It can be challenging to develop a consistent gym routine, especially as a new lifter.
So, You Want to Start Going to the Gym…
First of all, let me say congratulations. You’ve just taken a monumental step towards improving your physical, mental, and emotional health. No matter what kind of shape you’re in right now, we can all benefit from going to the gym. You’re on the right track!
Maybe you’ve never touched a dumbbell in your life, or maybe you’re shaking your head at another failed new years’ resolution. Whatever the case, today I’m going to walk you through 6 excellent quotes that capture everything I know about gym motivation and developing the discipline to work on your body consistently.
As someone who once struggled with going to the gym consistently, I know how it feels. It’s easy to make excuses. I’ve uttered every old deception – “I don’t have the time”, “the big game is on”, “I’ll get hurt”, etc. All gymgoers have made excuses at some time or another, but deep down, we know these phrases have zero basis in truth. You can work around the big game. You have the time. You just need a figurative punch in the face to get yourself over that hump.
Today, I’m going to provide you with a spark. I’m also going to provide you with some tips on how to stay consistent with the gym once you’ve gotten yourself in the door. Being a beginner in the gym can seem daunting or overwhelming, but I’m here to make things a little clearer.
People ask me how I have so much “gym motivation.” Well, to tell you the truth, some days I don’t have any motivation. I have my routine. I have my habit. We’re going to go over how to build this habit in your own mind.
My hope is that one or more of these quotes will stay with you. Some are from bodybuilders, some from world-class athletes, and some from just wise people.
“The Mind Always Fails First, Not the Body.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
The first thing you need to free yourself from is the roadblock that tells you to turn back, to leave, to not even bother with a gym membership.
Few people who can’t get themselves to lift are limited by their physical capacity. You’re never “too weak” or “too inexperienced” to lift. If you can’t squat any weight, start by squatting your body weight. If you can’t squat, try a lunge. There are always alternatives. Don’t tell me that your body is the problem (of course, there are people with physical disabilities, but I’m not talking about people with those here).
The problem here is your mind. You’re getting in your own way. You’re making up excuses to convince yourself that it’s not your fault. You’re refusing to come to terms with your mental weakness. How much longer are you going to sit there and rot? How many more dopamine hits are you going to take from scrolling while your health deteriorates? We only get one life here on Earth. Are you really going to spend that time out of shape, moody, and weak? Or are you going to start becoming the best version of yourself TODAY?
I love this Arnold quote because it perfectly explains the problems that most people have. Your body is the projection of your mind. Weak mind, weak body. Put your phone down. You’re worth more than this. Go to the gym. It will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. Also, if you need even more motivation, Arnold literally killed the Predator. I think he might know a thing or two. That’s a man if I’ve ever seen one.
“Pain is Temporary. Quitting Lasts Forever.” – Lance Armstrong
Another round of congratulations is in order. If you’ve made it this far, you’re unlike most of the people reading this blog post. They’ve probably clicked off by now. Social media has cooked our attention spans to the point where we can’t finish anything we start.
I actually hate the phrase, “winners never quit.” Yes, they do. Winners quit doing DUMB things all the time. Right now, if you can believe it, I’m going to tell you to quit.
Some of you suffer from laziness, a laziness that keeps you glued to your phone and away from the person you want to be. TODAY, I want you to quit your laziness. I want you to say, “I’VE HAD IT!” Make a permanent change. You no longer lack the time to go to the gym; you now lack the time to NOT go to the gym. Make it part of your identity. Decide TODAY that you’re going to be a gym goer. Don’t wait for tomorrow, don’t wait for the first of the month. Go TODAY. I’m telling you, without this attitude, you will not get yourself in that door. You need to become a maniac. There has to be some passion in this.
Quitting lasts forever. You no longer have to be bound to your old habits. Aren’t you tired of being less than you could be? So quit! Quit your old ways, establish the new. This is the only way to make progress. Then, stick to your new course. There can be no more quitting after your initial decision. This is a matter of personal identity, and a matter of your will.
“Goals are Good for Setting a Direction, but Systems are Best for Making Progress.” – James Clear, Atomic Habits
OKAY, so you’ve gotten yourself in the gym door. Excellent work.
Now comes the hard part. Getting a burst of motivation isn’t too difficult. A simple Youtube video or half a blog post can do that. What you need now, is the systems and discipline needed to keep you in the building. You have to build your fitness journey day by day by day.
