I was a scrawny nerd with no self-confidence, maybe a couple of friends, and I was going to spend my life doing research in psychology.

None of that is true anymore.

But changing that story took time. I always knew I wanted to change, but I had locked myself into a particular narrative for my life, and my role in that narrative was locked too.

I was convinced that I couldn’t really ever be fit and muscular. I was frustrated because I would work out for 2 weeks…and then quit for 6 months. When I did work out, I pulled my workouts from YouTube videos because I wasn’t sure what else to do. When I told people what I was trying to do, they asked “why would you want to do that?”

Luckily, I was wrong.

But stories are powerful.

We have a seemingly innate tendency to create stories for ourselves (and everything else). One of the earliest studies in storytelling showed that we’ll even create narratives to explain the actions and thoughts of simple shapes.

Legendary cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner repeatedly argued that we use stories to construct our realities. We make sense of the world around us by creating narratives to explain events. The way you tell your story matters.

I do this. You do this. “I want to work out, I just struggle to get motivated,” is a fitness story. “I’ve always dreamed of being fit, but I’m not sure where to start” is another one. I’ve definitely experienced both.

As Jean-Luc Godard once said “A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order.” If we unpack “I’ve always dreamed of being fit, but I’m not sure where to start,” it’s easier to see how this is just a story:

• “I’ve always” implies that this has been going on for a long time. It’s the story’s beginning.
• “Dreamed of being fit” implies that you aren’t fit right now. It’s the end you’re hunting.
• “I’m not sure where to start” is the middle of the story. It’s where you are right now.

As psychology research on personality shows, you tend to tell your story in the same way over time. Measuring storytelling is actually becoming a way to measure personality.

But that doesn’t mean your stories can’t be changed if you recognize them for what they are.

One of my favorite articles ever on the internet is The Story I’m Telling Myself. When you respond to any event or make any kind of decision, you are telling yourself a story that may or may not be true.

When I was tempted to skip the gym after work I would tell myself “I’m tired and I have errands to run. It’s just one workout. I can make it up tomorrow.”

Of course, I don’t skip workouts anymore. Clearly that story wasn’t true.

When are stories useful?

The stories you tell yourself can be useful too. If a friend snaps at you angrily, there are a few stories you can create:

• My friend is a mean and angry person
• My friend is a good person that’s had a rough day
• I did something to upset my friend without meaning to
• I’m a terrible person because I made my friend mad

Obviously, some of those stories are more helpful than others. With the middle two stories, you can figure out what’s wrong and work from there. With the others…things probably aren’t going to turn out as well.

How is this helping me be fit?

What fitness stories are you telling yourself? How are you constructing your reality?

If you wonder how to start your fitness journey, there’s a hidden story that’s affecting you.

If you say “I’ve tried everything, but nothing seems to work for me,” you’re telling yourself a story. Is it really true?

If you say “I’m just so busy. It’s hard to find the motivation to work out,” you’re telling yourself a story. You can change it.

My story changed from “scrawny nerd destined for life in the lab” to “guy that loves fitness and works in business as a writer (and maybe is still also slightly a nerd).”

My fitness story turned into a fitness success story. But it didn’t get there overnight.  

Tell your story. Your new story.

To change your story, challenge it. If you’re too busy to work out, can you do 1 push-up? If you’ve tried everything, can you find success stories of other approaches? Gradually chip away at your assumptions to rebuild and reframe your experience.

Instead of “I’m too lazy and can’t get motivated” say “I’m having trouble figuring this out, but maybe there’s another approach that would work.”

Instead of “I dream of being fit but don’t know where to start,” say “I don’t know everything, but I can do something.”

I was a scrawny nerd headed to the lab. Now I’m the fit writer that loves exercise science and psychology.

In one sentence, what’s your story?

Just a heads up: I know this post is super long. It isn’t intended to be read all at once (each technique should stand on its own), and hopefully the table of contents makes that easier. If you want to get it as a PDF to read later (along with the free Roadmap to Fitness), just let me know the best email to send it to.

Send me the PDF

“How can I stop being lazy and exercise?”

“How do I get motivated to work out?”

“How do I make exercise a habit?”

The first time I got “serious” about working out, I woke up 2 hours early, shrugged on my workout clothes… and went back to sleep.

The second time I got “serious” about working out, I was pumped. I bounced through the doors of the gym…and deflated. I wasn’t sure what to do. I messed around on some machines, nearly dropped a barbell on my face, and stayed away from the gym for months.

I kept thinking “I just need fitness inspiration” or “maybe I’m too lazy to work out.” Fitness motivation was the imaginary missing link stopping me from getting fit.

Eventually, I used psychology (my college major) to figure out how to build an exercise habit. Gradually, one at a time, I used these techniques to build my own self-discipline, overcome gym anxiety, and set up my workout habit.

