Today we have a guest on 36Pounds.com. He is an owner of The Man Revolution blog. In this guest post, Fahm discusses the problems of starting and finishing workouts and how they can be overcome. I’m sure this post will help some guys who lack motivation to workout. Thanx Fahm! Enjoy it guys!

How to Start and Finish Your Workout

We all want to work out. At least, we like the idea of working out. Problem is that a lot of times we just aren’t motivated to start or get too lazy to finish. I’ve struggled with this my whole life and I still come across it time to time these days, but there’s a way to discipline yourself and have a rewarding workout, start to finish.

Have the right mindset

Before you start, get yourself in gear. You need to be in a mindset where you WANT to work out and not because you have to. Exercise shouldn’t be a chore and if you treat it that way, you’ll be less inclined to perform well. As Tony Horton would say, you need to “Bring It”!
Tell yourself that you’re going to exercise and you intend on completing everything that you’ve got planned. Your mentality and approach is the difference between a great workout and a terrible one. When you want to do something genuinely, you tend to perform better at it.
I was jogging once and the back of one runner’s shirt said, “Go Hard or Go Home”. That kind of approach should be burned into your mind. If you aren’t going hard and genuinely trying, you’re just wasting time.

Don’t justify laziness

You know that “weak” feeling you get sometimes when you’re about to work out? You say things like “I’m just not in the mood” or “I’m too tired now” and you end up putting off your work out? That’s called procrastination and being a lazy fuck. I used to make the mistake of trying to justify my lazy ass when I first began to seriously work out. You know what that got me? Way behind in schedule that’s what.
Whenever that feeling arises, it’s best to just clear your head and start your workout. Don’t listen to any of the negativity your mind starts to feed you. Just dive right in. Your first set will be uninspired but it will get you in the swing of things and as your work out progresses, you’ll get into the groove. Whatever you do, don’t succumb to negative thoughts and feelings.

Set many small goals

Accomplishments are great motivators. Set small goals for yourself and whatever it takes, REACH THEM. Each and every time you meet a goal you’ll feel great about yourself and will tackle the next one with more vigor. These insignificant goals aren’t anything by themselves, but they contribute to an ultimately important whole. Keep yourself motivated by setting small goals for yourself and meet and exceed them each and every time.
My goals vary depending on the exercise. If I’m lifting weights, I set goals for repetitions. If I’m running the track, I set goals based on laps under a certain time. Know your body and its limitations. It’s always good to push yourself but don’t try to be a hero and do things way out of your body’s limit. Set challenging but reasonable goals that you can accomplish. Be realistic.

Keep it up

So now that you started, you have to keep it up. Whatever your plan or routine is for the day, STICK TO IT. Every now and then, you’ll start to tell yourself that you’ve had enough. It’s another sign of laziness and giving up. You’ll inevitably get tired and your reps will start to go down but you must never lose your focus! You aren’t in a race so pace yourself while you work out. Go slower if you have to, but ultimately, get it done! Trust me, it’ll feel fantastic.

A lot of the reasons we have problem working out is because we get lazy and we allow that feeling to take us over. It’s been said a million times but I’ll say it again: It’s all in your head. Resist all temptations to quit and keep pressing forward. Your body can do impressive things only if you believe that it can.

Visit Fahm’s blog at www.themanrevolution.com for advice on becoming a better and more well rounded man.

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