Keep Your Motivation In The Gym

Keep your motivation in the gym! Let’s face it there are times where we just don’t feel like working out whether it’s a physical factor, mental fatigue, personal reasons etc... We’ve all been there. I myself have battled days when I just don’t have it. The key is to remind yourself of the reason why you showed up to the gym in the first place. We all have goals that we set out on a journey to accomplish and sometimes there are roadblocks that jump in our way preventing us from staying the course. I’m here to tell you don’t panic, help is on the way. Here are some keys that I live by. Key 1 - Frame IT: Using a picture of when you were at your best physical condition or using a picture of someone who inspires you as a screensaver on your phone provides a constant reminder of what your goal is. You have no choice but to see it every day as a reminder of the task at hand. No matter how far you are from reaching that goal every day presents a step closer so keep pushing. Key 2 - Turn UP: Music is an essentially component of life because it gets us going. We all have those songs that we would categorize as “soundtracks” to our life. Whenever I walk out the locker room I’m normally listening to my theme music from my many playlists. I set the atmosphere as if I’m a fighter walking to the ring to the applause of the crowd. I recommend creating a playlist full of variety when working out. I have everything on my iPod from Jay-Z, 2-PAC, Taylor Swift (yes Taylor Swift), Beyoncé, you name it and I've got it. Try creating playlists for different days so you don’t put your workouts on repeat with the same old songs every day. For example leg day might require a little more from your music this week, so pick the top 10-15 songs you know will provide that extra gear and line it up. Then the following workout, create another playlist adding 10-15 more songs that will keep you going. Key 3 - Variety is KEY: I can remember hearing this quote 1000 times “change your workouts, you change your body” and it is probably the truest one yet. Mixing things up will allow your body to stay guessing as to what’s coming next. We all know that Monday is “International Chest Day” celebrated in every gym. So why not throw a curveball and invert your routine days to add a little spice and confusion. We are creatures of habit and doing the same workouts on the same days starts to become more and more like a job, which can bring on lack of interest. Just think, if you watch the same movie every Friday at 5pm it will eventually get to the point where you tune it out. Create a rotation for the 7 day week and you will find yourself not going through the motions one bit when Monday or any day comes around. Key 4 - Track IT: If you’re like me then you love the feeling of setting a PR. It’s rewarding and it lets you know that progress is being made. Tracking your progress from your measurements, body fat, lifts, weight and more, will prompt you to stay focus on getting better and allow you to make any adjustments towards your goal. If you have a fitness journal or even an app, make sure you record your workouts periodically and you might even amaze yourself with the amount of progress you have made. I go as far as to record certain lifts to make sure my form is correct and look for any little flaws in training. It helps me stay in stride and even humble me when I think I know it all. I’ve found that using these 4 keys will not only help jump start any person new to the gym, but also breathe fresh air into anyone who feels that they are lagging behind and on the verge of giving up. Try them and your MOJO will thank you!