Why Working out HARD is Ultimately Killing Your Motivation
One more set you can do it, almost there and this workout will be over. That’s what I was telling myself as I completed my last set of the day. I was exhausted and had zero desire to get up the next morning and do it all again. Oh, how I hate this workout yet it is the only one that makes me feel like an athlete still because if I’m not dying by the end of my workout... am I doing it right?
The Intensity Conundrum
As athletes, we are so used to training to perform some of us don’t even realize that there is another way. We are stuck in the 110% mindset... you know the mindset where you give 110% effort in every workout because if you don’t, the entire team will pay for it, and you’re not going to be that girl. This mindset carries over after the end of our collegiate careers and it has many athletes stuck in a vicious cycle, unable to break free. We get fastened to the idea that our effort/intensity level during a workout equals our worth, but the lack of mandatory workouts (unlike in college) leads to less consistency and in some cases even burnout.
I ironically happened upon this idea because I had gotten injured from overtraining. Injuries suck and I decided I needed a change, so I took a new approach. Instead of thinking about the level of intensity that I needed to put out, I asked myself... do I enjoy this workout? Will this workout bring me joy or will I be counting down the minutes until it is over?
I created a new rule. If I wasn’t looking forward to it, I didn’t do it. Because I wanted to workout consistently, that forced me to only pick workouts that I enjoyed.
How Do We Adjust?
So what’s the trick to step away from the 110% mindset and how do we adjust our intensity? We need to change our mindset around our fitness. The goal needs to become doing workouts that you can uphold for extended periods of time… not workouts that are the most intense. Want a good strategy to get the results you want?
Step 1: Do Workouts You Enjoy
If a certain workout doesn’t get you excited, don’t do it.
An easy way to get started is by taking out a sheet of paper and writing down all the types of workouts you look forward to doing. The ones that really put a smile on your face.
Step 2: Make a plan
In advance, select the times and days you will complete your workout along with the activity. For the best results plan this out on a weekly basis.
Example: Someone who likes running and yoga
Monday, Wednesday, Friday - Run at 7 am
Tuesday, Thursday - Yoga after work, 7 pm
Step 3: Evaluate
After each workout check in with yourself and see how it made you feel.
Did your workout relieve stress?
Do you feel energized to do it again tomorrow?
Was I completely drained?
Can I keep this up for longer than 1 month?
If you like it keep it on your list if you didn’t, attempt it at a lower intensity, or try something different.
Where Do I go From here?
Keep trying new workouts until you find ones that work for you. Try to do your favorites as much as possible and sprinkle in new workouts to keep things interesting. It is important to continue doing what we love to help us remain consistent and relieve stress from our lives.
It took me years and a lot of wasted time to finally start moving in the right direction and reaching the goals that I wanted to achieve as a retired athlete.
Getting started with the right plan will catapult your success. Streamline this process by joining the Forever Fit program. Forever Fit uses the concepts that made us successful athletes and created a plan that gives personalized direction, and support. The program understands life after athletics because it was created by athletes.
Forever Fit is structured to fit your schedule with workouts that you enjoy doing, eliminating the guesswork, making it incredibly simple to enjoy following your plan. You can learn more about the program here.
We no longer have to drag ourselves out of bed in the morning to embark upon a workout that we dread doing. Pick out some exercises that you enjoy and let’s get moving!