Some of these fitness motivation tips really are about getting the motivation to work out. Sometimes, when you’re tired after work or on the verge of skipping a workout, you need a little jolt to keep you going.

Some of these tips are about how to make exercise a habit. Those are about structuring your environment to take willpower out of the equation and guarantee that you stay on track.

When I used these tips to really get serious about fitness, amazing things happened.

• I went an entire year –365 days – without missing a workout
• I got stronger and packed on muscle (I intentionally gained 50 lbs, then carefully dropped 10)
• I felt better – I stand taller and move more confidently
• I’m more effective at work and more confident with people
• I stopped dreading the gym, and felt incredible after a workout

Finally becoming fit is the best thing that ever happened to me. Nothing on earth feels quite the same as walking out of the gym on a sunny day. Hopefully these techniques (organized by category) can help you experience that feeling.

Reward and Habit Techniques

1) Use chaining

Even at the height of my fitness habit, I had trouble working out on weekends. “I’ll go to the gym at 2” often turned into 3, then 4. Early on, I would miss a Saturday workout and have to make it up on Sunday. What was going on?

Most of the time, habits are cued by something. The cue can be a time of day (e.g. 12pm = lunch), a location (e.g. your office), or an action (e.g. getting out of bed), but it’s the signal your brain needs to trigger the habit.

Take brushing your teeth as an example. When you wake up, brushing your teeth is triggered by the time of day and the action of getting out of bed. You don’t specifically decide to brush your teeth.

Similarly, you can become more consistent in your workouts if you connect them to other actions that you know, with 100% certainty, will happen. I call this chaining, and its similar to a concept James Clear calls “habit stacking.”

I do my workouts after leaving the office, because I know that I will, without fail, leave the office every day. All I need to do is go straight from work to the gym.

In college I did the same thing, but with classes. Bringing my workout clothes to class let me head straight for a workout after the last class of the day.

The cues and chains you choose will be specific to your lifestyle, but chaining is one of the most powerful methods you can use to sidestep lack of motivation and form a fitness habit. I’ve stopped missing Saturday workouts.

2) Reward yourself with small, regular, immediate rewards

Everyone says you should reward yourself to keep your fitness motivation. And you should! The carrot is better than the stick – but most people do it wrong.

Buying yourself a nice new pair of shoes or a fun new game after 15 workouts isn’t going to be very effective at giving you the motivation to keep working out. Those rewards come so far after the action!

Behaviorism, the field of psychology that studies rewards and their relationship to behavior, consistently shows that rewards only work if they actually happen with the action being rewarded. Fifteen workouts is just too long to wait.

 

Another problem with common rewards is that they aren’t actually associated with working out.

So you decide to get a nice smoothie or buy yourself that game after a certain number of workouts – but you could also buy those things without working out at all. It’s way too easy to take your rewards in advance and then never do the workouts at all.

Karen Pryor gives an example of this in her fantastic book Don’t Shoot the Dog:

“In coaching athletes or training dancers, it is the instructor’s shouted ‘Yes!’ or ‘Good,’ marking a movement as it occurs, that truly gives the needed information – not the debriefing later in the dressing room.”

The brief, instantaneous rewards she describes are far more effective for exercise motivation. I applied this principle using my love of grape juice.

I love grape juice. But if I bought bottles of it I would guzzle the stuff constantly. Instead, I made a rule: I can only drink grape juice after I do my stretching (a part of my workout I don’t love). When I finish, I literally do a shot of grape juice. I haven’t missed a session since starting this.

You can find other creative ways to use reward. Is there a coffee shop near your gym that you love? Can you pack a small piece of candy with your gym gear (enough to motivate you but not enough to affect your diet)?

The ways to reward yourself are endless, and doing it right can keep you crazy motivated.

3) Don’t break the chain

“Don’t break the chain” is a super simple technique most famously used by Jerry Seinfeld.

Seinfeld’s method of success was this – every day he wrote new material, he would draw a big red X over that day on the calendar. Drawing these X’s was pretty satisfying, and seeing them accumulate was even more satisfying. So he focused on one thing:

Don’t break the chain.

With daily action, the chain of X’s got longer. With a singular focus on not breaking it, it becomes much easier to motivate yourself to do something.

Make sure the calendar is large and very visible. You should be able to see the chain at all times. When you’re doing well, it will be right there in your face to congratulate you. If you slip up, there will be no hiding it in the bottom desk drawer under a pile of tax documents from 2009.

Having the calendar super visible makes it more accessible (or salient, as psychologists like to say) to your brain – if you think about quitting, you’ll be much faster to think of the calendar and motivate yourself because it’s already at the front of you mind.

Here’s one of my calendars, from the month of July.

