11 Tricks to Get Your Gym Motivation Back

Being physically active has many benefits, such as better heart health, better sleep, and better brain function. But it’s still hard to get to the gym. Here are a few tried-and-true strategies for getting off the couch and working up a sweat. We included body building motivation quotes in some parts for extra flavour.

1. Get up and get dressed for the gym

“It is very important to have the right clothing to exercise in. If you throw on an old t-shirt or sweats, it’s not inspiring for your workout." - Cheryl Tiegs

Putting on your gym clothes before heading to the gym might just do the trick. Have you ever heard of 'enclothed cognition?'. This essentially means that if you are dressed for the part, you are more likely to act the part.

2. Get yourself an accountability buddy

“Your accountability partner keeps you on track and moving forward in all aspects of your development.” - Mike Stavers

Having someone to hold you accountable throughout your fitness routine can be beneficial. So, make plans to exercise with a friend at the same time. Jogging a longer distance or lifting greater weights are great fitness goals. Don’t forget, watching your friend perform may also give you the inspiration to push yourself.

3. Have a strategy

“Exercise alone provides psychological and physical benefits. If you adopt a strategy that engages your mind while you exercise, you can get psychological benefits fairly quickly. - James Rippe

To move around more you can always go to the gym, yes? You engage in whichever piece of apparatus or activity catches your eye. The problem with these mostly pointless visits is that you are not working towards your goal. 

You need a goal! It may be decreasing body fat, boosting endurance, gaining muscle, or a combination of all three.

Looking into gym motivation quotes or bodybuilding motivation quotes should be a part of your strategy. 

4. Get up and go

It is easy to talk yourself out of going to the gym if you plan on going 'later on'. As soon as you wake up, get ready and go to the gym. That way you don’t give yourself time to find an excuse. Remember, lazy is a disease. 

The motto “suffer now and live comfortably later” was adopted by many athletes like Ronnie Coleman and Muhammad Ali.

5. Switch up your routine every so often

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it” - Mary Engelbreit

Even if you love your routine, performing the same exercises over and over might get old very quickly. Changing the order in which you do the exercises or doing different versions of them might keep you from getting bored. 

Bodybuilders like Phil Heath and Kai Greene are known to stick to a very strict regime. However they even change their schedule once in a while. 

6. Imagine your success

“Make this thing you want visual. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin.” - Robert Collier

Athletes have been making use of visual thinking as a training aid for decades now. Author Henry David Thoreau mentioned it in his work. Close your eyes and imagine the result. This will help you prepare yourself physically and mentally to get there. 

Thinking helps us imagine what success might feel like. You might have hated every minute of it but working out has felt good. Remember that.

If you are having trouble getting motivated or are thinking of skipping an exercise, pause and think. Even a minute of training will get you out of your comfort zone. 

7. Be realistic in your goals and expectations

“Rome wasn’t built in a day but they were laying bricks every hour. You don’t have to build everything you want today; just lay a brick.” - James Clear

The secret to success in life is to set objectives for yourself, even if they are extremely ambitious. However, you shouldn’t expect to run a marathon in six months. Listening to your body is important.

Bodybuilding quotes are great but make sure the goal is attainable so you are not overwhelmed. Appreciate every little improvement on the way. In the end you will get to say “the physique I have today is the result of major work”.

8. Stop making excuses

What is stopping you from going to the gym?  Do you dislike the location of your gym or the trainers who teach the exercise classes there? Don’t create barriers.

Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger made excuses? Do you think Thomas Jefferson found a reason not to run the country?

9. Hire a personal trainer

You don’t have to be like Eva Longoria and have a personal trainer four times a week. But if you can afford, think about hiring a personal trainer. An expert can tailor a program for your specific objectives.

10. Keep a record of your workouts

“Keep records of your fitness progress throughout your training. Chart all of the food you eat, the exercises you complete, and even the amount of sleep you get each night.” - Robert Cheeke

Make sure to keep track of miles travelled, weights lifted, and other objective benchmarks along the way. When you feel sluggish, looking at that record can be a helpful distraction. 

11. Allow your body time to recover

“Anyone can work hard, but the best have the discipline to recover” - Lauren Fleshman

You could believe that if you exercise on a daily basis, there is no room for laziness in your life. You will find out how your determination wins if you believe in yourself.

It is in your best interest to schedule some downtime for rest and recovery. This might mean temporarily dialling back your activity level. Surely, you don’t want to be worn out for the next session.