I have a few pastimes.
I enjoy reading the occasional book, I like composting (it’s awesome), and I compete in powerlifting.
The pic above is from one of my powerlifting competitions. I’m deadlifting 260 kg (that’s 573 lbs in freedom units) for a PR.
The thing about deadlifting – and any training, whatever your goal is – is that it’s not about motivation.
(It’s not about steroids either, by the way)
You see, leading up to that PR, I had managed to string together many months of consistent, regular deadlift practice.
I had, of course, been training for longer than that, but my deadlift had hovered around 240 kilos for several years, and my discipline in going to the gym had been fleeting.
But not this time.
For many of the workouts, I didn’t feel like working out. Strength training, where you push your limits and try to become bigger or stronger than what you currently are, is uncomfortable. This is true no matter your training level.
But I knew two things:
- If I could just get into the gym and start warming up, I’d feel a lot better. A few warm-up sets are usually all it takes for me to start wanting to work out.
- I had a training program, and it said that today was deadlift day.
What does this have to do with you?
This:
All your current training goals, whether you want to change your looks, get stronger, or be healthier, are on the other side of consistent, regular workouts aimed at reaching those goals.
Do you know what doesn’t lead you there?
– Leaving your workouts up to chance.
– Working out only when you remember to (two workouts that week, but then – oops, suddenly two weeks passed without you training a single time).
– Randomly picking exercises in the gym, never really remembering what you did last time or trying to improve on that.
The above is the most common “workout routine” in the world, and it is a sure-fire way to spin your wheels and never get anywhere.
Imagine if you could actually start taking strides toward your goals. Imagine that your muscles start growing and shaping up. That you can pile weights on the barbell and become one of the strongest people in your gym. Imagine your body feeling strong and energized again.
Do you know what it takes for you to do this?
A system.
A training program.
Stop leaving your workouts to chance, or relying on “feeling like it”, or remembering to.
Those who get the best training results follow a program or a routine.
You need to decide what you’re going to train, and when. You need to look at what you did last time, and try to do a little more today.
Don’t change things around and do new stuff every workout. Pick a few exercises that you like, and train them.
Imagine what it could do for you and your body if you followed a proven, thought-through workout routine, and stuck with it for weeks, months, or even years.
Deciding on a training routine is the first step.
In our workout app, StrengthLog, we have tons of free workouts and programs for you to choose from.
By clicking “Follow Program” on one of these and having a “Next Workout:” pop up in your app, I can guarantee that you will increase your workout frequency.
For example our beginner barbell program or our beginner bodybuilder program. Or if you’ve already been doing this for a while, perhaps our push-pull-legs or upper/lower split?
You’ll be “more disciplined” by the click of a button.
You’ll start building muscle and gaining strength, without any extra “motivation”.
Or steroids.
Download StrengthLog for free with the links below:
