Battling gym boredom is something that almost every man faces at one time or another. It is hard to consistently stay motivated when your life gets busy or when you have other interests that seem more enjoyable than slaving away at your usual routine. Luckily, if you know how to make your workouts more interesting, you can fight back and stay on course to realize your fitness goals.
Here are some great techniques you can use to beat boredom.
8 Ways To Stop Being Bored At The Gym Slideshow
Reverse The Order Of Your Exercises
This is a great tip not only to beat boredom, but also to really challenge yourself. Your typical routine likely consists in starting out with your major lifts, and then moving toward more isolated exercises. For the next couple of sessions, try performing your isolated exercises first. This will incorporate the principle of prefatigue into your workout. When you move to the major lifts, you will have already used up some of your strength and you'll have to work harder to really give your muscles a run for their money. However, you will probably need to lift a slightly lighter weight, and you should always use a spotter on the heavier lifts in case your muscles fail.
Do A Cardio Circuit
If your main goal is to burn fat, it's no secret that you need to do cardio. Rather than slaving away for hours on the same machine, however, break it up into 10- to 15-minute intervals. Go from the treadmill to the elliptical, and then to the bike. Not only will your workout seem shorter since you won't be performing the same movement continuously, but it will also help to prevent overtraining and work a wide variety of muscles.
Make It A Competition
The best way to give your workouts an extra kick is to challenge a friend. Bet on who will achieve a certain goal first, such as increasing your bench press by 20 percent, running a seven-minute mile or standing on top of an exercise ball with no balancing aids. The loser has to buy dinner.
Enter An Event
Along the same lines as challenging a buddy to a competition, you can also look for some type of organized event. If you are really focused on your strength training and follow a typical bodybuilding routine, consider entering a competition. This will also force you to get your diet in line in order to achieve that lean, muscular physique. If cardio is your main focus, look into a running race. There are races to accommodate a variety of runners, from short 5Ks to full-blown marathons. Many longer races also present vacation opportunities, so if you choose that as your goal, you will have a very enjoyable reward once it's accomplished. You could also join a sports team if you have a more competitive nature.
Take Your Workout Outside
Sometimes, the confines of the gym can start to get to you. If this is the case, think about moving your entire workout outside. You definitely do not need weight machines to have a great workout. Try body-weight exercises, such as pushups, walking lunges and jump squats in a circuit fashion, which will create an overloading stimulus on your muscles.
Train For Power
Many guys get stuck in the mindset that they should always perform 8 to 12 reps per set in order to develop large muscles. Unfortunately, this is not the most effective way to train because not only does it lead to boredom, but it also sets you up for a plateau. After completing a 6- to 8-week cycle of your current program, try mixing things up and going for some gains in power. Lift in the 2- to 5-rep range to really challenge your strength. The variety will help you progress and you will probably be surprised at how good you look after a few weeks of this type of training.
Take A Break
Sometimes, boredom at the gym simply means that it's time for a break. Overtraining is a serious issue with heavy exercisers, and it is one of the major reasons why people fail to make gains over time. Lack of motivation is a strong signal that overtraining may be setting in. If you think this might be the case, take a good look at your past six months of training. If you have not taken at least one full week off to rest, it is probably time for you to do so. Practice leisure activities geared solely toward enjoyment during this time, and by the end of the week, you will likely be counting down the hours until your next gym visit.
Find A Workout Buddy
Getting a friend to join you in your workouts is another great way to prevent boredom. One of the main reasons men skip the gym is to socialize, so this lets you do both at the same time. Just make sure you don't become so dependent on your gym buddy that you forego working out if he can't make it. He is there for support and company, but he shouldn't become a need.
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