 

Blue checks represent working on this article (they stop when I finished). Gold checks are flossing (I missed a couple on a vacation, but now floss regularly). Purple checks are journal writing. The calendar kept me motivated.  

Esteemed strength coach Dan John has a less fancy way of saying that. In his words, “the goal is to keep the goal the goal.”

However you think of it, keeping the chain unbroken is a huge motivator that could help you build your fitness habit.

4) Avoid punishing routines

Somewhere along the line, people decided a workout that doesn’t leave you passed out in a puddle of sweat is worthless.

Yes, if you’re training for performance there are times when you will need to go pretty hard. And yes, there are some specific situations in which super intense workouts are beneficial.

Those times are not on day 1.

So often I see people resolve to work out, then do ridiculously exhausting workouts that leave them barely able to move afterwards (even into the next day). Is it any wonder that these people quit?

A lot of the time those super intense workouts don’t even DO anything. It’s pretty easy to get tired without really accomplishing anything.

Basic psychological conditioning says that punishing things will be avoided, and workouts are no exception. You might eventually come to relish the feeling of a tough workout (heavy leg days anyone?), but by that point you’ll have positive associations with working out in general – it will be a reward, not a punishment.

Early on, start small. One of the benefits of progressive overload is that it progresses gradually. By the time you hit the hardest workouts of a beginner program, you’ll already have an established workout routine.  

5) Sleep in your workout clothes

You might not work out in the morning (I don’t) but sleeping in your workout clothes is one example of a precommitment.

When we make decisions, we are affected by context. That includes our environments, recent events, and our own mental states. When you decide to skip a workout, that decision is the result, at least in part, of those factors.

If you’ve ever thought “I’m tired, I’ll make up this workout tomorrow,” you know what I’m talking about.

Why would you leave those factors up to chance? By making a precommitment, you can make your decision without being at the whim of your internal states.

A precommitment is a concrete action that commits you to completing a later action. Research on precommitment shows it is a powerful tactic for self-control.

If you wake up in the morning, what’s the single biggest thing that will make you skip your workout? Probably being tired or not wanting to get out of bed. If you already have your clothes on and all your fitness equipment together, you’re more likely to follow through. If you don’t want to literally sleep in your clothes, you can at least set them up next to your bed.

I’ve worn gym clothes under work clothes, and always bring my workout clothes with me to the office. With that precommitment, it’s a lot easier to stay consistent.

6) Finish a tiny workout

Working out can be intimidating and tiring. You have to get dressed, go to the gym, go to the locker room, warm-up, work out, come home, shower, and change. You probably don’t always want to do all of that.

But I bet you can do one push-up.

Call it a mini habit or a minimum viable habit, small actions can have large effects. It can be exhausting to think of all the steps involved in getting fit (plus, you have to pick an actual program in the first place!).

But a tiny workout is easy. There’s no preparation required, and it’s easy to do. But chances are you’ll do more once you start. A mini habit cuts through all the noise and gets you to what matters most – action.

 

In his AMA on Reddit, Terry Crews had similar advice. He advocated going to the gym – but not working out. Simply developing the habit of actually setting foot in the gym is enough to get most people moving.

Commit to small habits and actions, and you’ll find the rest follows more easily.  

7) Celebrate small victories

One of the most important realizations I ever had was to stop saying “fuck!” when I messed up and start saying “good job” when I did things right.

It’s easy to dismiss small victories as not important, or to achieve interim goals and then immediately refocus on the long term. It’s worth taking a moment to celebrate when you achieve your little wins.

Hit your 3rd workout this week after a year of inactivity? Take a moment, even just 10 seconds, to congratulate yourself on a job well done. You’ll find that small wins build momentum.

Karen Pryor’s wonderful book “Don’t Shoot the Dog” details how you can use self-praise and positive reinforcement to change behaviors, and is what helped me make this shift.

But she’s far from the only writer talking about celebrating little wins. Take ownership of your successes. Appreciate when you do things well. If someone notices that you’ve been working out more and pays you a compliment, don’t dismiss it. Take pride in your success by saying something like “thanks man. I’ve really been working at it, so it means a lot that you noticed.”

You’ll feel more satisfied, and chasing that satisfaction will help you have more consistent workouts.

Writing/Planning Methods

8) Set better goals

Psychological research on goal setting consistently shows that goals can improve performance. In order to benefit from that boost, it’s important to make sure you set the right goals.

The world of business is obsessed with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. I want to focus in on specific, which I think is the most important quality.

When it comes to fitness, you’re probably already going to set relevant goals, and you may not yet have a great idea of what’s practically attainable. But you can turn vague notions into goals so specific that they almost achieve themselves.

