Competitor Blog: 1. 2. 3. GO!

When you first start your workout journey you have the excitement of something new and novel. You are going to go and you are gonna kill it, you are going to feel energized, you are going to have the clean body lines of a Lamborghini and it’s gonna be great! Unfortunately, the day dreams and the novelty wear off pretty quickly. What do you mean I have to go every day (or damn near close)? Quickly, many become frustrated when they look in the mirror and don’t see changes after day one (I did the thing! Where is my reward).

The exercise journey really is a journey and a mental marathon. So how does one find the motivation to get it frequently? Here are some things that I have found that help me:

• Put money down on your goal. For me I am a bikini competitor. I find a show I want to do and I sign up for it or put a deposit down on a suit. I could absolutely not do what I signed up for but then I am losing money.

Another reason I can't work out at home

• Tour the gyms and sign up for one. It’s similar to putting down money for your goal. I recommend finding one that is close to your house or work. Find one that you can easily hit when you are commuting so you can incorporate it into the already existing daily routine. For me the gym holds some motivation because I go there specifically to work out. When I am trying to workout at home I can be easily distracted by what else I need to do or I just lay on the floor because no one is going to judge me for that at home. 

• Set yourself up for success. Every night pack your gym bag and leave it right in the way. Or if you gym in the morning put your gym clothes right next to your bed. You want to limit the chance for finding excuses. 

• Be honest with yourself. I can come up with 100 very convincing sounding reasons why I can’t work out. These are excuses. I am not saying every day will be at the gym or be the most bad ass workout ever. Sometimes your workout will be short and lack luster. But honestly you can get SOMETHING in almost anywhere. 

• Be creative. Some days you aren’t going to make it into the gym but you can certainly knock out something at home. Spend some time this weekend researching the web for free resource videos (Mike’s site, the very one you are reading this blog on, has some). Then write yourself a few home workout plans.

• Invest in a few home items. Various resistance bands are a great place to start and fairly inexpensive. Keep an eye out at Ross and TJ Maxx for items you might use. I got an awesome 36” foam roller for $14 there! If you are looking to pick up weight keep an eye on Craigslist and OfferUp. Occasionally peruse Amazon. 

• Believe you can do it. Because you can even when don’t want to. 

It is going to be work. You are still going to have to make the effort to do it. It will take time. But it IS worth it. Some days will good and some bad. Do it anyways. Invest in yourself, you ARE worth it.