Have you ever gone through periods where you can’t find the energy or motivation to do even the most trivial of tasks? It may seem as if on some days you’ll wake up and your energy and motivational levels will be at, or near, zero. We all have days like this from time to time, yet sadly, some of us find ourselves going through a particularly long-lasting lull that we can’t seem to snap out of. There’s nothing worse than knowing that you should be in the gym, busting your butt to make the gains and progress that you’ve been striving for, for so long, only to find yourself dreading the thought of working out and looking for whatever excuses you can find to get out of your training.
If you aren’t motivated, not only will you not enjoy your training, you will find it much, much tougher to get an effective workout in. Rather than simply going through the motions, doing the minimum effort required, you should instead be looking for ways of boosting your motivational levels, which is easier said than done. The good news however, is that it can be done, which is why we’ll be taking a look at these five handy tips to help keep you motivated to train.
Set yourself achievable goals
Studies have found that individuals who set themselves goals and targets are far more likely to succeed than people that don’t. Because of this, you should take the time to set yourself a series of achievable goals and targets that won’t push you too hard, too quickly. By having a goal and target to aim for, your competitive side will come into play and you’ll step things up a gear. The goals and targets that you set yourself however, should be determined by your training and what you hope to get out of it. For example, if weight loss is your goal, set yourself an achievable weekly weight loss target of, say, 1 – 2 pounds. Having a goal and target to aim for will help keep you on the right track as none of us want to fail.
Designate days and times for working out
ome people take a “wait and see” approach to working out, and will basically work out as and when they feel like it, which, although still beneficial, is far from ideal. If however, you know for a fact that Fridays are back days, you know in the back of your mind, that you have to keep Friday free, because that will be when you’re training your back. Over time, you get into a habit of exercising on certain days, so it will almost come as a second nature to you.
Alter your mindset
If your motivation levels are really lacking, and have been for some time, this is a clear-cut sign that something is wrong and something has to change. You should embrace the concept of exercise being about more than a quick fix and quick way of losing weight, or toning up. Instead, you should get into a frame of mind which emphasizes the fact that working out is a lifestyle, that will benefit you in countless ways.
Mix up your training
Let’s face it, following the same routine day in and day out is going to become boring and stale, no matter how motivated we may have been in the initial stages. If you’ve been following the same training routine for a number of weeks, or even months, and have begun to notice your motivation levels slowly creeping downwards, something will obviously have to change. A great place to start will be with your training. Variety is after all, the spice of life, and in the exercise world, it’s a great way of keeping things fresh, exciting, and engaging. If you’ve been following a five day split for several weeks, try a new form of training such as a full-body routine, or perhaps German Volume Training. If you still want to stick with the same routine, try varying the number of reps and sets you perform, and perhaps alter the weights that you use.
Train with a buddy
Finally, the last thing you can do to really ramp up your motivation levels, is recruit a buddy to train with on a regular basis. Training with a friend is ideal because not only can you motivate one another and encourage each other, you can also spot each other, and perhaps most importantly, it will really bring out your competitive side. Although neither of you will admit it, neither of you will want to be outdone by the other, and so, for most of your workout you will actually be in direct competition with one another. This means that you’ll dig just that little bit deeper and squeeze out that one more rep, thus proving yourself to be the undisputed winner of the ‘battle of the buddies
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