5 Simple Ways to Stay Motivated in the Gym

A lot of people ask me: “Brodie, is there a way for me to stay motivated in the gym?”.

The funny part is they act like I don’t lose my motivation to workout sometimes. We all do. It’s hard to stay consistent, but that’s what separates those that succeed at transforming their bodies and those who don’t.

You may be motivated right now, but the time will come when you feel your motivation starts to slip. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. At its worst it can really affect your workouts and your progress. Maybe it’s taking too long to get those results you desire, or maybe you’ve hit a plateau. There are countless reasons and excuses, but at the end of the day you have to want it. It all comes down to your desire to gain, build and ultimately transform your body. Here’s five simple steps to keep your motivation and stay on track in the gym.

Step #1: Have a good workout partner

Do you have a good partner? And I mean in the gym, not your personal life. Having a good workout partner will really keep you on track in the gym. Especially if they are super motivated and want to gain just has much as you do. When I first started lifting, I worked out by myself. I remember feeling so lost and self conscious. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there. Once I started working out with my friend (who had been lifting for a while), my gains went through the roof. We were consistent. If one of us didn’t feel like hitting the gym, the other would be sure to call them out and literally drag their ass to the gym. It’s a mental thing. When you see your bro going ham on squats, it motivates you to go just as hard. It keeps you in a routine. It will help your gains immensely. When you have a good spotter, you can go heavy if you want because you know your boy has your back. Feel like you can throw up 225 on bench but you’re just not sure? Good thing your motivated partner is there to save your ass if you fail. What about that last rep? That one you don’t really know if you can push out, but you are sure as hell going to try. Good thing if you can’t you won’t break your neck. Those are the times you grow, and that’s exactly why you need a good workout partner. If you don’t have one, you’re missing out. Missing out on some serious gains too.

Step #2: Set a routine

When do you go to the gym? When you feel like it? When is chest day? No, lifting doesn’t work like that. If you are serious about your training and really want to transform your physique it’s time for you to set a routine. Getting in a routine is an excellent way to stay motivated and fit lifting into your schedule. If you are serious about the gym and working out you will plan your day around the gym as much as possible. You need to really ask yourself when you can set time aside each day to lift. In the morning before work or school? In the evenings? Figure it out and stick to it. Make it part of your day, make hitting the gym  just as important as school or work. Don’t skip the gym to go run errands or hang with a friend. Make a point to go to the gym and plan those things around your lifting. Lifting is a lifestyle and you’re going to have to abide by it if you want to see any results.

Step #3: Break up workouts

Don’t get the wrong impression here, a full body workout is great, but they can be time consuming and draining. This can really get to your mental state about hitting the gym and staying motivated. It really helps to pick one or two muscle groups for each day and concentrate on those ones for your workout. I started doing this after a few months of lifting and haven’t looked back since. You will see results faster because you can lift much heavier and really put your all into each lift. Knowing that you just have to kill one muscle group is a lot better than dreading the rest of your workout because you still have so much left to do. This will also cut down on your time in the gym. If you are busy and don’t want to be at the gym for 3 hours a day then it will be super important to break up your workouts. (i.e. Monday: arms; Tuesday: legs; Wednesday: chest; Thursday: back; Friday: shoulders). This is just one of many routines you could follow. Personally, I would much rather go to the gym 5 days a week and kill one muscle group each time than go 3 days a week and spend 3 hours in the gym.

Step #4: Make the gym an event

This was something I learned from Zyzz and really tried to start doing myself. If you actually want to transform your physique, you will be excited to hit the gym. It will be something you look forward to each day. If going to the gym is something you dread then you really need to rethink your motivation. For me, when I know it’s getting close to gym time, I start to prepare…for war. You have to get in that mindset, that you are going to SMASH your legs or chest or whatever muscle group you are working on that day. You can do this in many ways. For me to get in the zone I usually put on some music that pumps me up and gets me ready to KILL it. Then I’ll take my preworkout supplement and some creatine to give me that extra pump or rep in the gym. From there I’ll get dressed and head to the gym. On the way I’ll blast some more music and start getting in the zone (usually some hard trance for me). That way once I get to the gym, I’m fully focused on the task ahead of me and ready to throw some weight around. Hard.

Step #5: Set achievable goals

 This is a big one. A lot of people when they first start working out, set some really unrealistic goals. They don’t really grasp the concept that transforming your physique entirely takes years. Not a few months. Years. Body builder physiques, lean physiques and all amazing physiques take years to get to. To help keep your motivation, it’s important to recognize that you won’t be Arnold Schwarzenegger overnight. Let alone an entire year. That’s why it is so crucial that you set goals that are not only realistic, but realistic for you. Set goals that you may actually achieve. In other words short term goals. Say to yourself: “I want to go up 15 pounds on my bench max in the next two months” or “I want to be at X% body fat by July”and achieve it. It will be much more rewarding in the long run. Once you see results and milestones, you will get addicted to the lifting lifestyle and that’s how you’re going to need to be if you want to have an amazing physique.

Ultimately, staying motivated in the gym is the key to transforming your body into your desired physique. Consistency is what’s important, if you stay consistent and train hard every time you are in the gym you will see results, it’s only a matter of time.