On the most part I have always remained fairly consistent in my approach to training. There have been times however when I have fallen out of love with the gym, lacked focus, went through the motions and at times given up. I see it with clients and members from time to time too. The enthusiasm, excitement and drive they once had for being in the gym, executing the training sessions and experiencing the different methods of training can sometimes disappear and its often difficult to pin point why that has happened or what to do.
My own personal opinion why this occurs is potentially down to one or more of the following reasons.
- Stress – there are other things on your mind now that were not there before. You are not able to deal with the added stress and you are ultimately using up the energy that was once available to put into your drive for the gym to concentrate on other things. Stress can be derived from many different sources. Quite often it can be work or family related.
- Burn Out – you started out with a balanced approach but as time has progressed, you have ended up over doing things, not taking enough recovery days and basically trying to do too much! Exercise is like a double-edged sword – if you don’t do it you can experience health problems but if you do too much you can also experience health problems such as injury and fatigue. The root cause of your lack of interest and motivation could be that you are run down and need a rest.
- You have achieved your initial goals but you now don’t know what to do to maintain them or progress further.
- You have put in so much effort, time and finance into your training but your results are minimal, you have become disheartened and you feel like giving up.
There are many more logical reasons but I am sure that many of you will relate to at least one or more of the above 4. If you do then here are my 5 top tips to regain that focus and desire and get back to enjoying your training.
But before I do I want you to take in this quote, as I know it will stand you in good stead when it comes to having the right mind-set.
“Focus on the Process, not the Results”
- Take a Rest– If you have been training flat out for weeks and months with very little time off the gym, take a break. Take a week off; in fact take 2 weeks off. If you have noticed a big drop in enthusiasm, your energy levels are down, your strength levels have hit a plateau and or some niggles have set in my advice would be take a break from it for a bit. Then when you get back to it make sure you follow a more balanced approach with regular deload weeks (every 5-6thweek).
- Train a different energy system– If you have got to the point where you have lost interest in the method of training you are predominantly doing maybe its time to try something different. If you have solely focused on weights and strength based training then perhaps introducing something more aerobic into your routine instead might freshen things up. Similarly if you have just focused on running and HIIT classes perhaps reducing your aerobic sessions and focusing on your strength training will relight the interest you once had.
- Change your routine– perhaps your current training schedule is no longer working for you maybe training early morning versus at night would suit you better. Or changing to train on different days to be able to accommodate other commitments that have come into your life. Look at your schedule and find a solution, something that works perfect with your work and family/social life, if it means dropping to 3 sessions a week versus 4-5 then so be it you will hopefully increase focus and quality within these sesisons while being able to juggle all other aspects of your life.
- Set New Goals– Something I regularly do myself and regularly do with clients is set new goals. This massively helps you as you can analyse what’s gone well to this point, what hasn’t, what sessions need to change and if you need to increase or reduce your training. You are maybe at a place where you have achieved a lot and don’t know what to do next or you may be in a position where you haven’t achieved very much, both are places where it is natural to feel a bit lost. Setting new goals gives you a chance to acknowledge what you have achieved, what you have learnt and where you could do better. Setting new goals can give you that spark you need.
- Train with others– Sometimes all you need is a little bit of accountability and motivation to give you that boost and to keep that flame burning. Training with a friend or joining a group is a great way to do this, you become accountable to others and you push yourself more than you would on your own.
Hopefully if you have lost a bit of focus or have been in a position previously where you have lost interest in your training you can relate to this and take something from it. Remember the quote – “focus on the process, not the results”.
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