If you have vague goals, you’ll have only a vague idea of how to achieve them. A vague goal like “build muscle” might lead you to the vague action of “lifting weights,” but that doesn’t really tell you what to do.

A better goal would be “build 10 pounds of lean muscle in the next 3 months,” or “In 5 months, get bigger arms and a bigger chest so that I need new shirts.”

For a goal like “lose weight,” you could instead “lose 20 pounds in 6 months so that I can fit into my old jeans.”

Not convinced? Even just abstract of the research paper linked above gets to the heart of the matter (although the full paper is worth a read): goals increase the likelihood of success by “directing attention, mobilizing effort, increasing persistence, and motivating strategy development.”

Once you have your goals, you can work on the habits and lifestyle to support them. Specific goals make your road to fitness motivation – and fitness success – easier.

9) Remind yourself of why your goals are important

Everyone knows that fitness is healthy and something they *should* be doing. But you aren’t going to be motivated by the vague notion that “exercise is healthy” or “working out makes you look better.”

To really stay motivated, think of why your goals are important to you personally.

Reasons like:

• “Diabetes runs in my family because we’re all overweight, and I want to stick around for my children”
• “I’ve lost self confidence after gaining weight and want to be able to fit into my old jeans again”
• “I want to feel awesome about my body and be confident when I take my shirt off”

These reasons are way more compelling. They make your goals real to you.

Once you’ve thought of your reasons, write them down. Ideally, write them in a place where you will be able to check them or be reminded of them regularly. 

Now, whenever your resolve starts to waver, all you have to do is glance at your personal, written reasons for working out. Remembering the importance of your long-term goals will keep you motivated.

10) Brainstorm challenges and ways to overcome them

How many times have you thought to yourself “THIS TIME I’m going to do it?”

If you’re like me, it’s a high number. And, if you’re like me, chances are you’ve failed at following through on those things often.

One of the biggest challenges we encounter when trying to change our routines is that we think big and we think optimistic. We don’t say “I’m going to do 1 push-up every day this week.” We say “I’m going to eat three meals with perfectly distributed macronutrients and also run 3 times a week and also lift weights every day.”

When we set those goals, we fail to consider the challenges that we’ll encounter along the way. We’re being too optimistic.

This applies to other habits too. Writing 10 pages of a novel a day is hard – what happens when work goes long one day, or you realize you left your charger somewhere? How do you overcome those challenges?

The flip side is that just thinking about and acknowledging the challenges we might encounter makes it WAY easier to follow through on our habits.

Start now: what are 3 obstacles that might stop you from following through on a fitness habit?

Now, what are 3 ways you might be able to address each challenge?

It’s a simple exercise on paper, but putting just a little bit of thought into it now can save you a lot of mental strife in the future.

If you have a plan of action to address each challenge before it even comes up, you’ll be in great shape to, well, get in great shape.

11) Set checkpoints

Most people don’t really have goals. They’re more like notions.

People have a “notion” of something they’d like to achieve, work at it for a little bit, and then give up. If they did bother to set a deadline, it silently passes by.

Checkpoints help turn notions into full-fledged goals.

The idea of a checkpoint is simple: set a deadline for your goal, then designate several times before that deadline to check on your progress.

This keeps you honest, because it’s a lot easier to focus on a short-term checkpoint than a long-term goal. Checkpoints provide you with a shorter-term goal to strive for.

It also lets you make adjustments. If you aren’t making progress, you can take stock of why and reassess.

Checkpoints operate as a kind of fail-safe. If you reach your deadline and haven’t achieved anything, you’re fresh outta luck. If you hit a checkpoint and haven’t achieved anything, you still have an opportunity to get back on track and finish by your deadline.

12) Write how it feels to not work out

You can have a workout schedule. You can have an exact plan for what you’re going to do in the gym, including the sets and rest periods. You can have progress charts that clearly show your improvement over time. But all of that might not be enough when you had a bad night’s sleep, nothing at work went your way, you’re hungry, and all you want to do is go home.

For times of especially low motivation, you need to be prepared to give yourself a jolt. One way to do that is write yourself a note from your past self, reminding you how sucky you feel when you don’t work out.

The feeling of skipping a scheduled workout isn’t a great one. You might feel lazy or useless, or guilty because you’ve prevented yourself from getting closer to your goal. The key to this trick is to write down how awful you feel after a skipped workout, then read that note when you’re considering skipping again.

A simple technique, but it’s powerful. John Muscarello of The Better Life Experiment used a similar technique (which he calls the Netflix Technique) to go to the gym 72.7% more often in just one month. It works.

13) Write down how great you feel after a workout

The flip side of how crappy you feel after skipping a workout is how exercise can make you feel great. Exercise has an immediate effect on your brain, boosting endorphins and giving you a natural high.

