Exercise Motivation

Oh, it can be tough getting down there, and I only live a mile or so from my gym! The first few weeks for me are the toughest, but after that, if I don't go, I feel like I'm missing out. I also use an app to plan and track workouts, because there's really no way I'm going to design them myself.

I also like to find a treadmill with a good view of the weight lifting area...

 

My weight bench is sitting ten feet from me. I have no excuse for not working out. In all seriousness, I just keep reminding myself, as a transguy, what it is that I'm working towards. I'm working towards a more masculine image, and that drives me.

 

I motivate myself to excersize by preteding I'm training to be an assassin. Imagination.

 

I lost my motivation to go to the gym. I know that to get the body I want, I should go but I just don't.

 

You could challenge yourself by choosing someone else in the gym to "compete" with. Pick someone each time you go and decide you're going to do one more repetition than they do, whatever they're doing. If they leave before you, pick someone else. See how many people you can beat each time you go. At the end of the week/month, see how many people you've "beaten".

Then reward yourself with a run around the block.

 

I get my motivation by looking in the mirror and liking what I see.

 

try a couple of sessions with a personal trainer at the gym - they'll push you but more importantly discuss what your aims are and the best way for you to get results. If you can afford a few sessions like this it will motivate you - and having an appointment ensures you don't flunk out on the sofa

 

I second this. Actually, I'm about to go to the gym myself.

 

some cool music for starters...

And having some serious reason like: as a way to prove that you can do it or to reflect your persistence.

And not just "because it's healthy" or "because others do it".

 

I don't exercise. Seems like a waste of time to me.

 

I haven't felt motivated to exercise ever since I've been doing it regularly. However those initial days where you see improvements are defintitely one of the most motivating things!

 

Do what I do!

Treadmill + videogames = :wow:

 

My motivation is to fit into my Hickey Freeman suit again :lol:.

My goal for 2016 is to drop about 30lbs (give or take; if I lose equal volumes of fat as I gain in lean tissue I would technically weigh more :lol. I weigh about 190 and need to get down to about 160. I plan on doing a mix of running (I like to train for half-marathons) and am introducing weight lifting. I bought a pair of these a while back and they are really good and efficient PowerBlock Classic 50 lb Adjustable Dumbbell Set | DICK'S Sporting Goods .

I'm also fixing my diet. Starting on Monday I am saying goodbye to Coke and sweet tea :tears:. I plan on eating mainly meats, fruits, and vegetables.

I have always either "ate well" or "worked out;" I never had both a good diet and exercise routine. Maybe that will help me get into the 150s.

 

For me, because I'm quite tall and skinny (or lean, whatever), I started the gym so I could bulk up a little, and when I was at the gym, the thing that motivated me most was looking at the guys around me who were clearly experienced gym-goers, and I wanted to look like them. That stopped motivating me after a bit of time though, and I couldn't find anything else to motivate me.

I need something to motivate me to get back in, now, and then something to keep me going while I'm in there. :lol:

 

I don't go to the gym, but I do run and do daily push-ups and sit-ups.

I'm a teenager who eats well, so my body's on my side for now no matter what. I exercise because I like the feeling of health, virility and the knowledge that it'll help me maintain good health as I grow older. The increase in quality and quantity of life should be enough of a motivation, but when you exercise enough, it simply feels good to do it and awful to neglect it.

If you don't like the gym, try to replace it with something else. Cycling, running and swimming are my holy trio of enjoyable exercises. To me, they don't feel like punishment, unlike weights in a room full of sweaty people.

 

OKay! These are all tips from someone who is kind of a casual in the gym world, but others might find them helpful

• Finding exercises you genuinely enjoy. If you hate pushups, then don't put them into your routine(at least not right away, anyway) or you're going to hate working out. I could spend hours on the rowing machine bc I love it so much, so I always start off my morning with it.
• Switching it up every once in a while. Try different machines, or exercises every so often. Sometimes doing the same thing every day can get kinda boring
• Having goals. Just general ideas that you'd like to work towards. Why are you working out?Having a goal makes exercise seem more worthwhile, less aimless. It doesn't have to be a specific weight, or a number of reps, either. When I first started working out, my goal was to beat my best friend at arm wrestling. (I have yet to win )
• Rewarding yourself. Could be as simple as buying yourself a cookie after working out, or treating yourself to an episode of OITNB. Acknowledge that it's damn hard to stick to exercising, and that you're doing really well.
• Be lenient when you mess up. So you missed a day at the gym, or cheated on your diet. Don't mope, just get over it, and back on your routine.

I'm really lucky, as no one else is at the gym when I usually go, meaning I can watch the back-to-back episodes of Red Green play in that time slot, while doing cardio. By the time I move onto other exercises, I've gotten all my giggles out, and am feeling good. It's certainly a great way to start the day.

 

I'm actually a runner, but I do frequent the gym quite often, about 3 or 4 times a week (while running 6 days a week). I'm quite lean due to running, so looking at me, it probably looks like I don't lift.

But in terms of working out, I'm firstly motivated because I enjoy it. Whether running or going to the gym, it's an escape for me. 1 hour a day I can not focus on schoolwork, relationships, or stress. I'm focused on my workout and nothing else. But I guess it's different for someone who doesn't enjoy it.

On the other hand, I'm also motivated to go to the gym to stay in shape. Even as someone skinny, I've always been self-conscious about my body. First I thought I wasn't skinny enough, even though I was lighter than most people my height. Now I'm more self-conscious of how skinny I am and I want to put on some muscle - but that likely won't happen until I stop training for a marathon.

The worst part of working out is the first few weeks or month - but once you make it a routine, you find yourself not complaining about going as much and you may even start enjoying it. Also, don't be self-conscious.
I originally hated going to the gym because I was lifting these light weights while people were lifting 3 times what I was. But people are there to focus on themselves; they aren't going to judge you for lifting less or being overweight or anything. If anything, when I see someone out of shape at the gym, I give them credit because they are trying to make a change in their life. Good luck and hope this helps!

 

THIS. I think of exercise like increasing my video game stats. I always wanted to be a magic knight lol

I don't go to the gym (because I turn everything into a serious competition!), so I work exercise into my day. For example, I usually walk or cycle, instead of using the car. I guess that might be less safe if I lived in the city ^^;

 

Music helps me a lot.