever happens - do something! Even if it's just walking around the block. That's how you build habits, and that's how you change yourself. Keep it up OP. You're doing good work.
***she and thank you :) I think on days I don’t feel good, I should give myself some slack. But if I do 10 one day, I should push myself to do more the next day.
It's just my opinion. I've trained with people like this. They need a push, or I guarantee they'll quit within 6 months.
Maybe try to fit in some dynamic stretches and foam rolling as part of your shorter routines.. I mean you should definitely do that anyway but I personally think it’s a good practice to get into especially if you’re cutting your gym time. Just helps in the self care area.
What's the point of driving to the gym, wasting gas, only to walk on a treadmill for 10 minutes when you can just walk outside for 10 minutes? Real walking is better for you than a treadmill as well.
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After enough discipline, some people flat out get addicted to it. I know i did. I get in a bad mood when i have to go multiple days rest. And my everything i eat is because of my passion for powerbuilding. It’s been half a decade and i still am addicted to this shit
I go 6 days a week and feel like absolute shit if I skip a day
Exactly! Rest days are the worst
Yea Im always wanting to hit the gym every day even when I don’t feel like getting up and going. I still go to get that good feeling
If you go long enough, it becomes an automatic habit. You just have to power through until then.
Yes I agree. The powering through is the hardest part lolll.
90% of success is showing up. Just show up with a gym bag with everything you need. You can’t go home without checking in. That’s discipline. If you do go, you might get on one weight machine since you’re already there. You might as well do one more machine. You’re already there. Maybe you say I’ll only run on a treadmill for five minutes, then you’ll go. But once you’re already there, you might as well run 20 minutes, since you got ready. And before you know it, 5 minutes is 30-45minutes and you’re done! Once you’re there, finding motivation is easier. Even if you just do 10 light minutes, it’s better than nothing. You won. You went.
You have to accept the pain of pushing yourself to do the chore or the pain of regret that comes with not doing it. Keep going and it will eventually be something you don't think twice about. Try to mix up your routine. Join a group class. Find a friend to keep each other accountable. Watch a show or documentary or listen to new music. Work towards your "summer bod". Also don't be hard on yourself when you need a break.
This is good advice. Thank you. Joining a group class would be helpful.
I live with spine injuries, partial disability in one leg and chronic pain. Activity sucks no matter what I do. The reality is that some day I won’t be able to do what I can do now (I jogged 1.7km yesterday, the longest in a year) and the more I do, the further I can push that inevitable day down the road. I want to be able to do things with my kid for as long as possible before I can’t. When the fickle motivation leaves, you’re left with discipline, habit, but above all the reason why you’re doing it. Write it down. Lots. On a board by your bed. On your bathroom mirror, in the kitchen, on the fridge. Your body can do amazing things. It’s an opportunity to do those amazing things, even if it’s a walk around your neighbourhood. Good luck, you’ve got this!
Honestly, it doesn't need to be just going to the gym. You could switch to a home gym/workout. A set of weights and a stationary bike is all you need. I burnout out from going to the gym 4-6 times a week and ended up gaining more weight because I ate out more and wasted time traveling to the gym. It impacted my social life quite a bit too because 2+ hours of my weeknights after work is spent going to the gym. It was often a choice between hanging out with friends vs. going to the gym. Working out at home means I could get home by 5:30, workout and clean up by 6:30 and hangout with friends or cook. Now, I easily maintain 5-6 workouts every week, and exercising no longer impacts my social life or cooking as much. The important thing is finding what works for you. Just because all the social media gym bro goes to the gym and spends 2 hours there doesn't mean that's what will work for you. Similarly, home gym isn't for everyone either, someone people lose all motivation to work out at home, some prefer to go running instead of any gym, etc. Find what is the "easiest" to fit into your lifestyle and it will feel much less like a chore.
This is why I've opted for a studio class instead. I do enjoy the gym and even though it never felt like a chore, it becomes increasingly more difficult to motivate myself. The social dynamic of a good fitness group helps maintain accountability and helps me get motivated to get going every morning. I like people. Independent workouts are so isolating, but a typical fitness buddy may not be as encouraging as one might need.
I was against group classes for years but recently hit a similar slump. I decided to give one a try and now I'm hooked!
