How To Motivate Yourself?

[bonobo]

(I hope this is paoted in the right spot)

How do people motivate themselves to keep up a routine? What with Bangkok traffic and work schedules, it is getting harder and harder for me to keep up with my routine. I just don't want to fight the traffic, get a parking spot, etc. after work, then not get home until 9:00 or later.

I have two specifics for myself: exercise and Thai lessons, but I am curious as to how people motivate themselves for any activity.

For a little background, I am 50, and I started lifting for body sculpture about 4 years ago while in Iraq. I had lifted before as part of training for rugby or wrestling, but now i wanted a better body. And I loved the results. Getting older, it was nice to see a turning back of the clock, so-to-speak. I progressed rapidly, in both looks and performance. After some shoulder surgery due to an injury suffered in Iraq, I had to work hard to re-build.

But now I am at some sort of plateau. I am not getting bigger nor more defined anymore, nor am I lifting heavier. And while I am in my car after work driving to California Fitness, I keep trying to come up with excuses not to go that night.

When I am not lifting, I am motivated. I like the way I feel, and I love the comments I get from various women. And when I am actually in the gym, I pretend that all the girls there secretly want me (even though I know it is not true.) And I enjoy the fact that only one other guy, a young huge guy, can lift as much as I can. And after I lift, I feel good about pushing my inevitable physical decline back a little bit more. But it is getting to the gym that kills me. I really, really don't want to go. I want any excuse not to go.

The Thai language lesson situation is even worse as the teacher comes to my condo. She shows up at 8:00 or 8:30 for a 90-minute lesson, then I go off to work. How hard can that be? I really want to learn Thai, so I don't know what is my problem. I stopped the lessons for an extended business trip, but I have been back for 3 weeks and have not called to re-start them.

What does anyone else do to motivate themselves? I am quite curious, and I would love to find somemthing else to use myself.

[kmart]

Find a mate to go with you is one way to motivate yourself.

With weights you tend to reach a "plateau" where you are not really improving your results, and its hard to gain the same momentum you had when you were observing strength and shaping results week by week.

Change your training methods, or experiment with different methods. I have a couple of good (free) links if you want. Just drop me a PM.

[sylviex]

The Thai language lesson situation is even worse as the teacher comes to my condo. She shows up at 8:00 or 8:30 for a 90-minute lesson, then I go off to work. How hard can that be? I really want to learn Thai, so I don't know what is my problem. I stopped the lessons for an extended business trip, but I have been back for 3 weeks and have not called to re-start them.

Why is the house always sparkling clean while there's a dull essay to write or other unappealing task to complete ?

Guess how personal trainers came into existence !

Good question & the responses should be interesting.

One thing that can help is to simply make exercise an unquestioned part of your routine. You condition yourself to "just do it" every day.

Another is to add some external motivation for the time when you are exercising (as you have done at the gym). Get a walker/stationary bike and wind down (or begin) your day watching a good DVD while you exercise, perhaps.

But, do reflect a little ... you are 50 and having the body of an Adonis/Venus at that age is a very recent pressure we have devised to add stress to our lives (& we are all vulnerable to this pressure, but in the end it is largely about people making money from our vulnerabilities). You are already on a very demanding schedule.

Keeping healthy should be the main priority. To be honest, I think women admiring musculous men is something taught to and promoted by the relevant financially involved parties.

I read the other day that some extraordinary number of young boys (has been the case for girls for some time now) have body image problems. Some things are getting way out of perspective in our times.

[sylviex]

Change your training methods, or experiment with different methods.

Yes. Good point. You can do as I recommended by psychologically making exercise a daily essential but still vary the form & time.

Evolution has made our bodies able to outsmart ourselves in some ways. In by far the major part of human existence, fat was good -- your personal food store for hard times -- and being damagingly overweight unachievable.

Once you adopt an exercise routine, your body will learn to over-ride it and you need to throw a spanner in the works by varying it when you reach a plateau.

[JetsetBkk]

...What does anyone else do to motivate themselves? I am quite curious, and I would love to find somemthing else to use myself.

Wish I could help - but your post has motivated me to get off my butt and do something!

[toptuan]

A mild heart attack or mild stroke is also very motivating. Just ask a number of older ThaiVisa members who are now exercising just to stay alive or to maintain what little health they have left.

