I have trouble staying motivated in the gym

[Jack Diesel]

I work out three to four days a week and have trouble getting myself into the gym sometimes. any one got any ideas to help keep me motivated. I think one of the problems is im not seeing results fast enough. Ive been training hard since december of 2000 and it is now august of 2001 and i dont see much difference. somebody help .

 

[LiftHardOrDontLiftAtAll]

Maybe you need to take a step back and evaluate your training and diet. If you have not made any progress in the last few months its probably and indication that something is wrong. I had the same problem for awhile then I teamed up with a buddy of mine to try the "training partner approach." Well that just made things worse. He was not dependable and wouldn't show up half the time so that was the end of that. Perhaps a few sessions with a personal trainer might help. I have been training long enough now that I am to the point if I work a long day and don't feel like working out, I will go. Because I know I am going to hate myself later if I skip it. It just seems to become habit after awhile. Just like taking a shit and sleeping. I actually just got an mp3 player and those things kick ass! Music always gets me going. Just step back and revaluate your goals and training approach. Maybe you need an exercise overhaul. There are tons of knowledgeable people on these boards who can maybe offer some advice.

 

[gymtime]

IMO, the only real motivation out there is results. If you're not seeing them after nine months, then you're very likely doing something wrong. Here are some questions you might want to consider:

Assuming you're workouts are sound, what is your diet like? If you are not as strict with your diet as you are with your workouts, you're not doing yourself much good.

What are your friends/family telling you about how you look? Are you not seeing results at all, or are you just not seeing the results you expected?

In weight training and diet, like anything else, knowledge is power. If what you're doing isn't working, do something else. Look around on this board and other sources for ideas on changing your workout and diet and give them a shot. You've stuck with it for nine months already. That's about eight months longer than most newbies and "new year's resolution lifters" last, so you've already got more motivation than you think you do. Use it. Do some reading, that in itself will provide some inspiration for you.

Hope that helps bro, and I hope you stick with it.

 

[sysopt]

Stick to the basics:

1. Eat enough good food: both carbs and protien

2. Get sleep

3. Use compound exercises that hit big muscles: squats, deadlifts, bench, pullups etc.

4. Train heavy 3-8 reps I prefer 6, don't worry about volume. Heavy has been proven to make big muscles, volume has not.

5. Use variation

 

[theoak01]

i work at the gym so its no excuses,im there and when i get off work i workout,i have came to hate myself for missing a workout,just watch a bodybuilding comp or something,look at the pictures in flex

 

[sysopt]

Look at some legit before and after pictures

 

[Jack Diesel]

I know that my diet really isnt the greatest. I eat fast food, deli food, pizza, but i do eat alot of meat and chicken, I drink juice and water I was taking protein for a while. It is hard for me to go out and buy all healthy foods with a limited income. I definitely think that my diet is whats holding me back though.I am going to commit to changing my diet and doing more cardio, I am also going to start doing less reps with heavier weights although i am using heavy weights already for my strength level. Thanx for the advice.

Does anyone have any diet ideas that wont hurt my wallet?

 

[blood_drinker]

Im gonna get flamed, but Bill Phillips actually gives pretty good motivation. In his BFL book he shows how ANYONE can make a change - be it a morbidly obese fat ass to an HIV positive that felt his life was over. IMO a good buy for the BASICS. It will give you better results than what you are doing now, at least.

 

[sysopt]

tuna fish is a great source of protein and is relatively inexpensive.

 

[minion]

fast food for a week is WAAAAAAAAAAAY more expensive than a couple of bags of chicken breast and a 10lbs. bag of rice. Think about it. Also an Ultimate cheese burger from "jack in Tha box is 950 calories alone, never mind the greesy curly fries. ?(man I love those )

Its actualy cheaper to eat healthy.