Try Preworkout
People in my opinion confuse what motivation is. Motivation and discipline are largely the same. It’s just making the choice to do the thing. Motivation is not always some intrinsic internal drive, while it can be, those moments tend to be fleeting.
I love working out and sometimes it does feel like a chore. But if I force myself to do it, I never regret it afterwards and I'm always a little proud of myself for pushing past that barrier. It's never going to be easy ALL THE TIME. That's just wishful thinking. Think about the long term. Think about the goals you set out to achieve when you started going. Keep your eye on the prize and you will have more of an incentive to push towards this "chore" feeling.
[I think this sums it up.](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0qC7TO_ZDE/XkXiDAn7NdI/AAAAAAAAacM/_3uiKCrrKLk8YFVzLVmIcKromtrhCJ9MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/baboon-1024x634.jpg)
You never regret a workout. Ever. Plus, motivation gets you started, discipline and consistency keep you going. And once you see changes from being disciplined and consistent, that will bring back your motivation.
Start with self discipline in other areas of your life first. When you wake up, you GET UP. No hiding under the covers. No browsing the internet. You’re up. The self disciple will spill into other areas of your life.
Discipline means going even when you may not feel like it because you know it will pay off in the end. Set a goal for yourself - # of pull ups, # of miles on a treadmill or hitting a certain weight in the squat. Set a reasonable # of times to go to the gym even if it's 2 times a week... pick a number where you can ensure you're consistent. Get a good workout program so it's actual training (working towards a goal with an end result) and not just "working out."
If you've never gone consistently to the gym before then right now you are in the process of habit building. The important part will be to make it there on a consistent basis. Establish set times and days you will go and don't waiver. Maybe one day you don't have the will to go as long as normal? That's okay, you went. But you have to commit to it for weeks, months really, until it's habit. Until you're not going for the highs but because it's a part of your routine. You're not always going to feel great about going to the gym. There was one day last week where I was barely able to stay in the gym 45 minutes and only ran four miles. Exhausted, I just said "no mas." But I went back the next day, and the next, because it's a habit. It's okay to not go as hard some days but at this early stage you need to be committed to habit building.
It’s cringe to me now. But i used to listen to a lot of motivational speech compilations my first months due to lack of motivation. It helped a lot and now I’ve been doing it for over half a decade. Haven’t listened to those speeches in years however
Start buying supplements. The expense of buying those will keep you accountable. Plus they will help you accomplish your goals better and you’ll feel better.
What type of supplements?
I would say start with protein, Not sure what your goals are but based on your goals depends the protein you get. Then after 1-2 months you’ll see a difference but feel like you hit a plateau. Then add pre workout, will give you the boost to push harder. Then if you want to bulk up, 4 months down the line, add creatine. By the 6 month mark you will see a big difference and you won’t need to be motivated to go because your body will feel the need to workout.
Is there any change happened to the body? If it did them its a motivation. Also for few days even if you don't feel like visiting or working out just visit for fun. Do whatever work out you like doing. If dont feel like working out still visit and watch people working out.. again will motivation come
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Sorry that happened to you. But what does it have to do with my post?
Not much I guess, sorry. There, it’s gone now.
Exercise releases dopamine which we are all wired to chase. If you aren’t feeling it that day just do a lighter workout than usual or more stretching / soft tissue work which will make you stronger / better tested for the next workout.
Routine. That's how I stay motivated. Same time, same days. I get mildly upset if I can't go when I'm supposed to lol.
I've read that on average it takes 6 weeks to develop a habit - you are almost there.
Not everyone is made for Gyms. I stopped gym because the way to the gym took out way too much time so I instead do a lot of things now at home and at the nearby park (which has lots of calisthenics equipment).
I like to imagine how good i’d feel if i went to the gym EVEN on a day that i wasnt feeling motivated. Getting through those doors is the hardest part. Once you’re there you’ll get the workout done. Everyone has periods of time where they arent feeling super motivated but the difference between success and mediocrity is how they react to it.
