For those of you who know me this is likely to come as quite a surprise…
Mostly because I own a gym…
And also because I’ve been going to the gym since I was about 13 years old and likely haven’t missed more than dozen workouts in the last 25 years (even when I broke my foot I used to put a stationary bike up on a table, sit on a chair and ‘ride the bike’ with my arms… it sucked but it helped keep me in shape while my foot healed.)
Or maybe it’s because I’m constantly studying ‘training’… in fact, I even have a masters degree that was focused on strength and conditioning…
What you likely don’t know is the only reason I completed that extra degree was because I knew that exercise was a requirement for me to be healthy and I was determined to figure out how I could spend the least amount of time in the gym and still get the best results possible.
But I still don’t love doing it…
To be accurate I don’t always hate the gym… I just do right now.
I’m going through a phase (which I usually do for a month or so once or twice a year) where I would rather be doing almost anything but be at the gym throwing weights around and seeing how long I can stand on my hands…
And for the record even when I’m ‘into it’ i still don’t love training…
I don’t hate it, but I definitely don’t love it…
I do love playing sports though, and I know that the better the shape I’m in, the stronger I am, the more mobile I am and the more conditioned I am, the better I’ll perform at any sport I play.
And even more importantly, intellectually, I know that training… movement, mobility, strength, and conditioning are requirements for me to be super healthy… and for me to live a really long and active life (I’m determined to be really really active right until the end!)
Why am i sharing this… and why should you care?
One thing I’m really proud of is that despite of the fact that I regularly have months at a time where I hate going to the gym I still go… and like I said I almost never miss a workout…
I’m not just trying to brag and I’m definitely not trying to make you feel bad if you don’t go consistently…
I’m sharing this because as I go through my current funk I’ve been reflecting a lot on why I do this and in doing so I’ve realized that there are some valuable lessons to be learned that I think will help you stay on track and overcome some of the challenges you’re having with your exercise routine.
Lesson #1 – The Power Of Habits
To understand the power of habits and learn the most effective strategies to break negative habits and creative new positive ones to replace them start by reading this article.
The key to achieving all of your goals is to create positive habits for each of your goals… so that when your actions actually become a habit it makes the success of your goal an afterthought.
And this absolutely applies to your training – maybe even more so than in other areas of your life.
With respect to habit formation around your training it can be as simple as scheduling your workout times on your calendar (preferably at the same day and times each week) to create a habit of training at noon every Monday.
Bonus Tip: Find a work-out buddy and leverage the power of accountability to further ingrain your training habits.
Lesson #2 – The Importance of Cycles
When I say I go to the gym and push through my apathy even when I don’t want to be there, I don’t still go all out when I’m there… I’ve learned to take it ‘easy’.
And this isn’t just a cop out or a rationalization…
It is well understood that your body can not go full out all the time.
It is critical that you have intelligent programming (aka your plan for what you do at the gym) that regularly schedules in down time… otherwise known as ‘deloading’ to allow your body a rest so that it can grow, repair and rejuvenate to prepare you for another growth period.
You can’t go all out all the time… and if you try I guarantee it won’t end well for you.
So when you feel like your body (or your brain) isn’t up for it don’t push for a personal best or completely exhaust yourself… do your mobility modify your workout, use less weight, and generally just dial back the intensity of what you’re doing.
Bonus Tip: This applies to all areas of your life… you can’t work all of the time and expect to get the best results. You must cycle in other activities to rejuvenate and refresh your brain so that when you are focused on work you are your most creative and productive.
Lesson #3 The Power of Purpose
I feel like every time I write an article in some way I always go back to Think By Design and more specifically the importance of always knowing WHY you’re doing anything…
And there’s good reason for it… your purpose behind every action you take is critical…
In this example its especially important because your purpose is your motivation… your fuel… and the key to sustainability with your exercise program.
You absolutely must do some deep thinking to really figure out why you are exercising…
And when I say dive deep I mean it…
If the first thing that comes to mind when you ask yourself why you want to exercise is “to lose weight”… dig a little deeper and ask yourself why you want to lose weight… why is losing weight important to you?
Because once you really connect with why exercise is a value to you, you will no longer have to rely on discipline to get your butt off the coach and get to the gym.
(If you’d like to learn more about the power of purpose and how to leverage it in all areas of your life click HERE to join us for our upcoming Think By Design Seminar.)
The Takeaways:
- Identify your fitness goals.
- Get really clear about why you want to achieve them.
- Build a positive habit around your goal.
- Create (or get help to create) an intelligent exercise program that plans for less intense periods.
Because once you’ve done those things even when you’re ‘hating the gym’ you won’t hesitate to do it anyway because you know it will move you one step closer to the goals you have for your life.
Happy training.
Dr. Michael Gibson has committed himself to helping others to live the best life possible. After graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and Masters of Science in Chiropractic Sports Science from Life University. He is the co-creator of Life By Design, owner of The Wellness Group, and co-owner of CrossFit 613. His passion for empowering families runs deep. After experiencing the loss of his sister due to illness, Michael’s purpose became reaching and teaching as many as possible the foundational principles of an extraordinary life. Since that time he has passionately pursued and been successful in living out his dream. He maintains a busy family chiropractic practice, a full speaking schedule and finds time to implement the principles and practices of Life By Design in his own life.
