Quote: (11-19-2014 08:42 AM)SunnyToyz Wrote:
i no longer feel motivated to go to the gym and idky. im half assing sets, the weight im pushing is becoming less and mentally i know whats wrong but i think im just getting bored.
i have been going to the gym pretty religiously for the last 2 1/2 years. i started cause i was extremely over weight. 205 lbs and im 5'5. i worked myself down to 153. then fell in love with weight lifting and tried to bulk and failed miserably. i went up to 185, but now im currently at 165. im not fat, but im not skinny or have the body i desire. however i dont feel motivated enough to work as i did before. i mean i get enough attention from girls and im not in bad shape, but i dont have the body that i wish. and tbh i can see my body slowly getting flabby and soft.
have any of you every experienced this? is this just a phase? is there anything you would recommend that would might help? im open to anything at this moment. i almost 20, so would it be a testosterone problem?
thanks
Drop in Motivation?
It can happen to anyone, from elite athlete to regular gym goer.
I think you just happen to be in a comfort zone. Happens to me over time as well.
I'd suggest you research more about 'periodization'.
You need good rest & recovery cycles allied with bomb proof nutrition to hit your targets. Your own genetic potential of course also plays a part in that. Since we can't change that, the variables you can work on are as follows:
3 MAIN AREAS:
1) workout programs-the physical work involved.
-lifting weights, doing bodyweight movements, kettlebells & freeweights, running, swimming etc.
2)nutrition
-balanced according to the different food groups.
-not gonna get into the merits of Paleo vs Vegan & all that but worth researching if you wanna switch your results.
-i personally do Intermittent Fasting, the 16/8 (16 hours fast/ 8 hours feeding period) because i find that works very well for me. That's done about 3 to 4 times a week for me. Other days it's 3 squares a day. I'm not into the 6 small meals practice. Research & test out if it will work for you.
-i don't take commercial protein shakes. Most i'll go for is chocolate milk for post workouts IF i've done a gym based session.
3) rest & recovery
-consistently get between 6 to 8 hours quality sleep. Unplug your electronics from sockets in your room. Turn out the lights.
-invest in a simple foam roller for massaging muscles post workout.
-Giovonny's advice is spot on here.
-switch up your workout programs after they get too damn easy. The ol' 3 sets of ten reps can get boring. You want to be stretched in your workouts but not stressed. So, somewhere in between easy & boring to causing muscle trauma should be the sweet spot.
I'm being really general here. I'm sure some of the stuff i've listed is already familiar to you. The key thing is making sure you're keeping it real in all 3 main areas first. If you're not getting enough sleep or you're having nutritional deficiencies, then whatever physical work you're putting in is being wasted.
Hence, motivation can drop if one isn't getting the intended results.
Not saying that's what you're doing but i figure it's worth reflecting on. Getting the basics right first.
There are some very solid threads in the forum on getting any specific info you're looking for.
Giovonny gave some great advice about changing things up here.
I'm seeing a number of other posters with pretty solid insights in this thread as well.
To summarize, from me..it's this. Get your basics right first.
Good luck & well done for taking the first step by asking.
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