I was going to do an article on this but Rusty from Black Book Fitness beat me to the punch. With the baby on the way I’ve decided to built a little something something in the basement (there is NO WAY wifey is going to let me take that trip to the gym). This also allows me to save 40 bucks on that gym membership…but the sad thing is the inspiration and intensity I get from watching others and wanting to show off. Anyway here is the article Rusty sums it up well, give him some love and leave a comment.
I am doing an intense exercise routine in my apartment this winter. One of the days is such a pain in the butt that I really have to psych myself up to mentally prepare for it. The big challenge I have found with doing exercise at home is the ability to go easy on myself or finding an excuse to cut my workout short. It is much harder to justify cutting a workout short, when you drive to a gym. I’d like to discuss this a bit as well as get your comments and tips that you may have regarding exercising at home.
[The benefits of working out at home is the time you save. The downside is that you are the only person holding yourself accountable. It is so easy to simply find an excuse to cut your workout short, skip sets, etc.]
Character = How You Behave When No One is Looking
My lungs are on fire, my skin is hot and I am already dripping with sweat. I am doing the last exercise of a 4 exercise circuit. My legs are shaking and my form sucks as I finish the last rep of 20 “pillow twists”. I am done…for now…I am going to rest for 60 seconds and begin the 4 exercise circuit again. Rough!
“How Am I Going to Be Able to Do 2 More Circuits?”
The questions and doubts enter my mind…”I probably don’t need to do the last 2 circuits since I am already lean”…”I might be over-trained”…”I can do a tougher workout tomorrow to make this up”…”Nobody will know the difference if I just skip this part of the workout”. My mind is racing and working quickly to find the perfect excuse for me to skip the rest of my workout.
Your Mind Will Find a Suitable Excuse…Every Time!
The human mind works in mysterious ways. If you present a problem to your subconscious mind (like finding a suitable reason for not finishing your workout) it will deliver! Your mind is so good at finding a suitable excuse that you can skip your workout (or any action that will move you closer to any goal) and you will feel great about it. You have to gain the mental toughness to not listen to this part of your brain to get extraordinarily fit.
An Inspiring Video Made by the Guys Over At Gym Junkies
You just have to watch this. It shows my buddy Vic over at Gym Junkies failing time after time attempting to do high level advanced exercises. It has some great music with Nine Inch Nails (thanks by the way…usually the guys making fitness vids use Heavy Metal…not a big fan). Vic has majorly transformed his body over the past 6-9 months…he doesn’t even look like the same person. Watching how hard he trains, it isn’t a mystery how he got in such solid shape.
[Justin and Vic produce some of the highest quality fitness content online. They have a slightly different workout philosophy than me, but they give away so much good value for free that I have no problem giving them my full endorsement on my site. These are two guys who are "adding value" to the internet…and their site is growing quickly because of it. Good job guys!]
How Do You Push Hard When There Is No One is Watching?
The only thing that really keeps me going is that I believe this:
1) Most people quit when things get tough
2) I want better results than most people
So the logical thing is to not quit, to get better results than most people! It is that simple for me, but I don’t think this way of thinking will work for everyone. What are some things you guys think about to keep going when things get rough? Your comments are greatly appreciated, so “thanks” ahead of time!
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