# Need motivation to work out



## bookworm_cn317 (Sep 17, 2007)

I'm supposed to practice my forms & techniques and weight-train, but I just can't seem to stay motivated. 

Any tips, hints, suggestions?


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## theletch1 (Sep 17, 2007)

I can tell you what works for me.  Have a dedicated training partner.  My wife trains the same art that I do and works the same body parts that I do on the same days in the gym.  Having someone I care about to train with makes all the difference in the world.  When she was doing her clinical rotation for college she wasn't able to lift at all and I found myself just staying home and making excuses for not going.  Doesn't have to be your spouse but just someone who has the same overall goals as yourself.  You can feed off of each others energy and it will create a neat little cycle of getting motivated.  Also, there's a little bit of ego involved as well.  You don't want to admit to not feeling like working out because you don't want to let your training partner down and they'll feel the same way.


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## RED (Sep 18, 2007)

Let me tell you; I'm one lazy SOB. getting motivated is very hard for me. One thing that works for me is to tell myself to commit to 5-10 mins. I go all out for 10 mins then refuse to sit down. It's just ten minutes right? That's all it takes. Once my heart rate is up I don't want to stop. The workout takes over and I want to continue...and hour later I feel pretty good. After a couple weeks you'll become religious about working out and it frustrates me when I can't get a workout in. The thing is you have to have a game plan going into the work out. Come up with a plan write it down. Then commit to 10 mins. of working on your plan. 

Good luck


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## Logan (Sep 18, 2007)

Yes, work out or we will all kill you!

Or alternatively.....

Take a break. If you are lacking motivation, you may be burnt out a bit, so take a day or two off to recharge and see if you feel guilty enough to get back into it. If you don't, condense your workouts into something that will keep you ticking over.

Also, change your routine (which you should be doing regularly anyway). Do the same weight exercises reaches a point of diminishing returns after a while, so make it more fun and interesting by variety.


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## Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu (Sep 18, 2007)

Sometimes it's also good to step back and evaluate why you're working out.  Are you doing it to look good, to feel good, just because you think you should.  If you're doing it for the wrong reason it's a lot harder to keep yourself motivated.  

I read an interview once with a martial artist who said that everytime he worked out (especially weight training) he imagined that he was building his armour so the more he worked out the stronger his armour became and the less likely he was to get hurt in a fight etc, I personally try to keep that mentality when I work out.​


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## Drac (Sep 18, 2007)

Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu said:


> I read an interview once with a martial artist who said that everytime he worked out (especially weight training) he imagined that he was building his armour so the more he worked out the stronger his armour became and the less likely he was to get hurt in a fight etc, I personally try to keep that mentality when I work out


 
Good mindset...


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## Flying Crane (Sep 18, 2007)

Everyone goes thru burnout once in a while, and you may just need to take a break and recharge your enthusiasm.

That being said, step back and look at what you are training, and decide if you actually ENJOY it, or are you doing it for some other reason?  If you dont actually enjoy the training for its own sake, not for getting rank, not for bragging rights, not for tournaments, but simply for the training itself, then you will eventually lose interest and drift away from it.  It could be the martial arts itself, it could be the particular system you are training, or it could be the teacher that you have.  Either of these could simply not be the right match for you.  You need to take a good hard look at it and decide for yourself.  

If you find something that you truly enjoy, you will keep at it, well past any burnout issues.


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## benj13bowlin (Sep 18, 2007)

I have a picture of myself from when I was 227lbs and I look at it every time I think about skipping one of my scheduled workouts.  I also have a picture from when I was in the army as my goal.  I still have a few more pounds to go, but it keeps me motivated.


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