The long term effects of exercise are so profound that exercise is actually used to help alleviate chronic depression.

Of course, when you feel like crap at the end of the day or can’t quite seem to get out of bed, you probably aren’t thinking about the positives of exercise.

So, after your next workout, write yourself a note. Tell future you how awesome it feels to be finished with a workout and be able to relax, guilt free, for the rest of the day. Take a look at that note when you’re struggling.

As a bonus, it helps to know that the endorphin high from exercise starts early in the process. If you’re having trouble getting to the gym, do 10 jumping jacks or push-ups – start by getting your heart rate up, signalling your body that it’s time for action.

14) Write down the reasons you are the kind of person that works out

At the core of cognitive dissonance theory is the idea that our beliefs can influence our behavior. Specifically, if you have beliefs that are inconsistent with your actions, you will either change your actions or your beliefs (or find a way to justify the inconsistency).

What does that mean in the real world? If you don’t think of yourself as the kind of person that works out, and you try to start a workout habit, you’re less likely to succeed. You’ll either change your belief to view yourself as someone that does workout, or you’ll stop working out. Of those options, not working out is easier.

So, start from the ground up – change your belief. Write down a list of reasons that you ARE the kind of person that can work out. These can be simple:

• “I am the kind of person that works out because I’m a young professional and can afford a gym membership”
• “I am the kind of person that works out because I think fit people are attractive”
• “I am the kind of person that works out because I like feeling like I accomplished something”

Keep these posted somewhere visible and start working out! With this initial push, your beliefs will start to shift. There will be no inconsistency, and therefore no dissonance. You’ll be able to say: “I am the kind of person that works out because I actually work out.”  

15) Find a workout program you trust to get results

So many people walk into the gym with no plan. They’ll do a random selection of exercises they already know, or maybe a list they got off the internet. They’ll never get results, and probably just beat themselves up for it and quit.

That doesn’t have to be you. Part of the reason these people burn out is that they don’t see results and don’t think they ever will.

But you can know better, and do better, by picking a program that you KNOW works.

Stronglifts was not the first lifting program I ever followed, but when I started it I was absolutely convinced of its effectiveness. Just its about page is filled with stuff to convince you it works. Plus, Stronglifts transformations are everywhere on the internet – the system makes sure you know that you WILL stick with it if you get results.

That’s not to say you need to, or even should, use Stronglifts. I give a breakdown of 5 popular beginner programs here, so you can choose the best program for you.

The important part is that you are convinced of your program’s long term results. You’ve seen the results from people just like you – and you know that sticking with it will pay off.

That’s what will keep you motivated.

16) Track your progress

Seeing your progress is a reward in itself. More than anything else, improving feels awesome.

And, as Gretchen Rubin argues in The Happiness Project, growth is an essential aspect of happiness.

Once you have a few weeks under your belt you should start to see benefits from tracking your progress. You’ll be able to look back on the you from just a short while ago and blow that person out of the water. As Hemingway said, “true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

Without a concrete system of tracking your progress, it’s easy to lose sight of the improvement you’ve made. If you DO have a system in place, you can:

1. Feel good about yourself for improving
2. Motivate yourself to be even better

What are the best ways to go about tracking?

Lots of lifters print out simple sheets or write each lift in a notebook they carry with them to the gym. I used this approach for a while, and there’s something satisfying about having a physical, durable object to work with.

Apps like Fitocracy, JEFIT, or Fitnotes allow for tracking of weights. Of course, Fitbit and MyFitnessPal have become enormously popular.

For the technically inclined, excel spreadsheets are great, and allow you to create customized progress charts.

Whatever your chosen method of tracking, it’s important to have something outside of your head. That permanent record can keep track of both your current and historical numbers.

You may be able to remember your current lifts no problem, but if you just use memory you can’t get that motivational kick from making progress.

17) Report on your progress

If no one knows about your mission, it’s easy to quit.

Telling people about your fitness goals can help keep you accountable, but it’s important that you do more than just strut – there is some evidence that telling people about your plans makes you less likely to act on them.

Instead of simply telling friends that you’re trying to get fit, ask people to hold you accountable.

If you have regular check-ins with a friend, it’s a little embarrassing to report that all you’ve done is watch TV.

I’ve been working out consistently for years, but I still have a weekly accountability phone call with a friend of mine (we usually hold each other accountable for 15 minutes and then crack bad jokes for an hour).

This doesn’t need to be huge – one of my earliest accountability tricks was competing with people on Fitocracy, people I didn’t even know.

John Muscarello runs a wonderfully helpful habits and lifestyle blog, but don’t you think regularly reporting on his own progress helps him get moving?

Accountability keeps you going, and lots of people are happy to help – they probably have things they’d like to stick to as well! Partnerships are mutually beneficial.

