12 Proven Tips to Help You Stay Gym Motivated



Look… I know… It happens to all of us.. It can be challenging to stay consistent in the gym.
Spending time to take care of our bodies is one of the biggest challenges people face. You
get busy at work, family, or school, you miss one class then BAM! 6 months goes by and you
haven’t been to the gym once.


If you are looking to find that top secret pill to get you in shape, I’m here to tell you that it
doesn’t exist. However, here are some of my tips to help you stay motivated on your
fitness journey.


Sometimes, you just need a jumpstart.  Watch Rocky, Karate Kid, The Mighty Ducks,
or your favorite fitness movie. I like to watch a documentary about The Crossfit Games,
or a documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger. When you focus on other people who
were successful, especially a behind the scenes look, it helps you realize that it takes
time and dedication. This may be all it takes to inspire you to get back at it.


Be Patient. Results take time. Even if you are doing everything right, it’s not going to
happen overnight. Be realistic with yourself. How do you eat an entire elephant? One bite
at a time! How do you lose weight? One day at a time!  


You need a program. If you are going into the gym every day and decide what you are
doing once you get there, you are destined for failure. This was me, I would show up at the
gym, having no idea what to do, then leave whenever I felt like I did enough. The problem
was, days where I did not feel motivated, it was easy for me to just call it early because I
“wasn’t feeling it.” Find a workout program online, or hire someone to write a program for
you. Get a good balance of movements you are good at, and movements you need to get
better at. This also will give you a well rounded approach to your workout routine.


You need to switch up your routine. Alright so maybe the routine you are currently doing
isn’t working for you. Doing the same thing over and over again for long is going to be
super mundane, which makes it easy to start slacking off. Try doing a cycle of doing HIIT,
CrossFit, Bootcamp, or a cycle of Bodybuilding, maybe you need to follow a more cardio
based program? I once spent an entire year doing just CrossFit weightlifting, which has a
very strict focus on olympic weightlifting catered to the CrossFit athlete. Bodybuilding.com
has a bunch of paid programs for pretty much any persons fitness type. Try something you
have always wanted to, just do it!


Set realistic goals (goals that are actually achievable). Maybe you want to fit into your old
jeans, lose 10 lbs, gain weight, run a 5k, do a physique competition, or maybe you just want
to keep up with the grandkids. Whatever it is, define it, set a goal that is achievable and with
a realistic deadline. Once you set those goals, develop your workout routine for that. There
are plenty of resources online and free training programs. The only limiter to getting started
is you.


Don’t focus on the scale. If you need a way to actively measure, get an inbody scan, take
before and after pictures, measure your waist. Its should be well known that muscle weighs
more than fat, and even though you may be working out hard, the scale numbers may not
change as fast as you want it to. The fact is, there’s a whole lot more going on in there than
what the scale says. One of the best ways to gauge your progress is how your clothes fit
you. If your pants are fitting looser, or your shirt feels bigger, you’re probably progressing.


Hire a Personal trainer. This is one of the best ways to get one-on-one attention and
program design for your goals. If you have never worked out before, have no idea what you
are doing, feel lost in the gym, then this is your best option. Find a good personal trainer in
your community that is going to be able to help you reach your goals.


Get a workout buddy, always better to do it with a friend. When I was 17 I worked out with
my boss regularly. He was such a high energy guy, and had a real nack to make working out
fun. I looked forward to the text I would get from him asking if I wanted to work out. Find a
workout buddy, someone who is willing to put in the work together.


Try a group class. Maybe the reason you are having a hard time getting to the gym is
because you hate working out by yourself. It can be boring staring at yourself in the weight
room pretending like you know what you are doing. Its easier to just throw all that out the
window and try a group class. CrossFit or Bootcamp offer the best group-training for the
athlete who wants to be well rounded in cardio, bodyweight movements, and weightlifting
movements. Other great group classes are: Pilates, Zumba, Spinning, Barre, and Yoga.
Try one, or try them all! Find what works for you. The key factor about this is you can make
friends in these classes who help keep you accountable. One of the best parts of CrossFit is
the community, you begin to grow together as you work hard together. There’s something
special about finding a “clan” that shares the same value of health and fitness as you.


Do a 3 day juice cleanse, Try a juice cleanse from Clean Juice or another local juice shop
to reset your body to jumpstart your healthy eating habits. You are going to feel pretty bad
going back to eating twinkies after drinking nothing but juiced fruits and veggies for 3 days.
This is a great way to get your system back to eating clean and feeling good.


Pick up a new sport. Try something new! Find something that gives you the motivation to
get better at that sport. I’ve played soccer my whole life, CrossFit helps maintain my
conditioning year round to be able to jump into a game on the weekend.


Get the swag. Yup, I said swag (clothes, gear, apparel, etc..). You know that feeling when
you buy a new shirt and you feel like a total champ when you wear it? Maybe you hate
working out because the shoes you have to put on every time are old and nasty, or maybe
your gym clothes reek of years of chronic sweat and grime exposure that no washing
machine will ever be able to clean. Buy a pair of shorts or yoga pants that make your butt look
good, or a pair of shoes that takes your running game to the next level. Even though it may
just be clothes, believe me, it makes all the difference in your mindset. Treat yo’self!


Usually all it takes is one small act that gets us excited to focus on our health and fitness again. Hopefully reading this clicks with you and you find something that gets you back into your gym routine, or starting a new one!

Josh

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