Need Gym Motivation?
WORKOUT Motivation Tips to Tame Your Psyche

The key to gym motivation, is pretty much the same as any other self motivation: learn to  understand your own psyche and get mind power on your side.

As I mentioned before in the Exercise Motivation Tips article, it is wrong to assume that mind power equals willpower.  To STAY motivated, you need to employ your imagination as well because your imagination can either  keep you on track or derail you completely.

Here are the seven steps to workout motivation that I recommend to all my clients.

7 steps To Gym Motivation

1. What has Stopped you Before?

  • In the past, what is the pain you have associated with exercise? (I.e. what thoughts or feelings have stopped you from exercising before?)   Write out all the reasons, thoughts and feelings.
  • In the past, what is the pleasure you get from NOT exercising? (i.e. what thoughts or feelings  do you associate with doing something else other than exercising? Maybe it is more comfortable, maybe you enjoy hanging out with friends instead, maybe you get to relax in front of the TV etc.
  • This is important for workout motivation because you will STILL need to satisfy the above needs somehow if they are strong. Figure out a reasonable way to satisfy those desires so it won't mess up your gym time.

2. Play to Your Preferences

Create your own gym motivation profile for maximum success. Build on what has worked for you in the past. For example do you tend to prefer groups programs, work out on your own, or in the vicinity of other people? What time of day do you prefer, what types of activity? The more you accommodate your natural preferences the more likely you are to stick to the routine

3. Identify

 List and elaborate on the pleasures you will enjoy and the pain you will avoid from working out at the gym. Really go to town on this step....  What motivates you? Think about health, sex, family, attractiveness, self-confidence, earning power, admiration. Think of as many benefits as you can and circle or highlight the ones that get you jazzed. There is no right or wrong – only what motivates you.

4.    Imagine

Use your imagination to make the desired behavior more appealing. Visualize the benefits of your efforts coming about as a direct result of your actions. Use as many internal senses as you can to make the benefits more attractive and appealing. You can use auto suggestion and affirmation to strengthen your mind programming. 

Typically seeing the picture of the desired end result bigger, brighter, more colorful and closer will intensify your motivation. On the other hand, if your imagination is pulling you the other way, see that immediate gratification, smaller, darker, monochrome, further away.

5. Anchor a new self Image

Use an anchor to trigger a new self- image that already has the new desired behavior. Automate the anchor with this NLP exercise.

6. AIm

Set specific measurable, realistic, activity goals. Targets should be weekly, monthly, quarterly etc. such as number of times per week, number of steps, number of hours etc.

7. Reward

 Build in rewards for gym motivation such as a hot tub, steam, massage or night at the movies and reward yourself for accomplishing the above.
You can modify these gym motivation tips for ANY behavior you want to change or acquire.

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