Tips to stay motivated for the gym!

If you are struggling waking up from that delicious ,comfortable bed early or you simply want to watch TV on your favourite couch after you finish your job shift, Please keep reading, these are just a few tips to stay motivated and on track to reach your fitness goals, after all, you won't let some laziness and/or comfort ruin that for you, will you?

Set up your alarm.

I know this sounds pretty basic! but you wouldn't believe how many people don't even come close to waking up thanks to this basic but very important item on your bedroom.(It is also the first one to cease it's operation when the owner gives up)
Everyone hates the ringing sound of our alarm clock's (who doesn't honestly!!) yet MOST of us wouldn't live without it, cellphone , standalone alarm or maybe your local rooster, whatever it is you need to set it up at the time you plan on working out! hate it or love it you must set it up, its the first step of the day towards your progress! so don't forget about it or neglect it.




Post it notes.

These are perfect if you are living alone or you wont annoy someone with your notes everywhere!
but it works, write in the things that in your mind would change if you changed your fitness habits,
how about finally fitting that sexy dress you've seen on the store for months, or maybe fit in those tight jeans that no longer fit on you and make you feel bad about it, getting confident enough to talk to that girl you've been having a crush for ages. Everything! write down everything that comes to your mind  in different post it notes, stick them everywhere you can see them (without ruining your home style), stay focused and don't let anything bring you down!


Gym Buddy.

This is probably the funnest out of them all, you get to share goals and workouts, maybe exchange a little bit of chat during rest periods (small chat is SMALL CHAT not talking for 30 mins. then head to the showers). You get to help each other, me and my gym buddy always text each other right when we wake up "GYYYYYYYYYYMMM" which is the shout out to wake the hell up and start getting ready to meet there. You can push each other to the limits, spot each other on workouts that need spotting, and most of all you don't feel that lonely.
Be careful though, this might be a double edged sword so pick your training partners efficiently, while i know there's some lone wolves out there that simply prefer putting on the headphones and destroy the gym, i think the majority prefer doing so with a partner, pick him/her wisely as you don't want him to be a dead weight distracting you or "contaminating" you with laziness or demotivational thoughts.
The gym buddies that work for you, are the ones that push you to the limits, the ones that share a common goal or a similar one, the one that doesn't let you behind and actually contributes in your
progress.
I started doing really amazing progress when a guy that workouts at the same time as me started doing small chats with me, then we started spotting each other on the bench press and we finally became friends.My gym buddy is actually a lot muscular than me, but he motivates me a lot and pushes me to my limits, he also lets me rest less and helps me do the extra reps i wouldn't normally do if i was alone. So for me working out with him has been awesome, he's also my alarm because he usually wakes up earlier than me and wakes me up with said text.
Weather it be old friends or the guy or gal that you just met at the gym, why don't you start working out together? Trust me it is REALLY FUN!





Get a Motivating Poster.


You see those motivating posters on your gym? Yeah the ones with the muscular guys and super toned girls usually with some Quote implying something positive.
Of course I'm talking about those! you don't have to get one with Dwayne Johnson or a fit girl, if you like cars get one done with a cool car and an inspiring quote! get it done and stick it somewhere near your "comfort zone" weather it's your couch, your bed, the kitchen... the most common place for you to get demotivated, that's the perfect spot for one of these!
*If you think posters are too childish or not your thing, try something new like a painting or a photograph*



Take progress pictures.

The same reason you never "noticed" how tall you actually got when you were 6 years old and grew up to your current height, is the same reason you might not notice the progress early on, weather is shredding, weight loss, gain muscle or stay fit, everything related to fitness works slowly , nothing changes from one day to another, and this is the reason why a lot of people get disappointed after a few weeks or months of starting up a workout routine.(also the reason why they start skipping the gym days).
This is the importance of taking pictures of yourself (preferably full body).Don't worry you wont be sending these to any model's company or anything, these are for YOURSELF, whenever you are
having a second thought of going to the gym again ,sweat and get tired, remind yourself why you started and how far you've come, you can take these progress pics weekly so it doesn't get boring and you also notice the difference between them!
I started doing this and even comparing my current physique to the one i had 4 years ago, and trust me, my jaw dropped when i saw how far I've come, this is some great motivation and keeps me going everyday of my week, to get the goals I've aimed for! (Don't be surprised if your goals change as time passes by, you are probably going to hit your current goal in a set amount of time and most people set a new goal to themselves .NEVER SATISFIED BABY!).


Changing habits.

This is by far the most difficult and most obvious of them all, we are currently living in a sedentary age, so getting rid of the most comfortable and easy habits you have is going to be tough, but everyone does it with enough effort and focus and trust me, you are going to make it too! there are alot more things to get into if you want to stay motivated and positive, but you'll get your goals sooner or later if you stay right on track! Surround yourself by positive people and don't let the small and slow (yet effective) changes affect you or make you lose morale, EVERYONE started somewhere and there's awesome transformation and success stories everywhere!
Are you going to be one of those?.

















photo credit: TV_Couple illustration via photopin (license) photo credit: Jon's Bowflex via photopin (license) photo credit: Sveglia via photopin (license) photo credit: Morning routine via photopin (license) photo credit: April 05, 2013 at 02:15PM via photopin (license) photo credit: 80% of success is just showing up via photopin (license)