I can’t believe I’m at this place… for years I’ve soldiered on and on and on…
Now I just can’t find the motivation to train. I think about training every day, I eat quite clean every day, I’m also watching the fat slowly work its way back on every day… watching myself shrink every day.
I read T-Mag off and on, and am aware of pretty much all of the motivational articles (Atomic Dog, etc).
I know exactly what I have to do… it’s just so frustrating. I suppose it’s a matter of priorities. But I’m finding it so strange that I’m simply ACCCEPTING feeling like shit when I look in the mirror.
Does anyone else go through phases like this??? What do you personally do to snap yourself out of it?
Damn it… sorry to dump on you guys, but I’m very interested to learn of what you all do to keep the fire burning.
Do you feel tired all the time? Are you getting enough sleep?
Do you just NOT make time to get to the gym?
Do you think, after work, “Gym or home & TV?” and choose to go home to the TV?
Are you working extra-long hours at your job?
Do you have aches & pains that make you say “Ehhh, don’t really wanna put myself through that today.”
Do you have a Significant Other who trains/doesn’t train?
How is the rest of life going? Do you feel bummed, down, depressed?
Ways to get back on track may be different, depending on what the actual de-motivator is.
But let’s give it a shot:
“Nothing you eat will ever taste as good as looking good feels.”
Getting in shape is more difficult as you get older, so you damn well better take advantage of the time you’ve got NOW. Next year, it’ll be tougher.
Find a best friend/lover/motivated athlete who is willing to work out with you, set a schedule, and then tell yourself that it isn’t just about YOU anymore: don’t let them down by not showing up!
Tell yourself “Okay, if I can’t get my sorry ass to the weight room, I can at least not make it bigger by eating crap!” Force yourself to eat clean (over which you have more control than getting to a gym on a regular basis), until you tell yourself “Enough! I want an ice cream cone, dammit! But I can’t justify eating that until I burn some extra calories in the weight room!”
Nike approach: “Just do it.”
T-Nation approach: “Just fucking DO it, man! What the fuck is wrong with you? No one is going to live your life FOR you!”
Look at the Photo Forum, and remind yourself that they all started life as an 8-pound blob with no bowel control. If they can do it, no reason we can’t.
Dude. Get back in the game. We want a post SOON that tells us what workout you did. Don’t disappoint us. Good luck.
[quote]Mark-AUS wrote:
Now I just can’t find the motivation to train.[/quote]
Hey – we’ve ALL been there at some point. Maybe not about training, but we’ve all wanted something we just couldn’t seem to get off our ass and chase for some reason.
The main reason I get this way is when I’m getting close to having what I started out trying to achieve. I think underneath it all, I get worried that once I get there, I won’t have anywhere left to go. So I try to reevaluate my goals frequently, and keep them changing.
Another thing I do is turn my personal goals into community goals. Instead of working to build my lats, for example, I work to find a “perfect” lat routine that I can give to other people. Then it’s not just about me. It’s a lot easier to let yourself down than it is to let down a whole community.
A forum like this is a really good place to feed that, because you can bring that routine in here and feed it directly to the community. Every major fitness guru started out as just another guy in the gym, so don’t worry about being qualified or certified or having a degree. Experience is a great teacher.
I’m sure there are at least a few more people out there who are sitting right where you are, and just didn’t want to say it out loud. I’m pretty sure they’re grateful for this post, even if they don’t come up and say it personally.
And I, for one, really like to help people out. So thanks for asking something I actually felt qualified to answer; as a relative newbie to this scene, most of the questions in here are just over my head.
Have a read of the “mental muscle” article in T-mag, in particular the All or nothing question.
If you would excuse me while I drift in to Dr. Phil mode:
Maybe you don’t really want to do what you are procrastinating about.
Now this might no be such a big thing.
Maybe you really don’t want to have such a strict diet, maybe the training program you are trying to do you really don’t like, whatever.
My suggestion would be just go into the gym and have fun. Pick a few exercises (compound free weight if possiable) you like and just do them and nothing else and don’t sweat the deatils.
The same with diet just cut out a few of the worst thing (maybe soft drink, deep fried food etc). Maybe try to eat regular meals but don’t get too hung up about eating 8 meals low carb, high protein, rich in anti-oxidonts meals every 2.45 hours etc.
Don’t worry about the perfect diet or the perfect exercise program. Just pick a diet that you will enjoy that is relatively good and a exercise program that is fun. I think the FUN is very important. At the very least you will have fixed the procrastination.
End Dr. Phil mode.
Any exercise program and sensible diet will work but you have to actually do them.
the hardest part for me is getting to the gym. i never feel like working out, but once i’m physically inside the gym, it’s a lot easier for me to do my thing. maybe it’s the same for you?
is there a girl you really like and wanna impress? maybe your wife (if you have one?
is there a guy that you don’t really like, and you hate how he’s stronger than you?
use these to motivate yourself to go work out
do you have any friends who also work out? do you have any friends who have the same problem as you? go work out with them. try once a week, then twice, then three times, then 4 (if you have the time). just keep building up, and pretty soon, it will be easy
I like to make goals. Since I’m a beginner, its easy to make lots of goals, break them, and then make new ones. Maybe something simple like this might make you want to go back to the gym. My current goal is to bench 200. Wow, nothing big for you guys here, but for me, that is the big shit. Before that my goal was to bench 135. Try something simple like that, that always keeps me going.
Ah, also, btw, having someone to impress also is an inspiration, (IE a girlfriend)
Good luck bro, you’ll get back into lifting, just make yourself go to the gym, even if you don’t want to.
Peace,
-pork
dude I hear you. I have an incredibly hectic life. I am always tired and get discouraged easily b/c I am female and it is a little harder I think for us to get in shape (sometimes not always don’t want to generalize here).
I just make myself go. I get in the car and don’t think about where I am going (the gym) once I am there I walk in and I tell myself “well…I am already here so I might as well do something.” Then i either lift or take a cardio class or something at least.
Thanks guys (and gals)!
You know I really think it was all these posts that’s pushed me into action.
I’ve just got the swiss ball and adjustable dumbbells from the shed, it’s time for some DB Presses!
I started my own business a year ago, and while it’s been the best time of my life, it’s also hard work and sometimes stress… but to hell with it! It’s my shop, I’ll open the doors late today, I just designated the next hour or so to training. Customers can wait!
I’m also firing up the digicam right now for some before pics.
Just weighed myself, I’m down about 12kg (26lbs-ish) from my max weight (no, I wasn’t fat, hehehe)… time to start sprinting back up that hill!
Sorry if I don’t reply to each individual post, but I actually REALLY wanna train!!! LOL
When I don’t want to or am too busy. I just say, I’ll just do a 10 minute warm-up. Then work out for 20 minutes. What’s a half hour, then I can get back to work. I also have my own business, so I’m lucky and have my gym and office in the same room.
You know, I always, at the 20 min mark decide to do the full hour. And if there is a crazy deadline I have to meet, I do work between sets. This does negatively affect my work out, yes. But not as bad as skipping a work out.
