“No pain! No gain!”
“Grip it and rip it!”
“Your workout is our warm-up!”
“Lift heavy every single day!”
“We don’t need machines; we are machines!”
I’m sure you’ve heard one or more of these before. Basically some type of quote that’s meant to be motivational, but it’s actually one of those backhanded comments that implies your workouts aren’t intense enough, hard enough or all out enough. The perception that every single day you should leave nothing in the tank and be writhing on the floor in a pool of sweat at the end of it. Or that the ONLY way to make progress is to put yourself in the pain cave and stay there or meet Uncle Pukie by the end of it. Not only have I heard them all too, I’m pretty sure I’ve said them all at least once—and 1000% meant it at the time.
But, what I’ve come to learn over the last 12 years is those words can’t be true all of the time, and for most of us—especially as we get older—it’s not what we NEED every single day.
Exercise is an incredible thing with so many benefits, but we also need to be mindful that it puts stress on the body… good stress…. but stress nonetheless. If you already have a huge amount of stress in your life between work, family, finances and countless other stressors, don’t beat yourself up if the last thing you want to do is a workout that beats you down into the ground too.
Just because you might have been taught that a workout doesn’t count unless you go full tilt or it’s not worth doing if you only do it half way, doing a workout at 50 percent of what you normally would is still a deposit in your well-being bank. Just doing the warm-up and saying “that’s me done” is still doing something. Now, I have to be honest and tell you if that’s what you’re doing every day, then pushing harder isn’t a bad thing. You should always give what you’ve got that day, but every day is different.
I’ve spoken to so many people recently who are struggling to find motivation to train, whereas in normal times, exercise is the highlight of their day. I own the gym and I even struggle to find motivation to train some days. Don’t be too hard on yourself for feeling that way. It’s perfectly normal, and I promise, you’re not alone.
Try reframing why you’re training. The end goal doesn’t have to be a 300 lb back squat or a sub-6-minute mile. The goal can just be to move. To have some time to yourself. Or to have some time with someone else. Doing some exercise is still a huge positive even if it doesn’t feel like you’re going to die doing it.
If you are struggling with training or have completely given up, here are a couple of suggestions that might help.
Exercise in the morning! I’m a dad, husband and business owner who has a lot going on… like all of us! We’ve all got a set amount of decision making power in any day and it depletes as the day goes on. If you can get your exercise in before you start your day, the less likely you’ll be to have “life” come up and the greater the chances of you getting your workout in. If mornings just don’t work for you, schedule your workouts in your calendar as if it were a work meeting or Dr. appointment you can’t miss. That way you’ve got built in accountability to make it happen.
Pick less complicated workouts! A 30-minute walk counts as a workout. Three rounds of 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups counts as a workout. Working out while watching re-runs of GBBO (if you know, you know) is not only acceptable, but it’s better than not doing anything! Just move your body! Pick something you love doing. Forget doing things because you want to be better at them or because they’re your weaknesses. Training should be fun at the best of times—it also has to be fun in the current moment, so find a way to make it fun.
If you’re struggling to come up with workout ideas:
Press-up/sit-up/squat grid. Draw a grid on a sheet of paper, like a tic tac toe board. It can be as many boxes as you want, but the more boxes, the harder it is. So start with just nine. Pick a movement. While you’re watching TV or catching up with friends, do a set of that movement. Write the number in the grid. Rest 2 minutes, then do another set. By the time your program has finished, you’ll have done nine or more sets without even realizing it.
12-minute EMOM (every minute, on the minute)
Minute one: squats
Minute two: push-ups
Minute three: lunges
Minute four: plank
Aim for just 30 seconds of work each minute, giving you 30 seconds of rest.
Train with someone! If you live with someone, see if they want to do something with you. It doesn’t matter if you have vastly different fitness backgrounds or abilities. Training with someone means you’re accountable to someone, and if you live with them it’s not like you can screen their calls.
Find a gym! If you don’t live with someone who wants to workout with you, go somewhere that has people! A community of like- minded people with similar goals who show up at the same time every day as you do not only provides accountability and makes you want to show up, but also brings support from others who are on the same journey as you. There is strength in numbers and a gym community will provide that for you. Plus, here at BGB, ALL of our classes and programs are coach- led so you’ve always got the watch full eye of our professional coaches to make sure you’re doing the movements properly, using the most effective weight for your goals and pushing yourself hard enough to see results without risk of injury.
There’s more than enough going on around the world taking its toll on you. Don’t add to it by being hard on yourself when it comes to exercise or the lack thereof. Just try doing something… anything first and when that gets easy build upon it and keep going.
And if you don’t know where to start, come in for a No Sweat Intro and let us help you on your journey!
Coach Nathan