18) Remember how your workout will help you reach your goals

When I’m struggling to work out or stretch (more likely, I hate stretching), I ask myself a question: how will I achieve my goals without this?

The question puts things in perspective. When we skip a workout, we often tell ourselves a little white lie: “I’ll make it up later.”

Of course, there isn’t really a way to make up missed workouts. Reminding yourself of the importance of your workout is a good way to keep yourself going.

You can certainly just ask yourself the question whenever you’re having doubts, but sometimes tricks like that are hard to remember in the moment. Instead, try writing down 3 reasons your workout will help you achieve your goals.

We often airily convince ourselves that we will eventually achieve our goals through some means or other. With a written reminder, it’s easier to recognize that your goals won’t happen by themselves.

Glance at your note when you’re having trouble, then take action.

19) Learn more about working out

One of the biggest challenges to regular work outs is simple: not knowing what to do!

Sure, you could download a random routine from bodybuilding.com and not make any real progress (and probably wind up walking funny), but educating yourself about what makes workouts effective is a great way to get motivated and work out more often.

Not everyone cares about biomechanics or program design, and that’s fine. But a few minutes to read about those things, even if it isn’t much, can help you be a more informed exerciser.

In my own experience, I’m always most motivated to work out right after I learn something new about working out. When I was taking a class on the anatomy of the shoulder, I wound up doing dozens of extra upper body sets because it was so cool to think about how the shoulder moves.

In fact, I have to stop myself from changing my routine too often – when I hear about new approaches or combinations of exercises I get excited and want to try them out.

20) Customize your workout, just a little

Autonomy is important in everything from business to relationships to happiness. It can also help you be more satisfied in your workouts – and stay more consistent.

“Program hopping” is a huge problem in beginning exercisers. I’ve been there – you start on a program, then discover a newer, shinier, exciting program that looks like fun. So you switch. No harm done, right?

It’s good to be on a program that you enjoy, but it’s also absolutely critical to stick with one program long enough to get results. But a lot of the cookie-cutter beginner programs are, well, a little boring.

Popular beginner programs are popular for a reason, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a few small changes to your workouts to spice them up and make them your own.

Say, like me, you love playing ultimate frisbee. That sounds like a fine replacement for cardio. Maybe you want to try out Zottman curls instead of barbell curls for one of your accessory lifts. Go for it! Swap out a push-up variation to work towards one-arm push-ups. Add rock climbing.

Figure out how to incorporate your favorite exercises into an established and effective routine. You’ll have more fun and get more fit.

If you want an example of that motivation, check out Dan John’s classic T-Nation post on “Armor Building,” then tell me you don’t want to try some of those exercises.   

21) Make a workout schedule, with reminders

A workout schedule does three things:

1. It’s a form of precommitment, an indication to yourself that you said you would accomplish a workout on a specific day.
2. Scheduling reminders actually forces you to remember to work out. This becomes a non-issue later, but if you’re especially busy, workouts can slip through the cracks.
3. It forces you to actively make space for fitness in your life. Planning out your workouts days in advance means that you have to explicitly make time in your schedule. It removes one of the most common excuses for not working out: “I don’t have time.”
4. It makes skipping your workout harder. With the workout schedule written, you know that anything you do aside from working out is stolen time. You’re much more likely to stay consistent.

When I’m starting a new fitness habit (like stretching, physical therapy, or a new kind of cardio), I like to use Google Calendar. It syncs to my phone, has the ability to repeat events, and sends me scheduled reminders.

That said, you can use any system you want! There are dozens of examples of workout calendars on the internet – pick your favorite and make yourself a plan of action.

22) Focus on the long term

This is important.

Focusing on the short term is understandable but destructive. It makes perfect sense to focus on looking better for a wedding, or wanting to lose some weight for beach season.

But unless you already have an established, effective fitness habit to slowly ramp up, focusing on the short term won’t work.

Why? If you focus solely on the short term, you encourage extreme, and unhealthy, behavior. A crash course can be an effective method in the short term because it’s drastic, but it ultimately doesn’t change your everyday environment or habits – you’ll go right back to the way things were.

There’s a reason so many of the Biggest Losers regain weight after the show. Rushing in sets you up for long term failure, and potentially injury if you jump to weights that are too heavy.

Instead, remember that slow and steady wins the race. You have to progress, but you don’t need to progress as fast as humanly possible. It’s ok if it takes a year instead of 8 months. It’s ok if you start seeing changes after 8 weeks instead of 4.

You have an entire lifetime to be fit. Focus on your environment and long term habits, and it will happen.  

Motivational Media

23) Watch motivational videos

Look, I’ll be the first person to tell you about the power of discipline over the power of motivation.

But there’s no feeling that can compare to the jolt you get from pure motivation. Those moments when there’s electricity in your veins and nothing in the world can stop you from achieving your goals.