Don't wait until you have to deal with THAT type of motivation. (Yeah, scare tactics work well, too. )

[cmsally]

Shift yourself out of the present into the future and imagine yourself in 2 weeks/months/whatever in the future without having had the Thai lessons or the workout. If you decide you would rather be the person that had the lessons and the workout instead of the opposite, should be enough to get you on your way.

Having said that once you are on schedule take the odd day or evening off to make it feel worth it otherwise the above doesn't work.

[Wrong Turn]

(I hope this is paoted in the right spot)

How do people motivate themselves to keep up a routine? What with Bangkok traffic and work schedules, it is getting harder and harder for me to keep up with my routine. I just don't want to fight the traffic, get a parking spot, etc. after work, then not get home until 9:00 or later.

I have two specifics for myself: exercise and Thai lessons, but I am curious as to how people motivate themselves for any activity.

It's an attitude and a mental state.

Do not think about it, just do it.

Seriously.

It's not about Bangkok, traffic, or anything esle....it's about you.

[sylviex]

His long day begins before 8.00. He feels bad about not heading out to the gym at 9 pm.

I am all for health and exercise, but if he is serious about true health, well-being and the genuine response that would greet him from women who see a glowing individual rather than an ageing, exhausted and in-denial wanna-be-young-old-guy, he needs to change his lifestyle.

[petitechevre]

the problem is you go to california.. first its expensive, second people who go there don't workout, they chitchat and try to show off their shitty bodies.. and for third.. they mostly only have machiens which will make you plateau and injure you twice as fast as free weights.

Imo if you want to be motivated, find a real manly gym, put some good hardcore music. lift some REAL weights. get off the 20-30pounds. put a barbell on your shoulders with 250pounds..

lift 300 pounds with your back... you'll feel so much alive that u wont be able to wait till your next session..

And you're just 50 so don't say you're too old for that, i have huge scoliosis and terrible genetic back, ive broken my colar bone in the gym, ive had shoulder and knee injury in the past and im still doing it no problem, just working more on the quality of my lifts instead of speed

[bonobo]

the problem is you go to california.. first its expensive, second people who go there don't workout, they chitchat and try to show off their shitty bodies.. and for third.. they mostly only have machiens which will make you plateau and injure you twice as fast as free weights.

Imo if you want to be motivated, find a real manly gym, put some good hardcore music. lift some REAL weights. get off the 20-30pounds. put a barbell on your shoulders with 250pounds..

lift 300 pounds with your back... you'll feel so much alive that u wont be able to wait till your next session..

And you're just 50 so don't say you're too old for that, i have huge scoliosis and terrible genetic back, ive broken my colar bone in the gym, ive had shoulder and knee injury in the past and im still doing it no problem, just working more on the quality of my lifts instead of speed

Actually, I started lifting in a military gym in Iraq, then continued in a Marine Corps gym in the US. Now, I do lift at California Fitness as it is somewhat convenient, and I do like the eye candy (not that I actually taste any of it.)

Mostly, I lift dumbbells as I don't need a spotter that way. I do triplets (three related exercises one after another, then rest before another set.) While my curls may only be 40 lb dumbbells, I press two 95 pounders immediately after doing 60 lb flys (then 95 lb bent-over rows). And I do 280 lb squats. So while some other Marines may lift more than me when I am in the States, I think I do lift an OK amount (I won the master's division of a Marine weightlifting contest with a bench press of 275.)

[bonobo]

A mild heart attack or mild stroke is also very motivating. Just ask a number of older ThaiVisa members who are now exercising just to stay alive or to maintain what little health they have left.

Don't wait until you have to deal with THAT type of motivation. (Yeah, scare tactics work well, too. )

Very good piece of advice. This one got me thinking. I haven't considered that before, but maybe I should think if that as I am driving to the gym.

[bonobo]

Change your training methods, or experiment with different methods.

Yes. Good point. You can do as I recommended by psychologically making exercise a daily essential but still vary the form & time.

Evolution has made our bodies able to outsmart ourselves in some ways. In by far the major part of human existence, fat was good -- your personal food store for hard times -- and being damagingly overweight unachievable.

Once you adopt an exercise routine, your body will learn to over-ride it and you need to throw a spanner in the works by varying it when you reach a plateau.

