How To Stay Consistent With Working Out And Destroy Procrastination
If you, like me, have a job that takes up a lot of your time, training can become really tough.
In particular, if you’re one of the five types of procrastinators, you should know well how hard it is to stay consistent with working out and not get distracted by other less important activities.
But as an account manager training at least three times per week, in this blog post, I want to share some tips and strategies that help me to be disciplined and not make trivial excuses for not going to the gym.
So, if you struggle with consistency and motivation, you’ll find the solution to improve your health and well-being.
Key Takeaways
- Discipline, not motivation, is the most powerful tool for maintaining a consistent workout routine.
- Understanding why you want to become more fit helps provide clarity on how to prioritize physical and mental wellness each day.
- Track progress regularly –whether it’s recording each session or tracking improvements as goals are met– this will help motivate you to stay on track with your fitness routine and achieve your desired outcome.
- Set fun monthly workouts, reward yourself for every small victory along the way and incorporate motivational videos into your pre-workout preparation—all these strategies can be combined with keeping an always ready workout bag nearby so that there are no excuses when it comes time for exercising!
How to be consistent with working out
According to most recent procrastination statistics, many people are chronic procrastinators, making it difficult to train and be consistent.
In fact, skipping workouts is one of the most common examples of procrastination.
This is why following these tips will help you escape this vicious circle and get back into shape, stopping making excuses for not training.
You need discipline, not motivation
As I always say, motivation doesn’t exist.
You need to become a disciplined person if you want to achieve your goals.
Only at this point you’ll experience the advantages of consistency.
I have been training for over ten years now, and honestly, there have been thousands of times when I would prefer to stay at home and relax, rather than go to the gym and work hard.
But I know if I skip a workout, I will feel guilty, and procrastination, as you know, does not lead to any results.
One of the most important things you have to learn to be consistent is that you have to train even when you are not motivated because it is in these cases that you will prove to yourself that you can do it and that you really want to achieve your goals.
What is your “why”?
Why do you train?
Maybe you just want to build your dream body, or perhaps you’ve just been dumped and want to become the best version of yourself.
Without clear insight into the value you get from staying committed to working out, it can be easy to fall off track when life gets in the way.
Every time you are about to go to the gym, tell yourself the real reason why you are training.
Especially if you are a lazy person who tends to be unmotivated, this is a great way to get you back on track
Think about the consequences of procrastination
Procrastination is the biggest obstacle to staying on track with your workout routine and achieving your fitness goals.
The tasks will never get done by simply waiting until you feel motivated or inspired.
You need to be aware of the consequences of skipping workouts and how these negative effects can make reaching success harder.
Once again, think about your “why” and what happens if you miss your workout.
Your goals will be further and further away, and you will lose more and more motivation, ending up in the vicious circle of procrastination.
But you don’t want that, do you?
Create a workout plan and stick to it
Whether you are followed by a coach or you train alone, you need to schedule your workouts.
The plan should include the type of exercises, duration, frequency of workouts, type of equipment or program you will use, etc.
This can help motivate you to stick to the routine and allows you to measure progress over time.
Also, give yourself a minimum time to follow this sheet, at least 4 or 6 weeks.
In this way, for example, I can be much more consistent and follow a precise workout rather than improvising and not seeing long-term progress.
Track your workouts and your progress
Keeping track of your progress is essential to staying consistent with your workout routine, and you will feel much better.
And no, you can’t just remember all your workouts; you need to track them!
Keeping a record or calendar of each session helps you see where you’ve been, what works and doesn’t work for you, areas where you can improve, and further motivate yourself.
Doing so also provides insight into which exercises contribute to your specific goals, which is crucial.
Maintaining a workout chronicle also serves as an internal motivator as it enables you to hold yourself accountable for each target met by showing tangible results achieved daily.
Set some specific goals each month
If you want to work out consistently, you need to set some achievable goals.
This is the best motivation for me because it reminds me what I need to do to achieve that particular goal and because procrastination will only help me move away from it.
Goals provide focus, purpose, and structure to help direct how much energy and effort goes into training.
Whether you lift weights or play a specific sport, some goals may be
- Master a specific combination in combat sports
- Achieve five pull-ups without assistance by next month
- Reach 40 minutes on cardio machines four days this week
Whatever your goal is, write it down somewhere so you always have it at hand, and it helps motivate you.
Watch some motivational videos before working out
Instead of wasting time scrolling on social media or envying successful people, grab your phone and watch some motivational videos.
These can be a powerful tool to help you stay consistent with your workout.
You can get into the right frame of mind and mentally prepare for your exercise session by watching inspirational videos.
I can guarantee you that if you start doing it constantly as if it were a ritual, it’ll make you more likely to find the energy and motivation that you often lack.
These short but inspiring clips have encouraged viewers towards action by giving them the necessary mental push, inspiration, and determination to reach their goals.
They could also remind you why you wanted to work out in the first place; reminding you about your “why” is often enough incentive to keep going on those days when you feel worn out or unmotivated.
Make it fun
Lifting weights and following a bro split is boring for many people.
And I’m just one of those!
To encourage yourself to stay consistent, make it enjoyable and entertaining.
Try switching up your workout routine by trying different classes or activities like yoga, running, HIIT workouts, or weight training that suit your needs and likes.
For example, I started training with body weight and then moved on to weighted calisthenics, which is a type of training that I personally adore.
Especially if you train at the gym or alone, this method is essential to be disciplined but have fun at the same time.
Bring your workout bag always with you
When you always bring your bag in your car, you will eliminate excuses about not having the right clothes, shoes, or equipment.
This way, you will no longer have the excuse of “I don’t have shoes” or “I have to go home to get the equipment” and you’ll overcome laziness and procrastination.
The best way to prevent you from skipping another workout!
Find an accountability partner
You know that having a friend or partner to train with is a great way to push yourself to the limit and always give your best.
Accountability partners can be used not only as motivational support but also as a way of encouraging you to stay consistent with exercise and healthy habits.
Not to mention it can help you correct your form execution, motivate you, and check your progress with him.
But if you want to succeed, make sure he is really focused: finding a partner who tries to make excuses for not training or for distracting himself is just counterproductive!
Use procrastination apps
Sometimes, procrastination can actually be a bigger obstacle than us, and we must find strategies to defeat it.
Procrastination apps are one of the best ways to stay consistent in your daily routine and training.
By using these tools to set goals, establish clear deadlines, or remind ourselves about personal commitments, you are more likely to remain motivated in achieving your fitness objectives.
These apps also allow you to collaborate on challenges with your friends or your accountability partner; an effective way of staying accountable and holding each other responsible for keeping up with your workout regime.
Conclusion
Staying consistent with your workout routine over the long term is essential to see results and achieve your fitness goals.
Working out must become a habit in your life and to do so, following these tips will help you enormously, as it happened with me.
For example, planning out your workouts ahead of time, setting specific monthly goals and tracking your progress each week, can make you stick to your routines easier than you think.
Procrastination can really destroy your life, which is why using these strategies will help you to stay consistent in working out and achieve your fitness goals!
