Get up, get dressed, go to gym

ajules29
ajules29 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
What is your motivation to get up and head to the gym? How do you maintain the accountability with yourself and stay committed? Once at the gym, what is your self talk to keep you going and not just walk out those doors?

The gym is not my friend, but neither is being unhealthy. I treat gym like a job. I get up, show up, and my pay check is my reward. That's what I think in my head at least. I'm hitting the snooze button and calling in sick repeatedly. If gym is my idea of work, I'd be just coming back from 3-4 months off because of disability. It's hard to get back in the groove of thing. Do you catch my drift?

I want to make the gym and working out my friend, even civil acquaintances. Just a hi and bye and keep it moving. I'm learning as I'm getting older (28 years old), it's all about your mental state. It's mind over matter. I want to reprogram my Brain to love the gym,
To love healthy food... I guess I'm just trying to find what works for me.

Thanks for the read. I look forward to hour positive thoughts and replies. Keep up the great work! It's a hard battle to look as good as you do!
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Replies

  • piggysmalls333
    piggysmalls333 Posts: 450 Member
    edited February 2016
    It's super tough in the morning to give myself a pep talk. The reality is I look forward go my vanilla latte (which I absolutely must have first) and I have Netflix which I watch on my phone when I'm doing my cardio and I have to say not only does it make the time go by but I only watch a certain show for early AM workouts so I really look forward to the next episode!

    If all else fails I just get all drill Sergeant and mentally say STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND GET YOUR *kitten* TO THE GYM NOW!
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    I hate the gym and refuse to go. I walk, run, cycle, ride horses, take classes (fencing, judo, whatever) but screw that aweful rubber-lined hell. The 9 lb blondes and the 900 lb body builders can have it.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    no snooze button. Everything prepped the night before, work clothes in the bag, breakfast and lunch in the fridge to grab. alarm goes off, get up, quick wash, dress in gym clothes, grab everything else (usually forgetting at least one item of essential clothing) then out of the door.

    I need to be in the shower at the gym by 7.15 to get to work on time. I spend a minimum of 30 minutes there, and have a set programme (currently c25k OR Stronglifts). Any longer than 40 minutes and I'd wake up and figure out where I was.

    Having said ALL of that - this week has been hard, I've reset the alarm and failed to make the gym. Eventually last night I decided to cut some clack and give myself the week off because I was too tired to make it worthwhile. Giving myself permission NOT to go to the gym has had the effect of making me WANT to go to the gym on Monday.
  • ajules29
    ajules29 Posts: 7 Member
    That's awesome. Making it apart of your routine and then it becomes second nature. I'm trying not to force my self too much to the point that I hate it but I knowni need to go. Keep up the great work.
  • SoulOfRusalka
    SoulOfRusalka Posts: 1,201 Member
    Fun science fact: you burn calories in deep sleep, so sometimes it's more worth it to stay in bed than go to the gym.

    other than that, I go when I want to feel productive and listen to crappy music and not do my other work. :P
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    I refuse to get up early to go exercise. I am NOT a morning person, and that would just make me miserable! When I do exercise, it's usually in the afternoon after I get home from work. I pull out my app and walk one of the loops around my area and that works for me.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    My exercise is after work, sometimes during. Lifting, yoga--after work. Running, sometimes after work, sometimes lunch or mid-afternoon (depends on my schedule). I put on some music and just go. For me, it's great stress relief.

    I never go home before working out. I change at work and run or go directly to yoga or the gym (do not pass the couch or I will not get up).
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    I really like your "work days" and paycheck outlook. Very cool! I just think about the trip I'm going on this summer and how every day is absolutely necessary to achieving my goal. Although, some days (like today when I'm running on 2-hours of sleep and am absolutely exhausted) it is very hard. I'll push through though thanks to your work-life outlook on exercise. Very inspirational!
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    LadyAbsynthe wrote: »
    Fun science fact: you burn calories in deep sleep, so sometimes it's more worth it to stay in bed than go to the gym.

    other than that, I go when I want to feel productive and listen to crappy music and not do my other work. :P

    Is this true!? I haven't gotten a "good sleep" in two weeks. WOW!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited February 2016
    I go to the gym in the evening after work twice per week and also on Saturday morning. I cycle 4-5 days per week usually. For the most part I enjoy these activities...there is no thought of just walking out the door or whatever. I'm usually irritated when I have to miss a workout due to life getting in the way.