THis is good, too.

I am getting some good advice here, and I wasn't sure if I would or not.

Thanks to all!!!!!!

[mackayae]

Just do it!

[bonobo]

The Thai language lesson situation is even worse as the teacher comes to my condo. She shows up at 8:00 or 8:30 for a 90-minute lesson, then I go off to work. How hard can that be? I really want to learn Thai, so I don't know what is my problem. I stopped the lessons for an extended business trip, but I have been back for 3 weeks and have not called to re-start them.

Keeping healthy should be the main priority. To be honest, I think women admiring musculous men is something taught to and promoted by the relevant financially involved parties.

I am muscular, but not Arnold Schwarzenegger muscular. Not even close.

But quite often at parties or dinners, when we get around to talking about fitness, somehow people (men and women) end up testing my biceps. Now that doesn't mean they like them, I guess. But it is still an ego boost.

But women do tend to make nice comments about me. Maybe that is because women who like more cut instead of thinner bodies are the one who will go out with me in the first place. And since I do go out with women older than perhaps the typical male expat in Thailand, perhaps some men have let themselves go a little (I am really not trying to sound too egotistical here--I have plenty of shortcomings). Not trying to be explicit, but a woman's admiring hand on his chest can go a long, long way to make a man feel good.

But your point about health is well-taken. What with the posts about varying a routine, perhaps I need to interspace more cardio and flexibility exercises into my workouts.

[thaimiller]

I used to find it hard to get motivated for the gym, so I started putting my alarm clock at the other side of the bedroom, which means I had to get out of bed to turn it off, once up I found it a lot easier to go to the Gym as I was already out of bed. This obviously only works if your Gym is open early enough, Im lucky as mine opens at 6.30am

[petitechevre]

the problem is you go to california.. first its expensive, second people who go there don't workout, they chitchat and try to show off their shitty bodies.. and for third.. they mostly only have machiens which will make you plateau and injure you twice as fast as free weights.

Imo if you want to be motivated, find a real manly gym, put some good hardcore music. lift some REAL weights. get off the 20-30pounds. put a barbell on your shoulders with 250pounds..

lift 300 pounds with your back... you'll feel so much alive that u wont be able to wait till your next session..

And you're just 50 so don't say you're too old for that, i have huge scoliosis and terrible genetic back, ive broken my colar bone in the gym, ive had shoulder and knee injury in the past and im still doing it no problem, just working more on the quality of my lifts instead of speed

Actually, I started lifting in a military gym in Iraq, then continued in a Marine Corps gym in the US. Now, I do lift at California Fitness as it is somewhat convenient, and I do like the eye candy (not that I actually taste any of it.)

Mostly, I lift dumbbells as I don't need a spotter that way. I do triplets (three related exercises one after another, then rest before another set.) While my curls may only be 40 lb dumbbells, I press two 95 pounders immediately after doing 60 lb flys (then 95 lb bent-over rows). And I do 280 lb squats. So while some other Marines may lift more than me when I am in the States, I think I do lift an OK amount (I won the master's division of a Marine weightlifting contest with a bench press of 275.)

Lifting different parts on different day will help you

first, its TERRIBLE to get in any shape to do full bodyworkouts unless you join a very specific program like HST

second, it's hard as hel_l to get enough energy for all the body on a single day then want to come back in 1-2days

Just try doing Chest/truceps 1 day off, Back/biceps, 1 day off, shoulders and legs 2 days off

or Chest/shoulders 1 off, back/legs , 1 off and arms 2 off.

Should help you

[bkkjames]

I find if I (oops) sh*g the mrs 3-4 times a week I am duly motivated to go have a beer the other nights.

It's a trade-off I know, a bit like paying it forward or redeaming myself for the night before?

Who needs California WOW to get up a sweat in Bangkok?

This kind of training can be done at any hour of the day and does not conflict with my football watching, beer drinking and that little thing that pays for all my excesses, work.

Great stuff, I suggest you try it.

[Wrong Turn]

the problem is you go to california.. first its expensive, second people who go there don't workout, they chitchat and try to show off their shitty bodies.. and for third.. they mostly only have machiens which will make you plateau and injure you twice as fast as free weights.