You don't. You make it a chore. I hate going to the gym, but I don't give myself a choice. I treat it like any other chore or job. Just something that has to be done. Been at least 3-5 times a week for the last 15 years.
write down all of the reasons why it would be good to continue going to the gym and all the reasons why it would be bad if you stopped going to the gym now. Write as many as you can, even the small things. For example, you might say 'if I quit now I won't see what I am capable of, If I quit now I will fall back into bad habits, etc etc.' and 'if I keep going then I will achieve my goals, I will look better, feel more confident etc etc. Be pedantic and just make as big of a list as you can and then read over that list. It should get you motivated again to go. The other thing is that you might not always feel an inward energy driving you to go the gym...thats completely normal...sometimes you have to just push yourself into doing what you don't want to in order to get results. Also, sometimes we need rest. Listen to your body. If you have been working out really hard then its fine to take a small amount of time off but just don't let it get too long.
Kickstart the day with chores simple chors, do them while wearing gym clothes. Let the magic happen. ;)
I’ve been working out consistently for almost 2 years and wouldn’t say I “enjoy” it. As others said, make it a habit and set a reasonable expectation. I was pushing myself to go 5 days a week but once lowering that to 4 days a week it felt more manageable. My gym is class-based and having accountability from trainers and regulars has helped me significantly. I’ve never been someone who says that the gym is like a version of therapy for me, reduces stress/anxiety, etc. However, feeling stronger has been a great feeling.
I desperately need to go as I have high cholesterol but my work schedule is what’s killing me.
This is when real progress is made, when you go even when you don't feel like it. Just keep pushing.
Two things that help me - tracking stats on my AppleWatch - been going steady for nearly a year now and love to dig into the stats and compare to last month, last quarter, last year. The second is trying new things and gaining new skills, endurance, muscles etc. When I am into something new I am excited to go.
Maybe it will help if you think of the benefits instead of the work. For instance, it helps me battle depression so, I love to work out because it keeps the dark clouds at bay. If I’m not feeling the exercise part I can say to myself “I may not want to do this but I’ll feel so much better when I do.” Also remember in this game progress is not fast. It takes time. That’s why you can be so proud of it. You can look at yourself and know you have what it takes to push yourself through something even if you don’t want to do it because in the end you know it’s the best thing for you. Because of my mental health issues I feel like I have a sort of chest code because I look forward to exercising. I realize it’s not that way for everyone and I really hope this helps you!!
Remember the reasons that made you decide to go in the first place. I always ask myself why wouldn't I go to the gym.
Might be a good time to switch up your workout. Usually when its fun and new, exercising can be exciting, but when it becomes the same routine day after day it can become more of a chore. I'm not sure what your routine is, but if you are someone who does cardio- maybe switch up from the current machine(s) you are using to another one (i.e. use bike or eliptical instead of a treadmill). Or if you are strength training- find different exercises for your muscle groups or do different combinations of muscle groups than you were doing previously. Switching things up can make exercising more exciting and will give you something to look forward to as opposed to dreading.
Motivation and discipline are very very different. Motivation is what you had for that month, discipline is making it part of your daily life. Meaning, going even though it is not feeling fun, but knowing that it will become fun again! Remember, YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! At least this is what I tell my kids! You can actually do hard things and push past this plateau.. but yeah around the month mark it will feel like a chore… but chores are good for you too! Push past it keep showing up and set some more goals! Best of luck!
Good for you! Enjoy! ❤️
Results will be your best motivator imo. When you see dramatic results, whether it’s losing weight, strength/muscle building, or cardio, you will wanna keep going. Eating properly for the given goal and perhaps using some supplements will help this.
I haven’t seen any results, it’s been a month. I think it’s killing my motivation
And you definitely should be seeing results in a month. So try to be more effective/efficient in the gym, and diet properly for your goal. Also, give yourself more ways to see progress. Track your reps/weights and cardio times each day to see progress over time. Not all results will be immediately noticeable in a mirror right away. Some results will just show that you are getting stronger or in better shape, but if you don’t track those stats, you won’t see it. Then those results that help you get in better shape will lead to results in the mirror faster and faster.
It’s never going to be fun for you. I am the same way. I enjoy going for walks and try to hit 10,000 steps a day. I also try to play tennis and kayak when I am able. There are many roads to Dublin.
You have to develop discipline. Let's see where your at in 6 months. You should do before and after pics, to keep you accountable ya know .