    There are times when I just don't feel like it though...just like there are times that I just don't feel like going to work...but I go anyway because things need to get done regardless of the feelz. Also, sometimes I just need to do something different...so maybe instead of hitting the gym on a Saturday I hit the slopes for a day of skiing...or hiking in the mountains during warmer months...maybe instead of the Sunday ride I decided a round of golf is in order, etc. Exercise really shouldn't be torture.

    ETA: I'd be miserable training early in the morning and I doubt I'd ever really stick to it...hence I usually ride at lunch and lift in the evenings.
  • sault_girl
    sault_girl Posts: 219 Member
    I don't go to the gym. I certainly wouldn't go if it felt like a "job". I know it's hard to balance the modern lifestyle (i.e. a desk job in my case) but I get my exercise doing fun stuff. I live on a farm... I walk lots, I lift and carry heavy things, I shovel, sweep, hammer, I climb and crawl. I also spend lots of time hiking or snowshoeing with the dogs, riding my horses, or digging/planting/harvesting in the garden.

    Also, the critters are depending on me, and there is no snooze button on a hungry kitty, but on a rough morning at least the horses are happy to see me even if I show up in my pajamas :)

    I think fresh air, natural light and time in nature are about 1000x better for most humans than gym time. I mean, they are both good, of course, but if you only have time for one or the other?
  • becca_rup23
    becca_rup23 Posts: 396 Member
    Like a lot of people said, I go in the evening when my day is done, I've tried to do the morning exercise thing but I just value my sleep too much and won't get up if I don't Have to. If you can try different times of day to see which you like the best (or require the least amount of willpower) that might help!
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Its just not optional. I HAVE to go to the gym. End of story.
  • ajules29
    ajules29 Posts: 7 Member
    I
    sault_girl wrote: »
    I don't go to the gym. I certainly wouldn't go if it felt like a "job". I know it's hard to balance the modern lifestyle (i.e. a desk job in my case) but I get my exercise doing fun stuff. I live on a farm... I walk lots, I lift and carry heavy things, I shovel, sweep, hammer, I climb and crawl. I also spend lots of time hiking or snowshoeing with the dogs, riding my horses, or digging/planting/harvesting in the garden.

    Also, the critters are depending on me, and there is no snooze button on a hungry kitty, but on a rough morning at least the horses are happy to see me even if I show up in my pajamas :)

    I think fresh air, natural light and time in nature are about 1000x better for most humans than gym time. I mean, they are both good, of course, but if you only have time for one or the other?
    sault_girl wrote: »
    I don't go to the gym. I certainly wouldn't go if it felt like a "job". I know it's hard to balance the modern lifestyle (i.e. a desk job in my case) but I get my exercise doing fun stuff. I live on a farm... I walk lots, I lift and carry heavy things, I shovel, sweep, hammer, I climb and crawl. I also spend lots of time hiking or snowshoeing with the dogs, riding my horses, or digging/planting/harvesting in the garden.

    Also, the critters are depending on me, and there is no snooze button on a hungry kitty, but on a rough morning at least the horses are happy to see me even if I show up in my pajamas :)

    I think fresh air, natural light and time in nature are about 1000x better for most humans than gym time. I mean, they are both good, of course, but if you only have time for one or the other?

    Thanks for all the comments. I feel the gym is my best bet to get healthy. The ambience of it is something I can't replicate. I know, with myself, if
    I don't go to the gym I won't do anything at home. Home is my relaxation point,
    My rest point, what ever you want to call it. The gym being a job is because my real job and work is Very important to me. So I should pick something that I can personally relate to and that's a job.

    I want to get healthy, I want to be in better shape, I want to look better in pictures and naked. But I'm a fatty a heart, so we gotta shut her up !!
  • ragenhay1
    ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
    Group fitness Classes are my motivation at the gym. I've tried to go just work out years ago and would get bored and call it quits way too quickly. With the group class I have someone telling me what to do and I know it is a set amount of time.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I can't go in the morning, but I go after work and some days that gives me a good 12-14 hour day from door to door. I don't just "go to the gym" anymore. I have goals. I train. I can't just...not train. It's not an option.

