Tips For Staying Consistent In The Gym - Mar 4
I’ve always struggled to stay consistent in the gym. I’ve been working out on and off for about eleven years and I always seem to stop after a couple of weeks or once I start seeing some results which is ironic because people tell you that once you start seeing results, it’s all the motivation you need to continue. To some extent, I guess it’s true, but i get thrown off balance so easily. All I need to do is miss one or two days and I’m done with the gym for the next few months. My consistency is so fickle.
I’ve never in my life had a board flat stomach, my stomach seems to be designed with a permanent “fupa”, but it’s never really been a source of concern for me. I’ve always been rather slender and I have an hourglass figure. I’ve always liked my body but I noticed a few months ago that it was starting to change and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I want to eat whatever I want whenever I want and I don’t want my body to change which is obviously impossible. You know how they say your body starts to do its own thing once you turn 25? It’s so true! Anyway, my quest for abs took me back to the gym, but that’s not what has kept me there. I’ve practiced a few tips that have helped me stay consistent this time around and they are;
Throw away the “body goal” pictures. My friends will tell you how I bombarded them with pictures of women with the type of abs I want when I finally get my abs. It’s actually so ridiculous because I wasn’t even referencing women with similar body types to mine. No wonder they didn’t take me seriously. It’s almost impossible to get yourself to physically look like someone else. You have to know that you’re just going to end up with another version of yourself. Be happy to meet that version.
Dress Nicely to the gym - This is one rule I wholeheartedly stick by. I make an attempt to look nice whenever I leave my house so I see no reason why the gym should be an exception. I take my gym shopping very seriously. Cute clothes are exciting and I believe when you look nice, you automatically feel better. I look forward to seeing myself in my gym clothes so it’s part of my motivation for getting myself to the gym.
Allocate some of your important mental activities to the gym - I believe I’m good at compartmentalising. If you’re a human being you probably think and mentally plan a lot as a part of your daily routine. I save my thinking and mental planning for the gym. I’ve convinced myself that I can’t spend hours thinking in my bed or on my couch. I have to do it at the gym. This means that no matter what, I have to get myself to the gym. And I mean once you’re already in the gym, you might as well work out. If you’re someone who listens to podcasts, you can also allocate your podcast time to align with your gym time.
Don’t join a gym too far from your house - If it takes me more than 10 minutes to get to my gym, I’m not going. It’s as simple as that.
Have a workout routine - I don’t believe in just free-styling life. The likelihood of benefiting from the gym when you don’t have any plan is quite slim in my opinion. You need a workout plan, even if it’s at a very basic level. HeFitness is responsible for my workout plans and boy do they work. He’s written me three plans and at the end of my plan, the results are so clear.
Fitness is a marathon not a sprint - I realised that part of the reason why I kept quitting was that I was rushing to a goal and the second I reached it, I was done. I’ve had to change my whole mindset because this is something I want to do for the rest of my life. I need this consistency to last forever. As such, my only goal is to stay fit. Whatever body changes happen along the way are just bonuses.
Have a gym buddy or a fitness accountability partner/group - I don’t like gym buddy’s because I don’t want to talk at the gym. My gym time is “me-time” where I think and listen to podcasts. I also don’t like waiting on people so having a gym buddy who might be late is a tricky one for me. A fitness accountability partner on the other hand works for me. This is someone you just discuss everything gym with, and you motivate each other to keep going.
Take Progress pictures - it’s easy to feel like you keep working towards a goal you have and you’re not getting there. Because you look at yourself in the mirror every day, you’re not going to see changes easily. If you take pictures every month for a couple of months, you’ll be surprised just how much has changed because you’ve been consistent.