It’s hard to manufacture those moments, and the effects of those jolts get smaller if you try to use them exclusively or too often. That said, sometimes I love me some motivational videos. Sometimes that jolt is all you need.

Once, when my left hamstring snapped in half, I was debating whether or not to go to the gym. I threw up some excuses (oh, I can just do my PT at home. It doesn’t matter that much if I miss a workout, I have a torn hamstring!).

I was on the verge of giving in, but then I watched my favorite motivational video.

It took me 3 tries to get up to the pull-up bar, and I couldn’t even bench because of the pressure it put on my leg. But I made it to my workout, and did my PT.

I made it to every workout after that too (and my hamstring healed), because once I had proved it was possible there was no way I was going to quit.

So yeah, sometimes motivational videos can work.

I like this one, in addition to the one linked above. And, of course, there are hundreds out there – you can find what you need.

24) Listen to motivational music

Ok this one is obvious, so I won’t belabor the point. If you listen to music that gets you pumped up and energized, you’ll have a better, faster, more productive workout.

Research on the effects of music on running is mixed, and some distance running coaches don’t allow their athletes to listen to music for fear that it will affect their pacing. Still, other studies show that fast music can improve running and cycling performance.

For lifters, listening to music appears to help with both power and muscular endurance.

In my own experience, listening to the clanging in the gym, snippets of random conversation, and random top 40 songs played over the speakers is distracting. Headphones with some upbeat music definitely lead to a more fun and higher quality workout.

25) Create song associations

It’s basic psychology: when you pair a stimulus with an action, they start to become associated with each other in your mind. It worked for Pavlov and his dogs, and it can work for workouts.

When I got really into this technique, I had a different song for every major lift, plus one for before I got to the gym. The idea was that I would listen to the song, then get my heart rate and muscles pumping with the exercise. Over time, the song would be enough to trigger a response and get me amped.

Song choices are obviously highly individual, and I look back now and laugh and some of mine. Still, they worked great at the time. Here’s a sample:

• Pre-gym music: Lose Yourself, Eminem
• Heavy deadlift: Vegeta’s Theme, from Dragon Ball Z
• Speed Deadlift: Magneto’s Theme, from X-Men First Class
• Bench Press: Arwen’s Vigil, The Piano Guys
• Farmer’s Walks: Little House, The Fray
• Weighted Pull-ups: He’s a Pirate, from Pirates of the Caribbean
• Core Work: Last Agni Kai, from ATLA

Even pulling up the link for Vegeta’s theme got my heart beating.

I later found out that learning and performance guru Josh Waitzkin advocates for this use of music in pre-game rituals. In his system, music and other activities are first paired with a feeling of serenity, then later used prior to performance to elicit that same feeling.

I highly recommend Josh’s book, “The Art of Learning,” if you want to learn more, but you can also jump in and start on your pairs right now.

Getting Gym Motivation From People Around You

26) Surround yourself with fit people

You’ve probably heard the saying that you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with (a quote by Jim Rohn).

The thing is, it’s more than just a saying. One of the most widely cited obesity studies found that obesity, through environmental influence and unhealthy habits, spreads through social networks.

Elite powerlifter Dave Tate argues that powerlifters should never lift alone, because working as part of a team pushes you to be better.

If you want to get fit, changing your environment is a good way to do it. Surround yourself with fit people and fitness becomes the new normal.

I’ve switched gyms 3 times in search of gyms with fitter people. My rule is that if I’m the strongest guy in the gym during rush hour, I need to find a new gym (and I don’t even train specifically for strength).

Switching gyms may or may not be feasible for you, but there are ways you can find fit people. Group fitness, Meetup events, and even online networks like Facebook groups or Fitocracy can shift your normal towards fitness.

27) Get a partner

This starts a string of “ideas everyone has because they are good ideas.”

Simply put, having a workout partner keeps you honest. If you plan to meet your partner for a workout, you’ll feel bad leaving them hanging. That little bump in motivation could be just what you need – and make the difference between a great workout and a slob-fest on the couch (which is what I do when I don’t work out).

Having any workout partner is better than having no workout partner (although some people actually prefer to work out alone), but there are also a few qualities that make a great workout partner. Here are a few things to look for:

1. Calls you on your shit – If you’re like I was when I started, you’re going to come up with a lot of reasons that you can make an exception to your workout routine, just for today. But let’s get real – we both know that “just for today” turns into losing your routine altogether. A good partner will call you out and motivate you when you want to skip a workout because you’re “tired.”
2. Can flip the switch from silly to serious – Part of the fun of having a workout partner is that you get to chat and joke around between sets. But it’s important that the joking stays between sets – when it’s time to work it needs to be time to WORK. Otherwise everyone’s time is being wasted.
3. Has similar goals – You want a partner with similar goals and routines. Going to the gym with someone doesn’t mean much if you arrive together and then just go off to do your separate things. You want a partner that will work through programs with you.

