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How do you stay motivated?
LiftAllThePizzas
Posts: 17,857 Member
When working on a program like running or lifting I always find I want to do a lot more than the program calls for. Like when I did strong lifts 5x5 I wanted to lift every day and it sucked to have to wait 2 (or, gasp, 3) days until the next lifting session. I want to do heavy squats 6 days a week!
Now I'm doing a couch to 5k program and I don't want to stop at 20 minutes and I don't want to wait two days to do the next session. This sucks.
What do you do to keep yourself from doing too much?
Now I'm doing a couch to 5k program and I don't want to stop at 20 minutes and I don't want to wait two days to do the next session. This sucks.
What do you do to keep yourself from doing too much?
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Replies
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Drink beer. Increase dosage until motivation withers away sufficiently.0
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Lol @ heavy squats 6 times a week...
Do you have the goal in mind? If doing twice as much moves you further from your goal rather than towards it, you're just exercise wanking rather than training...0 -
Interesting, I was just thinking about something like this.
I lifted on Monday and I wanted to do it again on Tuesday. I knew I shouldn't so I took my bicycle to work and from work. I rode to the gym right after work and then did 35 minutes of the kickboxing class that began at 6pm. I made sure I felt like I did something. I walked past the weights and went to stretch in the stretching area and then I left.
I knew I would be back there on Wednesday and I wrote down what I'm going to do that day.
So, I guess I want to say that I made sure I did some exercise adn I planned my next lift in advance. that's what keeps me motivated.0 -
Lol @ heavy squats 6 times a week...
Do you have the goal in mind? If doing twice as much moves you further from your goal rather than towards it, you're just exercise wanking rather than training...
He said he WANTS to, but he doesn't. I think that's what he wrote...let me look again0 -
Lol @ heavy squats 6 times a week...
Do you have the goal in mind? If doing twice as much moves you further from your goal rather than towards it, you're just exercise wanking rather than training...
He said he WANTS to, but he doesn't. I think that's what he wrote...let me look again
Yeah. I got that.
It's called keeping the goal in mind and doing what it takes to get there. And not doing stuff that moves you further away.
Or else don't.
But then what would be the point of doing a training programme with an identifiable goal?0 -
You just have to set rules for yourself. I had to set a rule that I can only hit the smallest PR my weights will allow; even if that PR is super easy, I'm not allowed to do more. This has paid off soooo much better than constantly busting my balls ever did. Sometimes less is more!0
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Rest days are really important, I've found that totally resting for 2 days per week (with no "cheating" by throwing in push-ups or a quick run somewhere) actually gives me better results in the long run. If I really feel like I HAVE to do something I take a nice long walk.
But if you are doing a solid program then STICK TO THE PROGRAM. It's just another part of the mental discipline, like eating right.0 -
Mobility flexibility stretching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc
Helps on the off days when you feel stir crazy.0 -
Lol @ heavy squats 6 times a week...
Do you have the goal in mind? If doing twice as much moves you further from your goal rather than towards it, you're just exercise wanking rather than training...
He said he WANTS to, but he doesn't. I think that's what he wrote...let me look again
Yeah. I got that.
It's called keeping the goal in mind and doing what it takes to get there. And not doing stuff that moves you further away.
Or else don't.
But then what would be the point of doing a training programme with an identifiable goal?
this.
I switched from 5 -6 days a week standard bro split to a focused power lifting program that only runs 3 times a week. The first few weeks were utter torture. I hated it. I felt like I wasn't doing enough- but I stuck with it. 4 weeks in I was struggling to recover fast enough. If you want to do the program- then do the program and let it take you- don't try to run it.
The long term goal supersedes any short terms wants you should have.
And if the short term takes over- clearly the long term wasn't that important.0 -
Interesting, I feel the same. I just started stronglifts 5x5 this Monday, I didn't feel anything ( muscle soreness ) and was wondering if I did it wrong. I heard it was normal but I just can't shake the feeling that if I don't feel anything, it might not be effective..... I did lift weights yesterday and took cardio class. Today I did my 2nd day of 5x5, couldn't do the extra 5lbs...so I stayed the same weight as Monday. I hope I am doing it right.....0
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Drink beer. Increase dosage until motivation withers away sufficiently.
LMAO
Thing is, if you work to hard all day every day, eventually your body will shut you down and let you know you have pushed too ahrd. That's not pretty.
Sadly I have never had this problem (wanting to do too much that is.) I always want to do as little as possible. Wish I did. Good luck to you.0 -
Lol @ heavy squats 6 times a week...
Do you have the goal in mind? If doing twice as much moves you further from your goal rather than towards it, you're just exercise wanking rather than training...
He said he WANTS to, but he doesn't. I think that's what he wrote...let me look again
Or does he???0 -
Mobility flexibility stretching.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc
Helps on the off days when you feel stir crazy.
I second the stretching on rest days, especially if you are lifting a lot & frequently. I will sometimes throw a movie up and just sit there and do slow stretches the whole time. I feel nice and limber and ready to lift heavy the next day.0 -
i do active recovery or yoga on any rest days in between , but i lift 4 days so i only have three days to worry about, and i do some cardio on those days also. just alternate cardio and lifting and throw in some yoga, and you can get a full weeks worth of workouts.0
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I'm not squatting 6 days a week at this time. But I was recently doing a split routine where I was doing back squats 3 times a week and front squatting on the other 3 days, with one rest day. I made plenty of progress, my front squats went from ~200 1rm to ~250 1rm. And I hit a back squat PR (270 X 10 @ 180 lbs BW) as well.Lol @ heavy squats 6 times a week...
Do you have the goal in mind? If doing twice as much moves you further from your goal rather than towards it, you're just exercise wanking rather than training...
He said he WANTS to, but he doesn't. I think that's what he wrote...let me look again
Or does he???0 -
So with lifting it's never going to be a good idea to work the same muscles two days in a row.
Running is a completely different story. If you work at it long term, you could get to the point that you don't need a running rest day every week. I run 6 or 7 days a week. Last week I did 10 runs in 7 days (i do 3 days of doubles every week, 5 mile run in the morning, 4 mile run in the afternoon). You just aren't there yet. And you won't get there if you don't follow the program as intended and build up over time.
If you need to do something on a rest day, try walking, go for an easy leisurely bike ride, do some gentle yoga. These things would be ok.0
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