Motivation

Happy Monday everyone! Monday means a new workout playlist as well as a fresh start! As Spring moves on, more and more people are coming back to the gym after their three month break from their New Year's resolution. Staying motivated at the gym can definitely be hard, but there are definitely many things that can help you stay focused and have fun at the same time. Here are a few things that keep me motivated, especially during those weeks where I rather just sit on the couch and watch tv.

1) MUSIC
Now I know this seems pretty obvious but switching up playlists can really help you stay motivated. For me I have about four or five playlists that I use on a regular basis. They're all very different and have different tempos in them. I suggest having at least three playlists that you can switch up on a weekly or even daily basis. My playlists include house/techno, rap, rock, punk, and even 90's hits. Whatever works for you use, I usually put one of my favorite songs every third or fourth so I get amped when I hear it. Music can really help you focus while lifting or even just running that extra half mile.

2) WORK OUT WITH A FRIEND
A lot of people are self conscious when going to the gym. There's nothing wrong with that. Who wants to go to the gym and be judged when you're trying to better help yourself? No one! One thing that has worked for me when I don't feel like going to the gym is go with a friend. Not only can he/she help motivate you, but its fun. It's nice being able to talk with someone about anything while working out.

3) CREATE YOUR OWN WORKOUT
If you've gone to the gym at all, you've probably seen someone doing some crazy exercise. You then probably think to yourself, what in the world is that person doing? I used to think that to myself until I realized you can be pretty creative with your workout. Changing and adjusting your workout to be fun can still be productive. I've taken some normal exercises and modified them to be more fun and less boring. Here's a great example of something I've done.

Ordinary squats with dumb bells on your shoulders. Pretty boring and not much fun to do. To mix it up, I do my normal squat but after returning to my starting position I raise one leg towards my opposite shoulder. While listening to an upbeat song, this boring exercise turns into a great core and cardio workout.

4) WORKOUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
I have worked out at basically every possible time, from 6 am to even as late as 1 am. My best workouts are when I wake up early and go before I do anything else. I know it's hard to wake up early, especially if you have a long day, but you'll have a more productive workout and see results faster by getting into a routine. Every day I wake up at 6 am and complete my workout by 8:30. For you guys who have to work or go to school very early, this may not work for you, but I'm fortunate enough where I don't have to start my day until 10 am. However just think about if you were to workout everyday at 7 or 8 pm. You've probably either gone to a few classes or worked all day. Working out after going through a day like that is much harder because you have already used up a lot of your mental and physical energy throughout the day. For some people working out at night is easier for them. I'm not saying it's the wrong thing to do, but take a look at your day and figure out when the best time for you to workout is. Most likely, its going to be in the morning.

5) LOOK AT THE SMALLER PICTURE FIRST
Many people work out to see a change in their body, whether it is just to drop a few pounds or bulk up. At the same time, many people stop going to the gym because they get discouraged when they don't see changes right away. Unless you're going to the gym morning, afternoon, and night and taking every supplement possible, you're not going to see immediate results. When I started working out I could barely bench 75 pounds. In just over five months I can now bench 180 pounds. It didn't happen overnight. One thing that has helped me get to this point was to look at the small things. I was super skinny when I started working out. As my workouts continued, I looked at small things. Obviously my biceps weren't going to grow overnight, but with each workout, doing one more rep or adding 5 more pounds after a week is an improvement. Feel good about yourself when you can do that extra rep! Get pumped up when you add more weight! These are small things that you won't see physically with your body, but over time they will have an affect.

There will be many more blogs to come! If you're interested in my workouts or have questions, please contact me. Follow my blog, updates will be regular!