How to Motivate Yourself to the Gym
Easy tricks to make sure your gym membership doesn’t become a fat tax
It can be tough developing the motivation to go to the gym regularly. Mike so admires my testosterone-fueled, alpha-male articles, that he wants to replicate my buff manliness for himself and his fiancée. He writes: “My fiancée and I both LOVE working out at the gym but find it hard to get over that “hump” of getting our gym clothes on and heading there. Once we’ve started, we enjoy it and feel great about ourselves. Can you help?”
The gym just isn’t my idea of a good time. You have to lift heavy things at the gym, and I am too delicate for that. My idea of heavy lifting is stirring the ice in my drink while I watch the movers haul my boxes up the stairs. And even that is pretty strenuous!
Fortunately, in my ongoing quest to have a studly, manly-man physique instead of the pale, emaciated, squishy geek body I was born with, I’ve developed several ways to trick myself into going to the gym.
Tip #1 – Remind Yourself Why You’re Going
Start by reminding yourself why you’re going. Really dig deep. Some people are trying to push themselves to achieve things they never thought possible—running a marathon or competing in a triathlon. We call them “overachievers.” We hate them. We go because we’re shallow and want to look hot while surrounded by those ridiculous overachievers who look great in spandex.
I find that after I’ve been working out steadily for several weeks, I’ll glimpse myself in the mirror and realize that I look better. That’s when the motivation really kicks in. Seeing my manly-man body where my wimpy geek body used to be really turbo-charges the motivation. Now, I am both the overachiever and the hot eye candy (at least in my own mind). That much ego gratification in one place encourages me to get to the gym.
Tip #2 – Begin with Baby Steps
Let’s be realistic – Even having a body that would make Zac Efron swoon with envy may not be enough to get you out of the house on a cold, wintry morn. So instead, start with a baby step. Put on your gym clothes. On the days of my work outs, I wear my gym shorts under my jeans and my gym T-shirt as my T-shirt. The moment the gym enters my mind, there’s no prep needed. I just go.
Most gyms also let you rent lockers. Buy two or three sets of workout clothes and keep a spare set in the locker. Any time you happen to be near the gym for any reason, it’s suddenly possible to pop in and get studly. I try to bring my clothes with me, but when I forget or don’t have them handy, it doesn’t slow me down one bit. Just make sure to bring those extra clothes home and wash them occasionally. Your husband, wife, spousal equivalent, or polyamorous family unit will thank you.
Tip #3 – Eat Near the Gym
It’s easy to work out when you happen to be near the gym. And what better way to “happen” to be near the gym than to plan it? There’s a restaurant near my gym that serves a mean tuna nicoise salad. And I love tuna nicoise! I’ll plan dinner there with a friend. Then I go early and hit the gym. Linking the gym with other (preferably enjoyable) activities makes it almost impossible not to go. The advanced version of this is to schedule your client meeting at the cafe by your gym at 3:00, and your dinner meeting at 5:00. Since you’re stuck by the gym for an hour between meetings, you may as well pop in and exercise.
Tip #4 – Put Yourself on the Line
[[AdMiddle]If convenience, vanity, and lust don’t get you to the gym, there’s always public embarrassment. Head over to www.Stickk.com, a website created to help people make public commitments and keep them. Publicly promise to go to the gym 3 times per week for the next 6 weeks. Publicly declare that if you don’t keep your promise, you’ll pay $1,000 to help your spousal equivalent buy that article of clothing that you think looks like something the cat dragged in. Or let’s cut straight to the chase: send me the $1,000 if you don’t keep your commitment.
Tip #5 – Involve Others
What will I do with the $1,000 you so graciously give me? I’ll use it to hire the services of resident Get-Fit Guy, Ben Greenfield. When you hire a personal trainer, you know there’s someone waiting for you and you can’t let them down. You even know your time at the gym will be well-spent. They’re pricey, but personal trainers combine all these principles: they’re gorgeous, they want to help you become gorgeous, you’re paying through the nose to show up on time, and you have a professional there to motivate you.
To sum up:
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Know your motivation
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Dress for the gym and keep spare clothes in your gym locker
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Schedule meals near the gym
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Make public commitments to working out with money at stake
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Hire a trainer
Follow these easy tips and you’ll be studlier than me in no time at all. And that’s really saying something!
Have you found a great way to motivate yourself to work out? Tell us all about it in Comments.
Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!
RESOURCES:
- https://www.stickk.com – Motivate yourself using public commitments.
Fitness Dance Class image from Shutterstock
About the Author
Stever Robbins was the host of the podcast Get-it-Done Guy from 2007 to 2019. He is a graduate of W. Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management training program and a Certified Master Trainer Elite of NLP. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Computer Sciences from MIT.
