How to Maintain Workout Motivation

Motivation to workout isn’t some new problem to solve. Just do a quick Google search about how to get motivated to train and you’ll get a little over 28 million results to date. Of course, you’ll get the canned “5 Secrets to Workout Motivation” among others. These templated, generic listicles may work for some, but over the years I’ve stumbled upon my own methods of workout motivation.

Below I’ll summarize a few things I do when motivation tanks and outline a few steps for moving forward.

Take a break

Sometimes the best thing to do is just take a short break. Burnout is a real thing and combined with the usual suspects of life such as work stress, family obligations, and other out-of-left-field episodes, training might just be what breaks the camel’s back for you.

Now, taking a break isn’t a green light for a full week of occupying your couch. Try taking two or three days off. On those days off focus on improving sleep, eating right, and tamping down on the stress levels a bit. Use it as a time to reset your focus and come back fresh to your training.

Return when you’re ready

Another tactic I use is only going back to the gym when I’m absolutely ready. This is more of a mental issue than a physical one. Yes, I most likely need some time to rest my muscles, joints, nervous system, etc., but my mental state might be burnt out as well. When interest wanes so does motivation to train.

This can be dangerous for some people in that they may take an indefinite break, never to return. This works well for me due to the fact that I love to train so much that I have no worries when it comes to rekindling my passion to return. I know for a fact that I will come back with more energy, more motivation, and more than likely a brand new training plan.

Redefine your “Why”

Another factor that can creep into our best-laid plans is losing sight of our “why.” Over the years I’ve had to redefine my program’s purpose many times over. When I was younger it was to gain muscle and strength. Once I started competing it was to design and build a balanced, symmetrical physique for bodybuilding contests. Once I hit my mid-thirties and was done with competition I had to switch gears due to joint health and family obligations. Now it’s more about maintaining my muscle and strength and improving my overall health.

Whatever your unique path you may find yourself redefining your “why” and having to shift gears. If we just followed the same path we set at 15 or 20 years old we would be a hobbling mess of pain and frustration. My goal isn’t to lift the heaviest weights or spend two or three hours in the gym anymore. Keeping a close eye on your purpose and adapting to new situations will help keep the motivation flowing.

Make a new plan

Many will initially want to start on a new program. As this is sometimes necessary, it could lead you into a rabbit hole of program hopping. That is, jumping from one program to the next every week or so never giving enough time for any one plan to work.

A good rule of thumb is to give any plan at least two months to kick in. Then you can give it a fair judgment and whether or not you need to stick with it, tweak a few things, or entirely shift gears again.

When it comes to a state of decreased motivation a shift might be on the menu. If so, don’t be afraid of trying something new such as doing giant sets, going high rep on every set, or performing an entire program full of your least favorite exercises just to shock your system.

Reimagine a new path

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve known over the years who were real meatheads (like me) and later in life turned to running, biking, CrossFit, or some other entirely different activity. They got burned out on lifting in their early years and felt like they needed an entirely new path to tread.

If that’s the case, by all means explore it. Maybe you throttle back on the weight training to maybe two times per week at 30 minutes per session and a few days of your new favorite activity.

The most important point is, to be honest with yourself and try not to wear blinders when it comes to choosing how you spend your time.

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Motivation is a fickle beast and the above tips are only a few things I like to practice when mine starts to wane. Give a few a try when the time comes and let me know how you do in the comments below.