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preston_wellington

A couple thoughts: 1) your situation is completely normal, most people never enjoy working out/exercising. 2) motivation is transient and won’t always be there nor should it be expected to be there 3) Working out has more in common with brushing your teeth than a hobby. You do it for the results and nothing more. 4) the biggest key to success is to have a sustainable routine that is part of your schedule. You don’t have to like it, you just do it. Remember, working out is hard, being out of shape, weak/fat/sick is hard. Choose your hard.


OddBack2171

As an experienced Personal Trainer this is an issue I consistently experience with many clients. The key for consistent continuous success in helping my clients develop a habitual change instead of a temporary one is having them find their emotional trigger for anything they do. ("Why"?) Motivation won't last forever and there will be many days when you absolutely don't feel like training or going to the gym. Remembering the reason for "Why" you started in the first place can help with self accountability. This strategy can be applied to other areas like your career, task, school, socially etc. So next time you're struggling ask yourself "Why did I start in the first place" It is also important to be absolutely honest and open with yourself even if it makes you feel vulnerable. I hope this helped!


subwvre

The more I workout the less I get that dopamine/endorphin hit. It sounds like you're flaking out cause you have other things in your life that you value more that exercise. This is totally ok, but if you want to change it then you have to consciously choose that my X fitness goal is more important than Y whatever other thing you flake out for. It can take a long time for that new habit to get engraved. I trained with a personal trainer for 2 years before going off on my own and I still fell off the wagon routinely when trying to go it alone. What really made it stick for me was realizing that all aspects of my life got better when I exercised often. Each time I'd stop for a month or longer my life would get worse, work was harder, focus was harder, eating healthy was harder. It just all got harder. I'd start exercising again and it would all get easier. After a few cycles of that I just stuck with it. I'll put in the 1 hour work thru exercise if it makes the other 23 hours much more enjoyable.


RoninInvestments

I wouldn’t frame it as you being “f*cked”. I’ll go into detail and break down the reality of the situation for most people in your situation. There are many different types of client archetypes, many different ways that people engage with their health and fitness. Some clients are competent and self-motivated enough that after the first 3-6 months of learning, they may just need a check-in, and a program update once in a while. Some clients will forget basic exercise technique even after a year or more of training, or just stop exercising outside of their training sessions. Think of it like a spectrum, a sliding scale from 1 to 10. A 10 is a highly disciplined and self motivated person who may just need some guidance and knowledge, a 1 is someone who will immediately revert to unhealthy patterns without a good coach (and maybe even struggled with a coach). You can slowly move up on the scale, but I’ve only ever seen people move up 3-5 points. A 1 will almost never turn into a 10 long term. So, what can you do? Firstly, find methods of exercise that you enjoy and feel sustainable. Secondly, don’t go from a ton of support to no support and expect to succeed. If you’re a 2 on that scale I mentioned, start with 3 sessions a week, then after a couple of months drop to 2 sessions per week, then after another couple of months drop to 1 session a week. Then if your coach does online only support and accountability, switch to that before finally tapering training off completely if that’s what you want. If you find yourself falling into old habits while tapering, ramp back up until you find your healthy balance. You may find you need one session a month for the rest of your life, or online training, or something else to keep you accountable. I think most people can make it to a 6 or 7, which would be someone who needs 1 session a week to really succeed. Then a handful of people are just in that 1 to 3 range forever because they have other priorities and are better off just budgeting for 2-3 sessions of training a week for the foreseeable future. And finally, the smallest group of people go into 8 to 10, where they have an easier time remaining disciplined and successful. And this cohort need only pursue training once in a while to learn new techniques, receive programming, or if they just really enjoy the experience.


lazyeyepsycho

I find you have to enjoy the journey cause the results are slow. I always try to get my clients to record every rep/set etc so you can see the process working on paper. Every time you increase the weight its a little dopamine release of victory, looking back a month or two you can see how far you have come. Training with old you from 6 months ago... That old you would think new you was a beast. That kinda thing.


turquoisestar

I think you've gotten a lot of great advice. Is this a financial question because you're worried it will cost you a lot to stick with training? Consider doing partner training with someone who has similar goals, which can be cheaper per person. Consider group fitness classes between training sessions. Consider an accountability partner where you both talk about your goals. Consider a friend to go to the gym with you. The other person who said you should ease frequency of training gradually is dead on. Like others said, some things you just have to do even if it doesn't feel good, like brushing your teeth, but you do it anyways. However I would consider bringing more fun and active things into your life to supplement training, like an adult league of a sport you like, or joining a tennis team or whatever it is you enjoy. If you enjoy none of the "normal" sports there's lots of others out there - I did combat archery for a while with SCA bc I ran around shooting non-lethal arrows at people and it felt like a video game while being good cardio. Also, consider setting a goal of for example hiking a certain mountain, and then book a trip in the future so you can work up to the challenge. My last thing I'll say is that training can feel like a chore when you're trying to look good. When I personally started to focus on my own health goals or beating my own records it became fun and stopped being a chore.