    Also I'm bulking and I'd just get fat if I didn't lift.
  • jacklifts
    jacklifts Posts: 396 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I can't go in the morning, but I go after work and some days that gives me a good 12-14 hour day from door to door. I don't just "go to the gym" anymore. I have goals. I train. I can't just...not train. It's not an option.

    Also I'm bulking and I'd just get fat if I didn't lift.

    This.
    I used to go to the gym to workout, without a discrete goal. It was very easy to lose motivation. Now, I have performance goals, and not going to the gym is no longer an option. I know when I miss the gym for more than a week, it sets back my performance.
  • 4aces61
    4aces61 Posts: 292 Member
    No excuses, the gym is my temple for the last 2 years. I was grossly overweight and in poor health/physical condition. So 2 years ago, like many II made a new years resolution, only I stuck to it. I'm in my mid fifties and it was time to stop screwing around. My drive was/is still my family. They count on me to take care of them and that was enough to drive me. Made all the necessary changes and the hard work has paid off. It has also helped me do my job better. I'm a train mechanic and as you can imagine, mostly everything related to repair is not light. My days during the week start at 2am. I get to the gym by 245ish. Workout til 430 then off to work by 5. Work til 130pm then come home and do whatever needs to be taken care of. Dinner around 6, in bed hopefully by 7 and lights out by 8. The times do vary occasionally. The weekend if I'm not working, usually at the gym by 4-430am. I love to train early cuz there is hardly anyone in the gym so no waiting on equipment and no one to bust my groove. I train in some fashion 7 days a week. The only time I miss is something family or work related. I've been using this app for 2 years and it has helped me get where I am now.

    The routine has become part of my daily life. I feel weird when I can't get in the gym. You have to want it. The only person stopping you from succeeding is you. Fit for life, no going back. Good luck to everyone who struggles, I know it's real.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I worship at the church of the iron ;) Love it so much so I don't have to force myself to go.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    I workout at home every morning. I put my sweats on as soon as I wake up. I have my coffee, breakfast and get to it. I'm lucky because I don't work so I'm not having to do this at any particular time, but I've been keeping it up for 6 months, which is definitely a record for me.
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    I hate the gym and refuse to go. I walk, run, cycle, ride horses, take classes (fencing, judo, whatever) but screw that aweful rubber-lined hell. The 9 lb blondes and the 900 lb body builders can have it.

    Sounds as though you are intimidated by people who may be in better shape than you at the gym - the only reason I can think of for that somewhat snotty comment at the end. I started going to the gym when I was 480lbs. When I started I could do 5 min on the treadmill and that's it. I didn't care what I looked like compared to others and now I exercise 6 days a week for at least an hour, alternating swimming (with my hanging skin for all the world to see- and if they don't like it they don't have to look at me), cardio and strength training. I am no "9 lb blonde" but I am strong, confident and I work hard. Don't condem something just because you don't like it or have a stereotyped view of those who do enjoy it.
  • Calibrate
    Calibrate Posts: 52 Member
    I have incorporated working out as just another thing I do in life. Cooking, cleaning, showering, grocery shopping, lawn care, driving, etc... we all do these things and we all seem to find time to add more. Working out is just one more thing to incorporate into your day. There is no end date to working out just as there is no end date for any other thing we do in life. No biggie, but the benefits are priceless!
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    jkestens63 wrote: »
    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    I hate the gym and refuse to go. I walk, run, cycle, ride horses, take classes (fencing, judo, whatever) but screw that aweful rubber-lined hell. The 9 lb blondes and the 900 lb body builders can have it.

    Sounds as though you are intimidated by people who may be in better shape than you at the gym - the only reason I can think of for that somewhat snotty comment at the end. I started going to the gym when I was 480lbs. When I started I could do 5 min on the treadmill and that's it. I didn't care what I looked like compared to others and now I exercise 6 days a week for at least an hour, alternating swimming (with my hanging skin for all the world to see- and if they don't like it they don't have to look at me), cardio and strength training. I am no "9 lb blonde" but I am strong, confident and I work hard. Don't condem something just because you don't like it or have a stereotyped view of those who do enjoy it.

    Absolute respect to you!!!! I remember a lady similar to you in my old gym. She worked so hard!!! I had nothing but admiration for her.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    edited February 2016
    I have 5 lift related goals I want to hit by the end of the year (December 31st 2016).

