Loss of Motivation

Off Topic
1

My motivation sucks right now. I do not look forward to lifting like I used to. For the last two years I’ve been working out like a crazy person, keeping very detailed records of every set and rep, and eating clean. For about the last 2 months I just have not been very enthusiastic. My workouts have lacked energy, my strength has decreased in some exercises, I have no desire to do squats and DL’s (my former favorite movements), and I just don’t really care about it anymore. I’ve taken time off (up to a week at a time), tried now programs, I read this website religiously, but I can’t seem to re-motivate myself.

Is this normal? I’ve been a certified gym-rat for about 15 years and this is the longest I can remember not enjoying it. Should I just quit completely for a while. I feel so freaking lazy. My wife asked me yesterday what was wrong. Nothing is “wrong”, I just feel…well, nothing. Not a bad mood, just a weird funk where I feel like I’m just going through the motions. Suggestions?

2

It could be a wide variety of things from plain old burnout from being meticulous for so long or something like test production starting to decline or stress at this point in your life. You are in your mid thirties right? Something as simple as a break and reevaluation of your workouts to trying a test booster like Alpha Male. To be completely sure have a full physical with all bloodwork done.

Good luck,

D

3

go in and just lift, dont go in with a plan or a program and leave your notebook at home. just go in and do what you wanna do, if your only there for 30min so be it, it will be better than not going at all. get some new music, go at a different time to see some new faces. or what i like to do is pop in some pumping iron, that will get you good to go.

4

Time to watch one of the good Rocky movies.

5

Happens to me w/ the change of seasons, summer to fall, days getting shorter, not getting any sunlight.

Just get of your A** and get it done!!!

joke.

6

[quote]PGJ wrote:
My motivation sucks right now. I do not look forward to lifting like I used to. For the last two years I’ve been working out like a crazy person, keeping very detailed records of every set and rep, and eating clean. For about the last 2 months I just have not been very enthusiastic.

My workouts have lacked energy, my strength has decreased in some exercises, I have no desire to do squats and DL’s (my former favorite movements), and I just don’t really care about it anymore. I’ve taken time off (up to a week at a time), tried now programs, I read this website religiously, but I can’t seem to re-motivate myself.

Is this normal? I’ve been a certified gym-rat for about 15 years and this is the longest I can remember not enjoying it. Should I just quit completely for a while. I feel so freaking lazy. My wife asked me yesterday what was wrong. Nothing is “wrong”, I just feel…well, nothing. Not a bad mood, just a weird funk where I feel like I’m just going through the motions. Suggestions? [/quote]

It depends entirely on what motivated you to train in the first place.

I always try and get angry with myself and ask why I am acting like such a wuss. This seems to work most times, as I have no good reason not to train - being a pussy is not a reason.

Another useful technique is to check out some pictures or movies of someone to whom you aspire to, that can be pretty motivating.

This works for me, depends what motivated you to train - I get motivated listening to Manowar’s “Kingdom Of Steel”, which probably would not motivate some people.

Without rambling, I recently lost interest in my martial arts training after six or so years; reason being, I realised that the training was not interesting me anymore, as I was not actually working towards a goal as such. I may return to it in the new year; perhaps you need a goal to train for, beyond simply training for the sake of it?

Joe.

7

These are some very good suggestions. I think I’ll just “free-ball” it for a while, download some new music, and just do what’s fun instead of what’s on the schedule. Thanks to everyone.

8

Maybe you have just had enough? Don’t over think it and don’t go do something you don’t want to do and be miserable. If it’s in your blood you will come back to it. Maybe you could take up a new hobby, something that gets you out and keeps you moving so you don’t become a fat couch potato.

9

[quote]vbm537 wrote:
Time to watch one of the good Rocky movies.[/quote]

This always worked for me.

Otherwise, like you said PGJ, do fun shit. Whatever your favorite lifts were, be it pushups or sled dragging or whatever, just do them for a while.

Do you workout at home or at a gym? A change of pace may be needed. If you workout at home, go to a gym for a month. If it’s the other way around, train outside or do pullups in a park instead of under the flourescent lights of a gym.

Like Jack Lalanne once said, “If you had to eat carrots every day, you’d go fuckin’ crazy”. The same goes for workouts.

Check out the badass movie thread also- there’s motivation all over that motherfucker.