Has the change in exercise routine been a shock to the system?
Missing the gym more than ever?
Are gyms opening up again in your local area and you’re feeling a bit lost?
Or maybe you’re going through a bit of a mid challenge slump?
Or is everything fine and you’re just having a lazier day?
You’re not alone.
As all workouts have moved to either your shed, backyard or the miscellaneous room that is supposed to be a ‘study’, it can be unbelievably difficult to remain motivated when you don’t leave the house.
To help us along with this week's motivation, we asked PUSHH Exercise Scientist and Strength & Conditioning Coach Bradley Drake for his top five tips on how to get motivated to do a workout you would much rather not do. Bradley has worked with many clients throughout his career from elite athletes to promising juniors, and has heard every excuse under the sun. He wants to challenge you with these five easy steps to repairing your relationship with motivation. We sat down with him to find out how an expert combats those overpowering thoughts.
Save this article for a day where excuses start to cloud your progress!
Write out a weekly schedule for training and stick with it
Bradley: “Planning gives you a sense of control, and being able to look at the bigger picture of your training schedule can be really motivating. Knowing what to expect and not having to rush to think of what you want to train ensures that you’ve got a clear head when you’ve got to do a workout. Some people crave the routine and having structures in place, some don’t. You have to find what best works for you. For me personally, I operate far more efficiently in all aspects of life when I have my days and weeks planned out. It gives me direction and guidance everyday to make sure I get done whatever it is I set out to achieve."
Goal setting
BD: “It’s so much more motivating when you’re working towards something. My starting point is always the same. What do you want to achieve? With diving deep into your goals and finding your ‘why’, we start connecting emotion with the goal. I’d often ask clients ‘how good do you think this will feel when you reach your goal?’ and often the response is a big smile and them usually gushing about how excited they are to get started on their goal."
"This can be a very powerful tool used to inspire when things get a little rocky and something to fall back on when motivation is low. That feeling, think about how good it is going to feel once you achieve it."
"My thought process behind goal setting is very simple. If you want something bad enough and there is nothing physically stopping you, then you’ll have no excuse. You will get it done and you will not stop until you get it done. There is no other way. Will it be easy? Absolutely not, but when is anything worth pursuing ever easy? If it were easy everyone would be ripped, cut, toned, fit etc. Will there be obstacles along the way? Absolutely, but every hurdle you jump, every obstacle you break through, that is another resilience building moment. Everyone of these moments gets you one step closer to reaching your ultimate goal."
Find your trigger
BD: “Try to find your trigger point for going for a workout. For me it’s putting on my shoes, once I put my shoes on, I’ve won the battle mentally and I’m going to the gym wear and leggings 100%.. If you’re really really really struggling after your trigger point,, try and do the first 10 minutes of the workout, even if it's a warm up. Sometimes that's all it takes. And if you’re still struggling after that, aim to do a shorter workout, something is better than nothing of course!"
Tell your housemates, partner or friends about your goals
BD: “You’d be amazed at how much support you can get from friends and family when you open up to them and let them in on what you’re trying to achieve. Don’t keep it a secret. It keeps you far more accountable. Sometimes the push you need for that extra motivation can come from those around you. Tell them that you have a program, and goals that you’re working towards. For those of us that feed off of other energy, having those additional support systems to keep you accountable can get you out of bed and into your home gym." 
Find a good program that not only suits you, but involves the training/exercises you enjoy
BD: “There is nothing more motivating than knowing you have to do a workout that you don't enjoy. For example, if you hate running but do it because everyone else does, just don’t run, find other ways to do cardio and make your workout more exciting. There are so many different movements and variations that you can do, there’s no point wasting time on ones you don’t like." 
So pop on your shoes, plan out your week, and give these five tips a try for a better relationship with motivation!
