The sexy bodies of athletes, professional bodybuilders and even movie stars were not made overnight. Most of them dedicated years of their lives to achieve six-pack abs, slim waistlines and brawny arms. So you ask yourself: can you sustain your zeal in regularly going to the gym? Staying motivated in the gym can spell the difference between achieving a body-to-die-for and staying plump.
Here are some tips that you can follow in order to stay motivated:
1. Find a Convenient Gym
One of the main reasons why gym goers suddenly find themselves lazy to work out is because their gyms are too far from their home or place of work. Find a gym that is near you so it becomes less difficult for you to go there. Gym franchises like Gold’s Gym and LA Fitness have numerous branches in the United States, so there should be one conveniently close to your residence or office.
2. Enjoy your Work-outs
Easier said than done, you might surmise, especially if you have been working out for months and still cannot see any significant results. Instead of being too conscious with your body, why don’t you enjoy working out instead by choosing the activities or exercises you like doing? This is where a gym buddy can come in handy, particularly someone like your friend who loves competing against you. Engage in simple games like out-lifting him so you’ll find the routines less boring.
Listening to good music can make you enjoy the workouts more. Choose upbeat songs that you can relate to, and download these into your portable music player. If you are not exactly fond of music, you could listen to a podcast. Or you could bring along a magazine when working on a cardio machine.
3. Track Your Gains
Record your workouts by using apps for your smartphones or tablets that allow you to easily track your progress. If you find figures and numbers insufficient, you can even take photos of yourself every month, or even week. This will help you to visually keep track of the progress you’ve made, and give you an idea on which parts of your body you need to do more work on.
4. Set Achievable Goals
Many gym goers suddenly stop with their programs because they’ve been discouraged by the small gains they’ve achieved after weeks and even months of working out. You should remember to set attainable goals that you can realistically achieve given a certain time. Don’t expect to lose 20 pounds in a month, because this is quite a daunting task even for veteran gym goers.
5. Mix It Up
Your body will adapt to a routine after you perform the same exercises over and over again. Mentally, you will also become bored with the same workouts. You can avoid this by mixing your routine. Ask your gym instructor to mix highly intensive exercises with low-intensity ones just to throw your body off-balance. Or you can search online for new routines to try.