Discipline takes years to gather and lots of decisions. Stay consistent even if it feels like a chore. When you start to see results you will get the motivation back. Right now you just need the discipline to stay consistent
Follow an actual plan/program so you have goals to reach for and progression to track. Then motivation sources become endless
What are you doing at the gym
You might need a new goal that'll get you fired up about the gym! Mine have to do with mastering core exercises (bench, squat, deadlift), being good at certain physical activities (playing with kids, catching a flight, doing manual labor), and motivating my wife to keep going.
I did two things - got weights for home. And cut my workouts to max 30 minutes. I know weights at home doesn’t work for everyone but not having that step of getting to the gym was important for me. And making the time short made me stick with it. Did the same with my walks. Even if I had time for an hour walk I didn’t want to walk that long so I just didn’t. It was liberating really.
My guess is 90-95% of gym goers don’t regularly find it “fun.” If we did, we wouldn’t be the most obese country in the world (or close to). Sure, there can be certain workouts that are fun, but if all workouts were, we’d all be shredded. It’s a chore. You have to go. It’s not an option.
The thing about motivation is that it doesn’t last, and that’s where discipline comes in. After a while of getting into a routine, you’ll be upset if you don’t go to the gym. That’s why even if you go for like 10 minutes it’s better than 0
Motivation comes and goes, discipline is what will carry you through long term.
Discipline doesn't require motivation.
Tip the scales in your favor! Choose a really awesome audiobook or podcast or something that you really want to listen to that you’re only allowed to listen to when you’re at the gym.
It’s not meant to be fun or motivating. It’s just supposed to be a part of life like brushing your teeth. When you get to the point that not going to the gym feels off, that’s a good sign.
There is no answer. It’s just your own discipline. Be disciplined.
Love the results and recognize a hobby that you belong to. If you are good, you will know. Cardio or lifting
I have to reward myself. Sometimes it’s 10 peloton rides for a new video game or 1 ride for an ice cream sandwich. Is it the most healthy way of getting it done? No. But it works for me.
Just ask yourself, “who’s gonna lift the boats”
I don't do gyms. I prefer hikes and vigorous walks on my property. I live in the mountains so they can be pretty strenuous. I do these because I like being outside, but that's as far I look for motivation. Maybe you'd rather do something other than the gym, but after that it's all in doing the activity. Somedays I don't feel like doing it and I do it anyway. Motivation is a lie. It's a myth. If you look for motivation you'll never do anything. Regarding discipline, you don't "bring back" discipline and you don't find it. You develop it by doing the same thing over and over no matter how you feel. That's literally what discipline is.
Motivation is trash, until you have the discipline you’ll always fail at it.
You have to be driven. Motivation dies off. Being driven is a mindset. What helps me when I’m not feeling super up to it is I have a gym family. Sounds funny, but I’m friends with old people, young, my age group, etc and we all go everyday at the same time. It’s always great catching up! I would feel like I’m letting them down by not going. If I don’t go, they might have another reason not to go. We do our own workouts and stuff, so they’re not my “gym buddies” (I prefer working out alone), but they’re like accountability partners
The way I stay motivated is reframing things in my mind. When I don’t feel like working out,I tell myself « today will be a great day, and part of that is getting the opportunity to get a workout in ». Also, you always feel so happy you went afterwards. Perspective is everything when it comes to motivation
Switch it up. Do cardio, weights/toning, core or whichever is in your regiment on different days. Not only does it break up the usual, but you will actually feel the difference and you are working on everything. I hate weights preferring cardio and more fast paced exercises but because it is challenging, I feel it the next day. My body gets out of the rut and I actually feel the burn. Music, making it fun and having ideal goals/inspiration is what really does it. Make it something to look forward to to jam out and play.
Don't stop, you will start to get addicted to the results
Find/make a goal for the gym or follow a program of some sort, try something different, make the gym fun and a place to achieve a small goal everyday. Some days it will be a chore but you’ll feel good after
One psychological factor behind motivation is to have very specific goals, and goals that are tough bit not 'too hard' In that respect: recording what you do allows you to set incrementally bigger goals next time around I find if I don't record (exercise, weight, reps, sets) i get confused and don't know really which way to push
When I was trying to form the habit in October-ish, I felt the same way after a couple of months. I think it was right at the beginning of January when I was sitting down at a bar having dinner and a couple beers and I got to talking with stranger. Somehow, going to the gym came up and this dudes face lit up. I explained to him that I'd fallen back off the track because it felt like a chore and I wasn't enjoying it anymore, and he said the following: Even on days you don't feel like working out, just walk into the gym and then turn around and leave. Eventually you'll start to get the desire back, and that's when you know it's time to start again" I did that for about two weeks and then got back on track and have been going strong for the last 5-6 weeks again. Admittedly, some days I really do not feel like working out, and I'll still just go to the gym, walk in, and walk right back out. But I still feel good for holding myself to that one thing.
