5 Great Tips For Workout Motivation

When it comes to working out, motivation can be one of the biggest struggles for many people. 

We can have the best intentions and the best plan, but getting started can seem like an enormous task. 

We can encounter this at the very beginning of our fitness journeys as we stand ready to start but can’t take that first step,  as well as in the day to day training sessions whether we have been at it for weeks, months, or even years. 

It’s been said that you shouldn’t rely on motivation, but rather discipline, because motivation is fleeting, and being disciplined will keep you on top of your game even when motivation is lacking. 

I agree with this statement, and often times you will find that starting doesn’t come from motivation, but rather motivation comes after you start. 

However, sometimes we all need a little jumpstart in the moment to get us going, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

I’m going to lay out 5 tactics you can use, combine, and mix and match during those times you might need a little boost.

Put On Your Power Clothes

Has someone ever given you advice along the lines of dressing or looking the part, or for the job that you want?

There are variations of this statement, but it can also apply to getting yourself motivated to get your workout in. 

I’m pretty sure at some time in your life you’ve experienced a confidence boost just by putting on a certain outfit or article of clothing. 

Do you have a favorite suit, or even just a tie that you love and makes you feel like a million bucks when you wear it?

Or maybe it’s a favorite pair of shoes, a handbag or other item that boosts you up in certain ways just by having it on. 

Take that same approach with your training.

Even if you’re working out at home, take note of which pieces of gym clothing make you feel comfortable, strong, and confident, and leverage those to give you a motivational boost. 

Simply putting on your own personal “suit of armor” can flip that switch in your mind to take you from standby to go-time.

Take it one step further and lay these items out ahead of time so they’re ready to go and energy isn’t wasted having to look for them.

One Exercise Only

There are days where we may not have the desire we’d like to get our full workout in. We see the list of exercises ahead of us and think there’s no way we have the energy to get through all of that right now. 

During these times, try to implement an “If I only do one exercise, it’s a success” mindset. 

Taking this approach can give you the initial boost you need to get going. And like we mentioned earlier, motivation is often found from starting rather than being the reason to start. 

This can work whether you train with weights, calisthenics, as well as cardio sessions.

If you take this approach, and truly only get in there and give your everything to one exercise, and one exercise only, you are still most likely better off than if you had not done any part of your training session at all. 

This helps keep the momentum going which makes it easer to stay on track in the days to come.

What you may often find when doing this is that by simply committing to getting yourself to start your session and do just one exercise, that momentum (motivation) will propel you forward and you will end up getting your entire workout completed when you started off not even wanting to start in the first place.

Pick Your Theme Song

Music can set the tone in many situations. It can change moods, lift you up, calm you down and even bring back memories you may have forgotten you had. 

Music can be powerful, so why not use that power to get yourself pumped for your training?

It doesn’t have to be “Eye Of The Tiger”, although that’s one of my personal faves. (I’m a guy born in the 80’s who loves Rocky afterall)

It can be a power ballad, a rap song or a techno track that get’s you up and moving. 

I’ll bet that you have a few songs coming into your head right now as you’re reading this this very moment that boost your mood and make you feel confident, strong and overall pumped up. 

You can let it play in your car on the way to the gym, or in your headphones while you walk there. 

You can even combine this with the first tip and let it rip while you get you gear up in your favorite workout wear.

Pre-Workout Fueling

Nutrition is something that goes hand-in-hand with training for an overall healthy lifestyle. 

And while many of us know this to be true, some don’t pay much attention to what we take in around our training time. 

While meal planning and prepping those meals can take time, it surely does go a long way in staying prepared and reducing the stress of always having to figure out what to eat and the time it takes to prepare these meals each day.

Pre-workout nutrition, and overall nutrition in general, can be an in-depth topic with many nuances and protocols based on the type of training, diet preferences, and macro breakdowns. 

That can be a whole nother article in itself, but with this tip I’m keeping it simple for the purpose of helping you in yet another way to get your mind right and put you in training mode. 

Having a consistent go-to pre-workout meal not only helps you avoid the chore of figuring out what you’re going to eat each time you train, it sets the tone for what’s ahead. 

You will find what types of food, and when you eat them work best for you, but ideally I would recommend opting for something that you enjoy, gives you energy and doesn’t make you feel overly full and bloated. 

For me personally, it’s egg whites, followed by a bowl of cereal with almond milk about an hour or so away from my training session. I like this for me because I enjoy it, it has a bit of protein along with a quicker-digesting carb source and minimal fat.

Whatever you find that works for you, keep it consistent and see if it helps keep you on track in a way you haven’t thought of.

YouTube Inspiration

So you might be wondering how sitting there and watching YouTube can get you motivated to start your workout. 

In fact, it may seem like the exact opposite of doing something active.

But when used strategically, watching a video or two on whatever it is you are getting into, in this case working out, can be motivating.

Now be mindful to not let 15 minutes turn into an hour. 

We all know Youtube can be a black hole of sorts if we let ourselves get carried away. One minute you’re watching fitness-inspired videos, and the ne

xt thing you know you’re watching cats chase each other around a living room. (Cats are awesome though)

Watching a bit of material geared towards the task at hand can be inspiring and motivating. Watching someone engage in the lifestyle can give you boost and remind you that there are others out there doing it and you can, and want to as well. 

You can even combine this tip with the previous one and watch your favorite fitness content while you enjoy your routine pre-workout meal. 

This is something I used to do all the time and would always put me in the mood to get to the gym. 

The keys to this one are to be mindful of the time spent and to stay within the fitness theme to keep your mind on the task at hand.

Get Right And Go

Motivation comes and goes, and that’s normal  for even for the most dedicated trainees. 

With these 5 tactics up your sleeve, you’ll be able to summon the energy and the “Oomph” needed to get things going on those days that motivation is fleeting. 

Some you might even keep doing all the time because you like them so much. 

Either way, I hope they help you stay sharp, stay consistent and keep you on your path for a long time to come.