Fitness Motivation
Its new year and its that time we all have our resolutions as to what we want to change about us or our life in the coming year.
For alot of us it will be to get fit, loose weight, add muscle or run a 10 k etc. As a personal trainer in Bury st Edmunds this is where i can help.
I do a free consultation with all my clients before we start. One of the questions is ‘on a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you ready to change or commit’. More often than not its very high. After all they have made the commitment to come and see me in the gym and are already in the ‘action’ phase of change. But sometimes its low. When its like this you really have to dig deep as to what motivates this person. And its something you can unearth yourself, for yourself to help motivate you.
Motivation can be placed in two groups. Intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic being doing something as its personally rewarding to you. And extrinsic involves doing something to earn rewards or to avoid punishment. Typically i find clients start off with extrinsic motivators such as needing to loose weight for health etc. But after a period of time it moves to intrinsic. They come back to train with me as they love it!
So how can you turn your training from extrinsic to intrinsic? As a personal trainer in Bury st Edmunds over time i get to know my clients and what motivates them. Some need a gentle approach with soft encouragement and an arm round the shoulder. Others respond to a harder approach of being pushed to their limits and basically shouted at.
Whichever it is you need to set realistic targets. If you set a target to deadlift 100 kg within 2 weeks your doomed to fail. You’ll get frustrated and more than likely quit. If however you set an achievable target that with application you can do, you’ll continue to smash these targets. Giving you a real sense of achievement and make you look forward to coming to the gym with your progress. These achievable targets can be built up into a bigger one. If you want to run a 10K set periodic achievable targets ending with the big 10K itself.
I also like to motivate my clients through games, challenges, with prizes and generally having fun. My goal is for every client to leave Boot camp or the gym with a smile on their face and looking forward to the next session.
My top tips for anyone would be:
- Set realistic targets
- Get a personal trainer or exercise plan
- Record your progress
- Cross train to make sessions fresh and different
- Reward your achievements
So give it a go! If of course you are interested in Boot camps or personal training to increase your motivation get it in