    I have worked backwards and planned out four (roughly) three month training blocks.

    Each training block contains 3 smaller blocks. Each of those contains 12 training sessions.

    Each training session builds on the last and, ultimately, towards the end of the block I'm in. The next mini-block builds on this mini-block and, ultimately, towards the 3 month block. Each subsequent 3 month block and it's sub-subcomponents builds on the last, etc, etc

    Missing a training session either leaves me where I was before (and therefore further from reaching my goals by year end) or, worse still, regresses me further.

    It's not a case of motivation. If I want to succeed in my endeavour, then I must show up, put in the work, and do so consistently enough to progress and continue to progress. It has to be a habit.
  • mollybethtaylor
    mollybethtaylor Posts: 39 Member
    I don't go to the gym, mainly because I can't afford it. Instead I workout at home using youtube videos as my 'coach'. Each night I set up my workout clothes for the next day and choose the workout I'm doing. I also have a TV show that I watch while I'm rolling and stretching afterwards so it's a little bit of motivation to workout if I want to get to watch the next episode of the TV show :)
  • AlphaCajun
    AlphaCajun Posts: 290 Member
    Honestly? I look back to where I started.. Then look at my current state.. And the vision of the shredded beast I'm building and I can't be stopped. It works for me.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    Being part of mytransphormationstartstoday.com has been working. Yes, I have missed some days. On the days i miss I'm either doing nothing or out walking or doing at home workouts.

    I do think of my 'coach' in the 1stphorm challenge. Along with the other members doing their own workouts. I don't want to let myself down or them down.

    Sometimes it is planned, other times i just feel bored and like I need to do something! Stop being unproductive and just end up at the gym.

    I just feel so powerful when there. Changing for the better and seeing results. Listen to your body. I have no set gym routine. I go to whichever machine i feel like doing at that time. Find what works for you. I like a mix of cardio and weight machines. I'm focused more on weights right now but I use the stationary bike for a bit of cardio. Say I'm doing pretty good but feel like stopping soon. I'll add a few minutes onto the distance, try to get a better pace, go up a few more in calories burnt etc

    Think 'i can do this' or other such mantras.

    Plan out days. Like you want to go 5 days with 2 rest days during the week.

    Think of how far you've gone and think how far you can go.

  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    jkestens63 wrote: »
    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    I hate the gym and refuse to go. I walk, run, cycle, ride horses, take classes (fencing, judo, whatever) but screw that aweful rubber-lined hell. The 9 lb blondes and the 900 lb body builders can have it.

    Sounds as though you are intimidated by people who may be in better shape than you at the gym - the only reason I can think of for that somewhat snotty comment at the end. I started going to the gym when I was 480lbs. When I started I could do 5 min on the treadmill and that's it. I didn't care what I looked like compared to others and now I exercise 6 days a week for at least an hour, alternating swimming (with my hanging skin for all the world to see- and if they don't like it they don't have to look at me), cardio and strength training. I am no "9 lb blonde" but I am strong, confident and I work hard. Don't condem something just because you don't like it or have a stereotyped view of those who do enjoy it.

    I am with you. No 9 pound blonde either. Enjoying being new at the gym and taking my fitness to a higher level
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    mollybethtaylor wrote: »
    I don't go to the gym, mainly because I can't afford it. Instead I workout at home using youtube videos as my 'coach'. Each night I set up my workout clothes for the next day and choose the workout I'm doing. I also have a TV show that I watch while I'm rolling and stretching afterwards so it's a little bit of motivation to workout if I want to get to watch the next episode of the TV show :)

    I was the same, only joined gym recently when I got a good deal. Used fitness blender to work out almost everyday.
    I just fitted it in with the rest of my daily routine
  • mollybethtaylor
    mollybethtaylor Posts: 39 Member
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    mollybethtaylor wrote: »
    I don't go to the gym, mainly because I can't afford it. Instead I workout at home using youtube videos as my 'coach'. Each night I set up my workout clothes for the next day and choose the workout I'm doing. I also have a TV show that I watch while I'm rolling and stretching afterwards so it's a little bit of motivation to workout if I want to get to watch the next episode of the TV show :)

    I was the same, only joined gym recently when I got a good deal. Used fitness blender to work out almost everyday.
    I just fitted it in with the rest of my daily routine

    Whats fitness blender? Cant say I've heard of it...
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