I have a confession to admit – Lately I’ve been lacking the desire and motivation to get myself to the gym to do my own workouts. Anyone who knows me (especially my clients) will find this hard to believe. The gym has always been my happy place to me. My workouts albeit intense, strenuous, gruelling and damn right exhausting at times are also quite therapeutic and remedial for both my body and mind. I’ve always found that I’m most productive with both my career and personal life when I incorporate regular exercise into my daily routine. So why then all of a sudden the lack of disinterest and animosity towards the gym and my own training sessions? I don’t really know, but like anything I’m uncertain of, I have to find out. So brace yourself as I try to diagnosis what’s wrong with me and then try to find a cure or solution to fix my first world problem.
Burned Out?
A few weeks ago I walked into the gym to train my chest and within five minutes I walked right back out. I didn’t necessarily feel tired nor did I feel hungry or sick. I just didn’t want to be at the gym. As I left I was trying to figure out what had happened to make me want to leave my own workout session so prematurely. At first, I assumed that I was overtrained and perhaps just needed a rest day from the gym and the same old workout routine. Frustrated with myself for leaving my session I decided that I would in fact give my body a day to recover and my mind a day to recharge so that I could come back and destroy the weights the very next day. Well, the very next day I did come back to the gym however my desire to train did not come with me. I can say that I did complete my chest workout however I can also say with the utmost honesty that I didn’t fully enjoy it nor did I give a full 110% for each set I completed.
Need a Vacation?
Okay, so one day off obviously didn’t do a thing for me, perhaps I needed more. I have another confession to admit – In the twelve years that I’ve been running my business I have never actually taken a vacation. Now to anyone who knows me (again, especially my clients) this will shock none of them. The truth is, I like my work. In fact, I love my work! I have turned my once upon a time little workout hobby into a very fulfilling and successful career. I am fortunate enough to wake up each morning to go to a job that I created for myself and have no one to answer to except ofcourse for all of Forever Fit’s clientele. I get to create my own schedule which includes choosing the optimal times of the day that I like to train on my own. So why then would I ever consider taking a vacation at this point in my life? Because it’s the “normal” thing to do? Well, if you’ve ever met me then you know that I’m far from normal. And to be honest, I would have no idea what to do on a vacation. The idea of relaxing scares me and actually gives me a little bit of anxiety just thinking about it. Maybe one day, when I’m older, I’ll take one of those vacations but for now I’ll just put a pin in that one.
Going Goalless in the Gym?
I like to think of myself as a very self-determined and ambitious individual. I find myself constantly setting almost unattainable and unrealistic goals both with my business and with my finances. Sometimes I achieve these goals while other times I do not. I never get discouraged when I don’t reach my target goals though. Rather I become more motivated to push even harder until I do reach them or at least come close to reaching them. Now this ofcourse goes against everything that as a Trainer I tell my clients to do. At Forever Fit we usually recommend that our clients try to set realistic and timely training goals so that they are not setting themselves up for failure and risk of quitting after only a few short months of working out. Perhaps I need to take my own advice. History dictates that I probably won’t though, so let’s run with the idea for a moment that I’m currently goalless with my own training and therefore unmotivated and unwilling to put one hundred percent into my workouts.
Hmmm….I think that’s it! I NEED a GOAL!
How could I not have seen this before? Here I am wondering around the gym looking for any excuse to leave my workout when the reason why I want to leave is right in front of me – I’M GOALLESS!!!
It’s time for me to sit down and set a goal. As a goal oriented person this should not be difficult. However currently I’m drawing a blank. I think I need some help, maybe even a few ideas.
What’s your training goal?
Why do you go to the gym to workout?
What motivates you to keep pushing forward?
Write to me with your training goals. Post them on our Facebook Group Page. Help me continue to motivate others by helping me motivate myself. Even the most extreme fitness enthusiasts need a little nudge (or a major kick in the ass) in the right direction every so often.
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove