“Whether you think you can, or you can’t… you’re right!”

Tips to keep your gym motivation up:

1. Remember, even a bad workout is better than no workout! – Of course you’d like every workout in the gym to be a gut busting sweat fest, but sometimes you may not have the energy to push yourself.  Don’t focus on that!  Even if you’re having a blah day and aren’t really into it, at least you made the effort.

2. Keep your focus short and to the point. – If your goal is to pack on an extra 10 pounds of muscle or lose 15 pounds of body fat, try not to focus only on the long term goal.  It’s important to recognize that each workout is getting you one step closer to achieving your goal.   So you didn’t get the best workout in, or maybe you didn’t even have time to get to the gym.  That doesn’t mean your whole plan should be shot! Keep your gym motivation strong!

3. Reward yourself, not reprimand yourself.  Too many times when clients decide to begin their journey, they have an all or nothing mentality.  What happens when your goals are too lofty in the short term?  You tend to regress back to old habits.  Deciding to lose weight, get bigger, or get in better shape shouldn’t mean punishing yourself by completely changing your unhealthy habits all at once and in one day.  Statistics show you’re not going to keep up with it.  Then those feelings of disappointment tend to trigger a backlash in behavior.  This is the classic “yo yo” dieting syndrome!  Focus on making small, positive changes.  Reward yourself for staying on track… buy a new outfit or splurge on a fun night out with friends.  The most important thing is to make sure you’re focusing on positive thoughts.

4. Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself to you!  Sure it’s a great gym motivation to see ripped up bodies at the gym or on fitness blogs and videos.  They give us something to aspire to.  Chances are you’re not the hot shirtless guy who’s an underwear model or the cover girl supermodel.  Once you decide on your goals, keep in mind that you are the only one you need to impress.  Compare your achievements to where you began.  Keep track of your workouts and your progress and soon your gym motivation will be your very own record of achievements!

Tweet