In his award-winning book, Atomic Habits, James Clear talks about the power that systems have to shape our behavior. We are creatures of habit. We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, you need to create a system for yourself to ensure the development of repeated gym behavior.
My recommendation is to make it easy for yourself. If you’re not a morning person, but you decide to start going to the gym every morning at 5 AM, it’s not going to happen. That’s stupid. You don’t have the habit established yet. Make it easy for yourself first! Maybe go to the gym after work, or at night if you have energy. Pick a consistent time to go every day. Set a reminder on your phone. Don’t think, only do. Nike was onto something. Just do it.
Honestly, as you’re first starting out, I wouldn’t mind if you simply went to the dumbbell rack, did a single rep of bicep curls, and left. I know that sounds silly, but it’s truly better than what most people try to do. Most people decide to go to the gym on January 1st and launch into some crazy 3-hour David Goggins workout that they’re not ready for. That’s BAD. They might be able to keep this up for a day, or maybe a week, but there’s no way they can keep doing that with their current fitness level. They’re doing too much. Forget about it.
Start slow. You have to build your routine day by day by day. Make it fun. Look in the mirror and know that you’ve made progress today. As the first few days go by, add some more exercises in. Do some push-ups. Try another machine or two. This is how you build it.
“Growth is the Only Evidence of Life.” – John Henry Newman
My favorite thing about the gym is being able to see my progress. As the days and months and years go by, I see myself get bigger, stronger, faster, and better. This growth, after all, is the reason why I go to the gym. I work out to improve myself.
This growth mindset is incredibly beneficial, and I encourage you to adopt it as well. The desire for growth will keep you grounded and consistent. Setting external goals, such as hitting a 225 bench, will only get you so far. Not only will you have nothing to fight for when you hit a 225 bench, but this kind of goal doesn’t even make sense for many people. Our bodies are all different. Some people hit 225 very quickly, while it takes years for others. The goal here is to not compare yourself to anyone else. Not only is comparison the thief of joy, but comparison will also mess with your workouts. It can cause you to set improper goals, ego lift, or give up. Forget about it. Try your best to only focus on yourself. All that matters is you and your growth.
To better understand how you have improved, I urge you to keep track of several aspects of your gym time once you get into it. You’re going to want to establish a routine, which you can learn about here.
It’s also a good idea to track your diet, as well as the weights you’re lifting from week to week. The gym is a marathon, not a sprint, and over time, it will bring you great satisfaction to see the amount of weight go up, as well as the number of reps that you’re able to perform for each exercise. It doesn’t take much effort to do this, but it reaps a lot of benefits.
Start growing. If you’re not growing, then I can only assume that you’re dead.
“When You Hit Failure, Your Workout has Just Begun.” – Ronnie Coleman
A common arc for most people, as I mentioned before, is to go crazy the first week and either hurt themselves or create a workout that is unsustainable. Once you’re getting yourself into the gym consistently, then we can talk about pushing yourself harder. Once that habit is established, you can afford to endure some discomfort, since you know you’ll be coming in tomorrow no matter what.
No one ever grew by staying in their comfort zone. By definition, you have to change in order to grow. You have to push yourself beyond your limit. You have to fail. Most people don’t want to fail. It’s hard to fail! It’s hard physically as well as mentally.
Whether it’s squeezing out just one more rep, or attempting a new height of box jump, it’s important to push yourself to your limit. While you should gain experience with an exercise before pushing yourself on it, it’s always important to know what you’re capable of – and it’s a shame for a person to not know what they’re fully capable of.
“For Though the Righteous Fall Seven Times, They Rise Again…” – Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
Just like anything else in life, sometimes things won’t always go the way you want them to in the gym. Maybe you’ll fail a PR, or get injured, or fail to lose the love handles as quickly as you hoped.
These setbacks are what make life so enjoyable. Think about it – would video games be any fun if you only ever played on the easiest difficulty? There’s only so much fun you can have without a challenge. The special part about the gym is, no matter how good you are, there is always another challenge. There’s more weight to do, a new exercise to try, or more reps to get in. Don’t be deterred by a simple setback. Rest, recuperate, and get back on that train tomorrow.
Enjoy the process. The gym is a lifelong pursuit. Fitness and health are lifelong pursuits. You get one body here on Earth – so take care of it and enjoy it. Feel good in it. Push it. Understand it.
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