Part 4: Staying Motivated

If you’re just joining us, Part 1 starts here.

This can be the hardest part for many people. They started going to the gym, and something comes up and this miss a day, and then another, and another.  Pretty soon they haven’t gone in two weeks and it feels like a huge struggle to start again.

How do you prevent starting this trend?  First off, there’s a few reasons beginners might start to dread or avoid working out.

They might say, “I started going to the gym, but….”

“I got really tired/ sore.”

This is hard to avoid.  If you’ve never really worked out, and then you go to the gym, try everything and workout for awhile, the next day you’ll be really sore.  The first time I started working out again after a long break, I did way too much arm work and couldn’t easily straighten my arms without a lot of soreness.  Start slow and slowly increase the weight, time, or intensity of your workout.  There will be days when you get sore, but the first 2 weeks are usually the worst.

“I couldn’t do the reps/ minutes I wanted to.”

It’s ok to set high goals, but understand you need a systematic approach.  If you want to row for 20 minutes, you try and don’t make it, then take a time you can do, and add 2 minutes every time you go. It’ll add up quickly.

“I’m embarrassed because I can only lift a little weight / do a few minutes of cardio.”

I’ve honestly never seen anyone in the gym sneer, snicker or comment on someone lifting or the amount of time they spend on the treadmill.  Most people at least stick to their own routine, and many are willing to help you out if you ask.  I’ve never heard anyone ask for a spot on a lift and the person respond ‘No’.  Everyone is at a different point.

Get yourself there

In the end these are all excuses.  You’ll have rough, bad workouts.  You’ll have good ones.  A lot of it comes down to not giving up on your goals, which I mentioned in the first part of this series.

It’s easier to keep up a habit rather than break the trend.  If you’ve been missing workouts, it’s easier to keep missing them, but at the same time, if you’ve been going regularly, it’ll be easier to keep up.

There will always be something that comes up, and you just need to work around it.  You need to know why you starting going in the first place, and don’t forget it.

Get yourself to the gym, be consistent, and you’ll achieve your goals.

Part 1: Getting started and Goal Setting

Part  2: Run faster and jump higher: Cardiovascular Fitness

Part 3: 101 guide to carrying people:  Weight Lifting

Part 4: Staying Motivated – You are HERE