Hey I know this has probibly been asked a million times but I need help
When I first joined the gym I concentrated purely on weights especially arms and chest when the reason I actually joined was to lose weight,
The problem I have is that cardio is very boring, walking or jogging on a treadmill or on the bike or cross trainer after 5/10 minutes I seem to lack motivation to stay on, I tend to just abandon it and head to the weights section, I know this isn't going to help me achive goals does anyone have any good tips or ideas to help me stay focused?
Treadmills, or as some of us like to say "dreadmills" can be boring if you just do one speed, steady state type walking or jogging.
Try doing some HIIT workouts. Varying your speed fast & slow.
I like to do a 1 minute fast (sprint) and then 1 to 2 min. slow walk or jog to recover - repeating this interval 5 or 6 times, then slow jog or walk another 5 min. or so to cooldown. It keeps you constantly changing rhythms and you get a great intense workout in a short amount of time. Hope this helps.
Normally, how I stay motivated is I just think of the summer season and the swimsuits I'll be buying coming up ever March and/or April. So, that keeps me motivated to maintain weight and stay healthy. We go to the beach every summer for vacation.
Checking out other people's transformations always has helped me stay motivated. I have the "If they can do it so can I" mentality. Also if you track your progress (body weight, body fat percentage, waist, chest and arms measurements, 1 rep max) that seems to help. You can also take a picture of yourself every week because a lot of times the transformation is so gradual you might not even notice it. Seeing your results will make you addicted.
Cheers
Some days you just aren't going to be motivated. On those days its just about having the personal discipline to do it anyways because you know its worth the work.
It's hard for me to keep motivated too. I have a very busy schedule between career and the millions of jobs around the house that seem to sprout up every day. Also, gym memberships here are a little too expensive for me to renew all the time. It's frustrating..
To me, the improvement of health and muscle growth is enough... it's addictive and working so hard for this long keeps me motivated to not lose the progress I've made. All those hours, all that sweat, pain and soreness is not going to be in vain. I always tell myself "I've got gains to maintain". I've got kids who I cherish and I want them to see their daddy in control of his body (and life in other ways)... I want to set the example. I need to be strong physically for them and wife (and fellow human beings) in the event I'm ever in a situation where I can help. It goes hand in hand with deciding on how you want to be remembered in this life... by your family, friends, acquaintances and strangers. The goal is not to be perfect... but to be the best me I can.