Imo if you want to be motivated, find a real manly gym, put some good hardcore music. lift some REAL weights. get off the 20-30pounds. put a barbell on your shoulders with 250pounds..

lift 300 pounds with your back... you'll feel so much alive that u wont be able to wait till your next session..

Yes, most gyms are crap. They are for people who want to "look good," and chat for social hour. They also often take too long of break in-between sets.

If someone takes no longer 90 seconds between sets they should "switch," and let another person do a set. This mean adjusting the weights accordingly, and then back again. It's not hard to do.

Also, many of the fad-gyms don't want weightlifters, but seem geared toward cardio-bunnies and circuit trainers. Fair enough.

As for a "real" gym, they are hard to find today.

And working out with free weights is far better than nautilus equipment unless you're doing a pull-pull for certain body parts.

You can do a full upper and lower body workout with free weights. Much better. Much healthier.

[petitechevre]

cardio bunnies should die.. all those males doing 1hour of cardio don't even understand that biking slowly or walking that stupid threadmill for 1hour isnt gonna make you lose anything xcept your time...

then they walk around near the mirrors looking at their womanly bodies ighhhh

[zzdocxx]

I didn't read all the responses, but anyway, there has been some research done on this subject.

It reveals that the people who have the most consistency are those who have a workout partner.

I guess it puts a slight bit of obligation into it.

[jetjock]

I first joined a health club 52 years ago and I have worked out regularly ever since so it has become so much of an integral part of my lifestyle that I would no more consider not doing it than I would consider not brushing my teeth. Do I enjoy pumping iron or cardio-- hel_l no! --I hate it after 50 years but I continue to do it because of its results results which are that I look great and feel less than half my age and it allows me remain quicker, stronger, and have more endurance in the many heavy duty sports I participate in every day. It is no problem to be a real hard body even in your sixties as long as you are willing to pay the price of working out regularly. I am always traveling around the world, yet I always seem to be able to find a gym for a quick workout. When I am in Bangkok, I usually work out at California Fitness which IMO has good equipment, nice eye candy, but really shifty management.

[RakJungTorlae]

(Yeah, scare tactics work well, too. )

we will see...

if you don’t go to the gym for more then 3 days a week I will hunt you down and take your soul for all alternately and the only company you will have will be your mother in law. This I solemnly swear.

[MaximumSecurity]

It's normal to hit a plateau regularly especially at your age (or mine, at 61). Some things I would suggest: first change your routine every four weeks. Do four weeks of low reps, high weights, then switch to high reps, low weights. Change from resting one minute between sets to 30 seconds. Change from six days a week to four or five or vice versa. Change the muscle groups you work on the same day, like chest & triceps, back & biceps, shoulders & legs. If you already do that, go to chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps; then legs, back, biceps; then chest, shoulders, triceps.

And for me, I would work out in the morning and take the Thai lessons at night. You will have more energy after a perfect breakfast (don't forget the creatine), and sleep better if you don't exercise before going to bed. Both of these will lead to better muscle growth and increased endurance at workouts. And if you want to burn body fat, which always motivates me, do high intensity interval training on days that you don't lift. It can get your body fat into single digits.

[RockerRoller]

It's normal to hit a plateau regularly especially at your age (or mine, at 61). Some things I would suggest: first change your routine every four weeks. Do four weeks of low reps, high weights, then switch to high reps, low weights. Change from resting one minute between sets to 30 seconds. Change from six days a week to four or five or vice versa. Change the muscle groups you work on the same day, like chest & triceps, back & biceps, shoulders & legs. If you already do that, go to chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps; then legs, back, biceps; then chest, shoulders, triceps.

And for me, I would work out in the morning and take the Thai lessons at night. You will have more energy after a perfect breakfast (don't forget the creatine), and sleep better if you don't exercise before going to bed. Both of these will lead to better muscle growth and increased endurance at workouts. And if you want to burn body fat, which always motivates me, do high intensity interval training on days that you don't lift. It can get your body fat into single digits.

my motivation to lift iron is - i want my sons to be able to say that tacky quote: "My dad is gonna come and kick your dad ass!" Then I still want my grandsons to be able to say "Wait 'till granpa comes and kick your ass"!!! My oldest son is not yet two years old so he can't say much yet, but I cannot afford to disappoint him