Brooke Erickson is a title winning bodybuilder and Bodybuilding.com athlete. Here are her top five tips to staying motivated:
1. Set fortnightly targets
A lot of people set targets over a considerably longer period, and then find it hard to stay focused. But when you set a goal with a shorter time scale, it’s a lot easier to maintain your determination. For example, aim to increase your weight in both an upper-body exercise and lower-body every two weeks.
2. Write down a routine
It’s hard to stay focused when you walk into the gym and don’t have a plan of action, but when you make a point to write your routine down, you will show up to the gym with some real purpose.
3. Don’t pay attention to the scale
The scale doesn’t tell the entire story and your body will make changes that the scale won’t reflect. Hide the scale and focus strictly on your training. Take progress pictures at the gym, in your bathroom or wherever there is good lighting. There’s nothing better than a good selfie to motivate you to keep pushing forward. Even if there is only a small change, or a hint of a muscle, that’s progress – and pictures don’t lie.
4. Prioritize your goals
It’s easy to pick your entire body apart, but you’ll find it a lot more beneficial if you prioritize, and you’ll notice improvements faster because you are putting more emphasis on those particular muscle groups.
5. Push yourself
You are training for a reason and, just like any relationship in your life, if you become complacent you will not progress. If you challenge yourself and push your body past what you think it’s capable of, you might be pleasantly surprised; and there’s no greater feeling than doing something you never thought yourself capable of. So don’t hesitate to put some weight on that squat bar – your self-esteem and your butt will thank you for it.
Find motivational advice and more in every issue of TRAIN magazine.
