Motivation deprivation can strike at anytime. Low energy days happen to all of us. Have you ever walked into the gym, got changed and ready to go, and just as you step out to the floor you yawn? Or perhaps you stretch out your arms and feel your tired body asking to call it a day and just go home? Well then, sounds like we need to talk about how to motivate yourself on those days and crush your workout!

Of course, you can always drink some coffee or a pre-workout drink (Jack3d, noXplod, Hemorage and Assault are my faves) to get you going, but there are some other things you can do as well. You can also have some inner focus in mind to motivate you, I personally have my own focus that drives me into working hard, but that’s a different post altogether. Although having a purpose and using some of these supplements work well for me, this post is about some of the other things you can do to motivate yourself through those low energy days.

Take for example this Saturday morning, I was at the local High School Gym, looking at a sleepy eyed crew of student athletes. It was 9am so not too early, but I think we were all still thinking about sleeping in a couple more hours. Then we made a couple of small changes that got everybody hyped up and motivated!

“Working out with a group of like minded peers can help push your limits and is what I call ‘motivation by association'”

Crank it up

We turned on the radio and let the athletes pick the music. The right music selection will pump up any group… and who knows the right songs to choose than the group itself? I know they would not have responded as favorably to my AC/DC or Megadeath. So with the no cussing rule in place, the speakers were theirs to blast. We gave directions on what exercises to do first, and then cranked up the tunes.

There are lots of articles online on how music can motivate an athlete, and needless to say it can have positive effects on your endurance, cardiovascular system, and even your mind as you psyche up into working harder.

Group Therapy

There was a little bit of jabber going on between sets and as coaches we decided to let it slide. No need to be militant all the time, sometimes you have to learn to relax and let the crew have some fun, especially if they are still working hard at a good level and practicing safety on their lifts with good form.

Having a group of peers encouraging you while you are lifting hard and then taking turns ‘razzing’ you while you are catching your breath can be good clean fun, help push your limits, and be a good form of team bonding. Working out with a group of like minded individuals and is what I call ‘motivation by association’.

Introduce change

We also mixed it up a little. We introduced some new lifts and used different equipment to make the routine different. This had an awesome effect as the group was interested in mastering the challenges that the new exercises brought. They definitely turned it up another notch and put in some overtime too.

Best Workout

So with the good music, the right group to motivate each other, a different routine to keep it interesting, and the drive to be your best… it turned out to be one of the best workout sessions we have had in that gym in the last couple of months.

So that’s how we do it, how about you? What gets you going when you need some motivation in the gym?