For
this blog piece, I’d like to touch on a topic which more than likely affects
all those who train. Motivation is something that will come and go, and relying
on it solely to get you to a session day to day is probably going to see you
come unstuck more often than not. Not because you want to skip a session, but
because your drive to get there in the first place may be low, and with that
comes excuses and a whole lot of procrastination. As somebody who has done
various fitness related things as well as worked with a huge amount of people
who all come to the gym for different reasons, I’d like to broaden your scope
on ways to enhance your motivation and really achieve what you want to within
the gym space.
Goal setting:
I think it goes without saying, but a goal is going to be a huge factor in
where you draw your motivation and inspiration from when it comes to your
training. By not having a goal, you are kind of saying that you know you need
to get in and train, but don’t really know why. If you do not have a purpose
behind your training, it is going to be hard to always make the time to go in,
because there isn’t anything holding you accountable. Goals can be anything,
from gaining or losing weight, wanting to lift a certain weight on a particular
lift, a holiday, an event, your health. The list goes on, but if you can pick
something you really want to achieve and then formulate the plan to allow
exercise to help you achieve it, you will be skipping less sessions at the gym.
I did a post on goal setting needing to be realistic, and if you haven’t
already read it, I suggest you do. Within that piece I talk about how a goal
should me “SMART”. I don’t think that walking into the gym with the intention
of lifting 200kg is smart, if you have only been lifting for 6 months. This is
the same as trying to lose 40kg in a calendar year or trying to run a marathon if
you have never even done a 12k. On the flip side though, if you can tick off
numerous small goals bit by bit, you will be well on your way to achieving big
things and probably ensure your motivation remains high throughout.
Acting without guilt:
In my opinion, one of the worst ways to get yourself to the gym is to guilt
yourself there. Maybe you ate out a few times over the weekend, maybe you took
an extra rest day last week. Whatever you are trying to hold over yourself in
order to make your workout happen is probably not the best way to approach it.
Exercise is not a punishment and enjoying some social situations or taking a
rest day is not something to feel guilty about. I know a few professional
athletes, people who are actually paid to train and do not have a job. Even
these people enjoy their off season, they travel, they drink, they eat, they
get a bit slack from time to time. If you are not an athlete and generally
train to just be happy, healthy and fit, then please do not use the gym as a
torture chamber to repent the sins of the weekend. Also, try not to deviate
from your program just because you are feeling a bit average with yourself.
That extra few sets or that random 5 minutes of cardio is not going to make a
difference anyway so try not to get carried away.
Accountability:
I think the easiest way to keep motivated is to have an accountability system.
Maybe it’s your program written out in 5-8 week blocks. Maybe it’s booking a PT
session once a week. Maybe it’s training with a friend. Maybe you track your
progress on a spread sheet or in the notes of your phone. Whatever you do to
keep accountable to yourself and possibly others is always going to keep you
going compared to going it alone. No program, no notes, no training partners,
no support. The best thing I have done for myself and client’s is not only
train and work at a gym full of amazing people, but I have my programming and
clients programming on an app on our smart phones. The app has built in
analysis, it has a feedback system where I receive emails as clients log
sessions and I can access it all from the computer. We’re a team and that
atmosphere goes a long way.
Find your “why”
Something I have spent some time talking about with my boss lately, is
understanding the why and what makes a client tick. Everyone has a purpose
behind their decisions in all areas of life and health / fitness is no
different. You may have goals that change over time, but your underlying drive
was built by something, for something. Maybe you were a bikini competitor and
now you want to try your hand at power lifting. Maybe you used to play football
and now you have an injury, so you need to rehabilitate in order to kick start
your career. It’s going to be different for everyone, but once you express it
to those who are able to help you, or as a trainer you find this out from your
client’s, you can build the plan. Knowing why you want to do something is a lot
more motivating than feeling like you have to do something. If things like
exercise are no longer a chore, but a stepping stone to a bigger goal, then you
should have a better buy in. I personally want to achieve more with my
snowboarding and train to be strong, fit, stable and mobile. This also helps
knowing I have a dodgy back as I can keep on top of that, by training the way
that motivates me to get to the gym. If I trained purely with rehab in mind,
even if I was doing the exact same training plan, I’d be less motivated as I
see a sore back as an issue, and I see snowboarding as a reward and a brilliant
getaway. Flip your perspective and watch your training adherence flourish.