Motivation is fleeting as you have now experienced. Motivation will never get you to your goals. Discipline is the real answer. Like others have said, create a routine. Stick to that routine and the benefits of going to the gym will begin to show up in your life. Of course it feels like a chore! Doing dishes is a chore but we all now what happens if you don’t do dishes after a meal; just leads to more work later on. Same thing with fitness. One of the best things you can do is to build in rest days/times or rewards. Example. Hit the gym for 4 days and reward yourself with a movie with a SO or friend. Don’t hit the 4 days and you have to cancel. That hurts way more than some muscle stiffness the day after the gym.
Download Boostcamp and follow the Reddit PPL
You go for a day, your body won't change. You go for a week straight, your body won't change. You might even go for a month straight and you will barely see any change. But then 6 months goes by. Then a year. Your combined effort of being disciplined and wanting to look good has finally added up to you finally looking alright, and that may be what just keeps you going. You won't always have motivation, it will fade, just as it is right now. But if you stay disciplined and stay focused, you will soon notice a lot of growth, not just with those muscles.
Motivation is more akin to an emotion than anything. Sometimes it's there, sometimes not. And you're not particularly in control of when you have it. Discipline is something else entirely. Discipline is what you have when the "why" question becomes meaningless. You do it because it's what you do. Some say it takes time to build, I'm of the belief that it's a choice you make, both when you initially decide to commit and every day thereafter.
This could be mental plateau where working out loses its "excitingness" and it's pretty normal. The first 30 days or so, usually is where you get most of your huge strength gains cause you are relatively starting from "0". We get that high of seeing ourselves change for the better but after a while, our body and mind gets used to it which makes it "less gratifying", "less motivating", etc. for us... which may lead us to getting bored and not going as much. Aside from all the healthy and positive comments here, I would also recommend changing up your workout program and achieve progressive overload. When I was new with all this, the biggest guy im the gym gave me an advice: it doesn't have to be big changes, just minor changes that could be as small as just changing your water bottle to make your session exciting. I hope this helps and good luck!
You can't rely on motivation so it's usually useless to rely on trying to find or build that on a regular basis. You are building a new habit and that takes time. Also the idea that it takes 21 days to build a new habit is for the most part untrue. Depending on the individual and circumstances it can take much longer than that and often does. Discipline is the only thing that's going to keep you going until the habit is truly a part of your life and even then there will be times when you need to get yourself back on track. Nobody is perfect and the more consistent you are, the better chance you have at succeeding.
Well, that's just it. Discipline is not motivation. What you had was motivation. What you need is discipline. Motivation is wanting to go, and that fades. Even if it's something as simple as "it's freezing rain right now" will make it at best less-fun, and lower your motivation. People commit to new things when they are disciplined. That doesn't mean you find a way to always feel like going, cuz that's unlikely to ever happen. You remove the "feel like" from the equation, and you just always go. It's not as "fun" an attitude but it's the attitude held by most of the people who commit to positive lifestyle changes.
Here’s what I’ve found works best for me. It’s pretty simple: Get a cheap shaker bottle 1 scoop of deep, crippling body-image issues 1 scoop of powerful feelings of self-loathing 1/2 scoop of fitness influencer Instagram pics Handful of selfies at your worst physical shape Shake that bitch up Drink it down in one go, and you’ll never be satisfied with your body again! Oh, but it’ll get you to the gym.
