Top 10 Ways to Stay Motivated in the Gym, By: Lee Hayward
Spring is coming and you need to get in shape... find out Lee's top 10 tips!
1. Take it slow and steady.
Many people, in a combination of enthusiasm and impatience, wind up doing too much, too soon, too frequently. That results in soreness, exhaustion, and feeling burnout - in other words, lack of motivation. Take your workouts one day at a time and enjoy the journey. "Inch by inch life is a synch, yard by yard life is hard"
2. Schedule your workouts in advance.
Make a "workout appointment" with yourself for a specific time and place. Treat this appointment the same as you would any important business meeting. If you schedule time for your workouts in advance and plan on keeping your word, you're more likely to keep consistent.
3. Get a workout buddy.
Try to find a good training partner who is very serious about working out. Preferably someone who is bigger and stronger then you are. This will help motivate you and push yourself to become bigger and stronger as well. A good training partner will really help you be consistent with your workouts. You'll not only have to show up at the gym for yourself, but you'll have someone else depending on you as well. A lot of times we will do more for others then we will do for ourselves, and in this case it will help both you and your training partner.
4. Keep a training journal.
This is one thing that nearly every bodybuilding and fitness expert agrees on, and as you know, when it comes to "experts" we don't agree on too many things :-) By keeping an accurate record of your workouts you'll be able to monitor your strength and muscle gains. Also keep track of your bodyweight and bodyfat percentage. This will help to not only motivate you, but give you feedback on whether or not your training and nutrition program is working on not.
5. Strive to be the best that you can be.
This one sort of ties in with keeping a training journal. Actual changes in strength and body composition are often so gradual that most of us take them for granted. For example, I often hear from guys who have went from 150 lbs. to 175 lbs. in the matter of months and then they e-mail me saying that they are a "hard gainer". Most times it is because they are comparing themselves to the pictures of the pros they see in the magazines, or to some jacked-up guy at their local gym. Bottom line, there will always be people who are better then you, and people who are not as good as you. So judge your progress based on your personal improvements, not on how you compare to someone else.
6. Educate yourself.
Read bodybuilding and fitness related books and articles. You will constantly be picking up new tips and training ideas that you can apply to your own workouts. Also watching workout videos is awesome for motivation and it's very educational as well. Reading about training is one thing, but actually seeing it is totally different. Most of us learn better with visual examples. It's much easier to grasp new exercises and training techniques by seeing them actually being performed, rather then just reading about them.
7. Change your workout.
If your training progress is slow, then boredom is sure to follow. If you find you're bored with your current workout program, then change it. There are lots of training programs that you can follow, there is no need to stick to doing the same thing day in, day out. Try something new.
8. Change the gym where you workout.
This one ties in with changing your workouts. Different gyms will have different pieces of equipment, a different atmosphere, different members, etc. this can all help to add variety and fun to your workouts. To give you an example, in the past 5 years I have trained at 8 different gyms, and each one provided a fresh and stimulating change to my workouts.
9. Go watch local bodybuilding and powerlifting contests.
This is really motivating. Nothing fires me up more then seeing a good bodybuilding or lifting contest. You will get to meet lots of like minded people who are all interested in bodybuilding and weight training. Plus you may want to train and get ready for a local competition yourself. Nothing will motivate you to train hard and stick to your diet like training for a competition.
10. Don't make bodybuilding your life.
And last, but not least. Don't make bodybuilding and working out the whole focus of your life. Have other hobbies and interests outside of the gym. By having other interests and priorities in your life you'll be a more well rounded person. When something is a hobby it is fun, when it becomes an obsession you usually take the fun out of it.
If you are looking for a fun new routine to spice up your workouts and help renew your training motivation then look no further then the Total Fitness Bodybuilding DVD Training System. There are 25 different workout routines included so you'll never get stuck doing the same old training routine day in and day out.