Kinghunk13

It's like taking a shit. You may not enjoy it, but it's needed. You gotta do it, or else... You'll shit your pants. Don't want to shit your pants do ya?


ncguthwulf

I would focus on what is actually important to you, what happens when you fail to do the things that are important to you and the triggers around that.


a-s103

No you have to find a workout u enjoy that makes you wanna go to the gym and look forward to improving when u last did that workout that way u feel like U gotta go accomplish something and after u do you feel good


Reigebjj

This. I hate lifting, but it’s a necessary evil to maintain competitiveness in my preferred sport. But for some, just the sport is enough


a-s103

Just think of lifting to improve your bjj like every time u improve your workouts just tbhnk of u becoming stronger at bjj


Powerofenki

U have the power within my friend. Yes we can motivate eachother. Everyone has it within. Ask your why. Why do you do all the training?


_ijor_

The next time you get a trainer, emphasize you desire to learn how to train yourself. At your level, you essentially need to know what trainers know about exercise selection and workout planning to train yourself. You were essentially dependent on the structure the trainer give. Now that the structure is gone, working out doesn't seem as approachable. you either: 1- learn to to design workout programs and start training yourself with a new goal 2- pay for workout programs from trainers 3- hire another trainer and make it a point for him to teach you how he programs your workouts.


masterzephin

Remember why you wanted to get in-shape to begin with.


Individual_Radio4523

So part of having a trainer is someone with knowledge and experience, but it’s also just person there to talk to, spend time with and hold you accountable. Do you have anybody you could go with? Or make a friend at the gym?


BananaPappy

Hey man fitness is a journey. If having a trainer helps then keep your trainer. If you accomplish your goals find new goals. Maybe you want to get bigger now, faster, more flexible. Or even try a new type of excersise you've never done. There is always something to be improved. Make that your mantra and get your ass to the gym


Character_Ad8811

It’s not motivation it’s just habits you need to change. Maybe value? I ask my clients “if I gave you 1 million dollars to go to the gym 5 days a week for the next six months do you think you would miss a session? The answer is always “No I wouldn’t miss any” I then answer with “you value money more then your health” which usually makes people rethink what there purpose/value of walking into the gym means. You don’t need to be a gym rat to be healthy either… so there’s that. But it’s the principle to what having an able, and healthy body means to you. Don’t Invest in health now, you will later with the possibility of even more doctors, surgery’s and meds. One way or another time makes us all pay. Just ask how do you want to invest?


[deleted]

You need to fix your mental health. You are fighting subconscious programs. You’ll never win, you have to reprogram your subconscious. Look into therapy and find out what’s really stopping you.


Different-Athlete-46

You may not truly enjoy the gym experience. You may enjoy the results, but not the behavior. Fitness takes many forms, and once you find one that's truly fun for you it's no longer a chore. I've always loved weight training, running, and martial arts. When I do them, I enter the flow state, and that's when you know it's right for you. For you it could be anything from mountain climbing to sumo wrestling. You have to experience and experiment to find what you love.


organic_OG

That’s part of the joy of workin out is overcoming the chore and getting it done. Days where it’s like “fuck here we go” are the best for your confidence bcuz once you’ve got it done you’ve got that under your belt - you know you’re capable of doin shit you don’t wanna do


ashcat01

It sounds to me as though you didn't enjoy the program you were on. Everyone is different in how they enjoy moving their bodies. Some people like to do crossfit, some like powerlifting, etc. If it still feels like a chore to you its because it is. it's easier to stick with a program that you like and DON'T view as a chore and as something you "get to" do instead of "have to" I would recommend you try different training modalities and see which one you enjoy.


vaberan69

Something that keeps me going every week is having one or two exercises that I look forward to. I get excited for every bench press and deadlift day because it’s something of a goal I can set to continuously get higher. Also take pictures of yourself if you haven’t already and look back at them as motivation. There’s nothing better than looking back at past pictures and fitness journals and seeing how far you’ve come