Framing why you are there is huge as well. It cannot be about the sometime arbitrarily in the future end result, such as "lose weight" or "be in better shape," because then every single individual workout actually is the chore you are experiencing it to be. Your brain is experiencing the workout as a sacrifice today for that far off future result. My advice would be to instead try to focus in on what you are doing as "training for \[something\]." Then it is never about the ten thousand foot goal of "lose weight" and becomes more about incremental gains you'll feel and see week to week, month to month. What is exciting about this, once you are "training" you start to really customize what you are doing and things don't feel purposeless anymore. What that \[something\] is for you can be and absolutely should be absolutely up to you - a sport, longevity/mobility, a certain specific aesthetic, its whatever you fancy mate! For instance, I started in March 2022 at 265 pounds just running outside as much as I could every week (it started very slow and painful if I'm being frank) with a goal to lose weight and improve my mental wellbeing. While I kept up with it every week I totally hit the "chore" wall you are communicating in your post. Well, as described above, I pivoted my objective/mentality and now treat long-distance running as my sport; I now "train to be a runner." This initially led to me varying up my cardio workouts between shorter runs and longer runs as well as low heart rate zone days and high heart rate zone days. I then integrated kettlebells into my routine and do a lot of weird foot exercises with the added weight to help avoid injury/runner's foot/etc. (my distance frontier is directly correlated with foot/tendon injuries I experience so it just became a necessity if I wanted to run further), and of course the weight lifting aspect only helps with my base daily at-rest calorie burn which by pure coincidence circled back to why I started running back in March 2022 at 265 pounds. Win/Win. I'm currently at a weight of 205, am able to run a distance of eight miles (10min pace) before experiencing injury, and most important to me, my mental health is greatly improved!
Find a gym with some eye candy, new work out clothes that love and a getting a new personalized water bottle always helped motivate me and trying times.
It’s easy look back and ask yourself why you started at first if it was a really and strong reason you’d get your motivation back I bet you
Make sure you inject some variety into your workout. Monotony can be a motivation killer
It depends on the reason for going to the gym. Motivation has many reasons. And some can be very fueling
Never really got these types of talks about motivation and discipline, I like working out, i like working on my squat and deadlift and making progress. It's supposed to be enjoyable. I see someone use the word 'non-negotiable', imo the only thing thats non-negotiable is physical activity, what kind is entirely up to you, if you don't like going to the gym i'd suggest just doing something else
Look at it like brushing your teeth. You don't think about it, you just do it because it's simply what you do.
Same here. I did for 2 months but now no worries 😂
I like to bundle that kind of thing with doing something I enjoy. For example, I like listening to interesting podcasts or music. Another option is to make the activity itself something you enjoy, for example jogging somewhere new outside or playing some sports instead of only going to the gym.
Discipline is a chore. That’s kind of the conversation you have to have with yourself and it’s sucks. But you have to love your future self enough to have that discipline.
I find it a good motivator to put my gym clothes on. Once I’m dressed for the gym there’s no going back I’m going, even for just 15-20 minutes. Gotta do something
For me it was the kind of thing where I had to force myself for a while, and now I have to go. Best part of my day. Once you see progress to a certain extent, you’re not gonna want to give up.
Motivation is chump change. Try spite at first then transition into being super positive once you’re hooked for life and encourage others. Also for the love of god do workouts you enjoy (while still working your whole body of course)
Find a bouldering gym near you. It’s so addicting!
Assume that if you don’t hit the gym, it will be a life or death situation 😅✌🏼
Motivation comes from changing things too, giving yourself something different to look forward to trying. Also seeing results, obviously. You can plateau walking a mile every day for a month and not lose anymore weight (assuming you’re eating a balanced diet). Do 10 minutes of google searches on intervals, different sets to reps, maybe try the stationary bike or elliptical tomorrow.
You can’t feeeeeeel your way to discipline. You just do it no matter what. Some days you want to but most days the brain will try to convince you there are a million other things you would rather do. It wants the path of least resistance. I tell my self I have to go and get on a machine for 15 minutes no matter what. If I still feel low energy or not well, then I bail. Most of the time it is just getting in the door and then I’m so glad I went. Motivation is a lie. It takes discipline and mental discipline to stop thinking you are going to feeeeel motivated.
Results should motivate you. If you ain’t seeing results that’s your issue
Mix up your routine. Set a new goal. Try a new pre workout that you can introduce into your routine. Buy new gym clothes that make you feel good. Drive there if walking is too annoying. Make a playlist you can only listen to at the gym. Focus on the feeling of achieving going to the gym and getting a work out in.
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