Don’t Corrupt Your workouts!

The great thing is you showed up.  You’re ready to train.  But you’re pissy, frustrated or even angry.  Or, maybe you just have no motivation to workout.

If you begin your workouts with a piss poor attitude or with no motivation, you may end up not only having a crappy workout and performing poorly, but also begin to associate those feelings and emotions with “working out”.

This can lead to a catch-22 where not only your attitude can lead to poor performance, but the exercises or training experiences can generate the poor attitude too, leading to even poorer performance.

So what to do?

Below are 10 Strategies to help you make this workout a good one.

Change your inputs:

1. Change your training location –
   This changes the sights, sounds and smell so as to not associate the bad attitude with your preferred training location.  Or possibly, bring back a previous positive experience you can use to help negate the bad attitude.
2. Play your favorite music –
   Music you like may help you bring up positive memories and change your outlook.
3. Use a pleasurable smell in your current training environment –
   If you have any scents that you like, introduce them to your training environment.  Use incense, perfume, cologne, flowers, essential oils.
4. Change up your workout –
   Do only your favorite exercises that you have already had positive experiences with.

    

   • Train chaotically and intensely as possibly.
   • Relax – stretch, yoga, swim, meditate, sauna.
5. Double check your nutrition –
   Are your calories low?  Are your macros off?  Did you miss some vitamins?  Eat or drink something before you get started.

Change your outlook:

1. Think happy thoughts –
   You can actually change your physical performance by changing your thoughts.  Think of positive, fun experiences and then associate them with the exercises that you are going to perform.Here’s how to do it:

    

   • Think of a memory, let’s say it’s your doggy or kiddy playing and having an enjoyable time.  Visualize this as detailed as possible.
   • Immediately after the memory, perform your exercise.
   • This way, now, you are not associating the negative attitude with your workouts and decreasing performance.
   • Remember, you will always get better at what you do.  As long as you do good reps, and they are not plagued with a poor mental state, you will continue to associate in a positive way.
2. Read or listen to motivational quotes –
   Change your current state of mind by reading or listening to things to support your trek forward with a better attitude.
3. Recite positive affirmations –
   Use phrases and statements to drive into your subconscious who you are or who you want to become.
4. Re-Evaluate your why –
   You came to your training session because you are trying to reach a goal.  Why is that goal important to you?  What are the positive reasons you showed up?  What successes have you accomplished along the way to get you to where you are today?
5. Don’t workout –
   I’ll give you permission to not workout.  It is vitally important to your success to not associate a poor mental state or negative experiences with something you are trying to get better at.  So, in some cases, it may be better to just pack it up, go home and show up again tomorrow.

One of the most important things you can do is to just show up.

So, even if you end up with a bad attitude at the start of a training session, you still win!

After that, the goal should be to not further corrupt your training session with your negative attitude.

Use one of the interventions above by itself or combine them together to overcome your poor mental state and continue to see positive results.

If you’re ready to get your health and fitness plan together set up a free consultation by filling out the form below.