The gym makes you a better person — but only for a little while
It was never about the workout, nor the dopamine at the end. It is about consistency, about routine, and most importantly, about the discipline of the work, after the excitement wears off.
Going to the gym or picking up a sport is probably the best thing you can do for your body and mind. It can quite literally be the thing that unlocks your dream life and gives you the energy to reshape and revitalize your life.
Through my journey at the gym, I’ve watched myself flounder, slip up, and fail, but I’ve also seen myself succeed, rank myself up, and win.
The Thrill of It
There’s a deep rush you feel when you start your personal journey with your body; could be a new gym, learning a sport, or an old movement you’re picking up again. This is the rush that takes you from the “Beginning” of your journey to that first rep.
For 2–3 weeks after you start, it’s the best thing since sliced bread; The Habit is unshakeable.
It takes over your world in many ways: it’s the first thing you think about when you’re getting ready, you can’t wait to get off work and hit the gym to release those endorphins and feel the stress melt off you.
You are on top of the world and you are unstoppable!
But then something happens, and things start to change.
3 weeks after you’ve signed up for a year-long membership, you make your first excuse. Maybe your dog is whining more than usual, or your partner is under a lot of stress and needs some extra support that day, and you decide to skip the gym. One week later, you don’t feel so well and you tell yourself that it’s not healthy to train when you’re ill. After that, your colleague invites you out for after-work drinks and you go. Your best friend is getting married. The list goes on.
Weeks slip by, and now you’re struggling to find the energy to pack a bag and go to the gym on Saturday mornings. A few more weeks, and then you remember that you’ve got your high school reunion next weekend.
You rush back to the gym and knock out an extremely heavy session that leads you both exhausted and fulfilled. Buuuut the next day you’re so sore that you can’t make your morning coffee without wincing.
The cycle repeats.
This is where a lot of people stop short and struggle. This is where I struggled.
When you work out for a body, you’re only motivated by the changes you see. When you work out for your health, you’re only driven to it by fear that your body will fail you, like your aunt’s legs, or your great uncle’s heart. Read: You do it so you don’t end up like them. When you work out for your mental health, you are motivated by the changes you feel and the endorphins that outlast the soreness.
But the motivation runs out and you’ve acclimated, and you think “Why is this so hard? Have I reached the end of the line?”
Not at all! In many ways, I see this as the real beginning. You’ve put in your initial investment — so to speak — and you’ve got to now add to your investing strategy to keep yourself going.
There is a muscle here to build on and to flex that is invisible to your eyes, and that is discipline. Discipline is the quiet engine that keeps you going and coming back when you’re injured, sad, or too busy. It’s what will get you into bed an hour earlier when you know you need to recover from the day, and it’s what makes your dreams achievable.
You may have heard of it, but how do you build it?
Here are 6 tips that continue to help me build my discipline up and stay consistent.
Do the thing anyway
I give myself the grace of 5 minutes or an evening, and then I pack my gym bag and get going.
When everything in my body is screaming at me to take a break, or sit on the couch and spend some time with my family, I pick up my bag and drive to the gym.
2. ‘Tomorrow, I’ll give myself a break, but today I go and I make it a good workout”
You make yourself a promise to do it ‘just today’ and that tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow, make yourself another promise — to either up the amp, or to take a chill pill and cruise through a low-impact cardio session instead. The key is always going to be consistency.
3. Adjust your schedule and intensity as you go
Not every workout is your best workout, and every strong person at the gym knows that. I gauge my energy every time I get to the gym and will tweak any plans I make. If I’m feeling on top of the world, I’ll aim to up my weight in my last set of squats. Alternatively, if I realize I don’t have the energy to do 5 sets of 8, I’ll adjust to 4 sets of 9–10. Instead of aiming for growth in stamina, this helps me maintain my strength.
4. Come with a plan
Never underestimate how empowering it is to come prepared with a workout plan. A plan allows you to target and hit only the machines you need to and takes the guesswork and waiting out of your gym time. If you’re already struggling with motivation, creating a plan to hit your favourite sets, trying a new compound movement, or reaching a new PB can help you envision success.
5. Have an accountability partner or trainer
When I was new to the gym, I didn’t know what I was doing or even how to do it. I pulled on my gym-bro friends to give me tips and support on everything from a weekly workout plan, nutrition tips, and of course, perfecting my form. This meant I had someone to check in weekly with who would ask me for progress updates and photos. As I progressed, I hired a personal trainer who did all the planning and kept me consistent. Having a trainer who was with me constantly meant they could correct form on the spot, and help with those last few reps I struggled with.
6. Pack yourself a post-workout treat
This is by far my favourite way to ‘hack’ my discipline. Find a place at or near your gym where you can find high-protein snacks or drinks that are also high on the YUM factor. My gym has the most luxurious protein smoothies that make me feel like I’m sipping on a cloud of berries and cream. I use the Protein Berry as an incentive on days I’m feeling extra out of my routine to help get me back in the gym, and back into the hobby I love so much.
Did I still fall off the wagon sometimes and skip training? Of course!
But these 6 things helped me consistently get back up and get back to a regular schedule at the gym.
#Life #Self Improvement #Discipline #Health #WorkingOut
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