Even someone as hardcore as myself has those days where staying in bed is a lot more appealing than hitting the weights. No matter how motivated or inspired you’ve been, there will come a day when you just wanna say F it! The first step to overcoming this problem is admitting that it exists. And no I’m not talkin’ “My name is Jay and I am a quitter.”
The best way to get back on track is setting goals – small achievable stepping stones to get you to that ultimate prize at the end. While you might already have a major goal in mind like a contest or maxxing out your bench, larger goals can seem unattainable and can de-motivate you. When your morning alarm starts feeling like the beginning of a prison sentence, make your goals smaller and easier to attain. Add an extra exercise to each training session BEFORE you leap right into another whole session. Bump your weights up by 5 pounds instead of expecting to go right to a 45 pound plate. Go from level 5 to level 6 on the treadmill instead of expecting to run a marathon in a week. Once you’ve set these smaller more reasonable goals, be sure to also reward yourself. Giving yourself something to look forward to can keep you motivated, like a new protein flavor or an extra hour of sleep on the weekend. The key is making sure the reward is not a punishment for your body, but more like a dessert.
I tend to use my fridge for more than just a place to keep chicken breasts, when I need motivation. I’ll put a motivating picture up there or even write my goal for the week down so I see it EVERY day. Keep a running list of all the goals you completed. The longer the list gets – you’ll see how much more motivated you get.
Tags: Bodybuilding, exercise, fitness, weight training