A partner is a spotter with extra, built-in workout motivation. Plus you get someone to send silly random workout videos during the day.

28) Do group fitness

If one partner is good, a whole group must be awesome!

Group fitness classes don’t necessarily replicate the camaraderie you build with a consistent workout buddy, but they are still an awesome way to take advantage of the power of community.

There’s very real evidence to suggest that the physical fitness of the people around you impacts the kind of shape you’re in.

There’s a reason that community-based fitness is so prevalent. Online communities like Fitocracy can connect those with similar fitness interests, and even more privately run websites have free forums for members.

The community of a group fitness class or running group may be smaller, but if you’re struggling to jump-start an exercise habit they could be just the jolt you need.

Plus, they’re a great way to meet new people with similar interests. Or, as a winking gym sales rep once slyly told me, “a great way to meet in-shape single people.”

29) Get a personal trainer

Sure, not everyone can get a personal trainer, and this is common advice. Plus trainers are pricey.

But, if you can afford it, finding a good trainer for at least a few sessions can help you overcome a lot of psychological barriers. Even top personal trainers get personal trainers.

A good trainer will hold you accountable, give you fitness motivation, and help you stay consistent in your exercise. As importantly, they strip away analysis paralysis. On your own, there are a million exercise routines to choose from – a trainer cuts through the noise and gives you something that works.

Of course, you have to be careful with trainers. A lot of trainers, especially working out of commercial gyms, will have you do mostly exercises that are mostly useless or even harmful.

How can you tell if a trainer is good? Certifications help a little bit, but ultimately a certification isn’t too hard to get your hands on. As far as certifications go, a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach) or NPTI certification is probably best, but still doesn’t guarantee effectiveness. Even a degree in kinesiology or exercise science doesn’t cover too much about training.

A good trainer will have at least these 3 characteristics.

1) They listen to you – a good trainer listens carefully to your goals, injury history, and favorite exercises. Not only do their recommendations take these things into accounts, but they make you feel heard; trust in your trainer will keep you from losing your fitness motivation.2) 

2) Their expertise aligns with your goals – you wouldn’t go to a triathlon trainer to train powerlifting and you probably wouldn’t want a powerlifter to train Olympic lifting. A lot of the best trainers will have general knowledge and competency, but it’s best to have someone with a focus on what you want.

3) They have actual training knowledge – how can you tell if your trainer is knowledgeable? If they focus on compound exercises and appreciate the importance of targeted cardio, if they understand and can explain the pros and cons of each training method without dismissal. Some phrases or practices show you need a new trainer:

• “Squats will hurt your knees”

• “Heavy weights are useless”

• “Cardio is pointless”

• “You don’t need to do ab work”

• “This exercise really blasts belly fat” (you can’t spot-reduce fat)

• Anything on a Bosu ball

Good trainers sometimes take work to find, but they are worth it. A trainer can make sure you’re starting off on the right path.

30) Pick up a sport or active hobby

No fancy psychology here! You might have no motivation to work out, but what if you can find other ways to stay active?

I’ll advocate for the health, confidence, and hotness benefits of lifting + cardio forever, but some people just don’t like “workouts.” That’s fine, and there are other ways to be active.

Picking up a hobby like rock climbing or playing in a local ultimate frisbee summer league is an awesome way to get moving with a purpose. Having a challenge to overcome or a team to play with can be a huge motivator.

Plus, I’ve played in plenty of ultimate frisbee leagues, and there’s no better group of people to have drinks with after (and let’s be real, sometimes during) the game.

You might even find yourself getting more serious about other kinds of fitness if you find a sport that really clicks. If you love rock climbing but your grip strength is holding you back, you’ll be more motivated to hit the gym and work some pull-ups.

When you work towards something beyond just “working out,” it’s easier to stay consistent. Even if you just want to keep things fun, finding a fun activity that gets you moving is a great idea.

31) Read success stories of people like you

One of the major challenges in getting fit, especially for the first time, is convincing yourself that it’s even possible.

If you’ve never been fit, it’s easy to believe that you could never be fit.

The commercial fitness industry make this problem even worse. Everywhere you look, there are messages that getting fit is a quick process, that all you have to do is follow some fad program for a few weeks and you’ll be good to go.

There are promises of food that “blasts belly fat” and 30-day ab challenges that are supposed to get you six packs. These methods are ineffective, but the marketing behind them is brutally persuasive. If you’ve ever tried a common program and not gotten immediate results, it’s easy to think it can’t be done.

Well, it can be done. The principles of exercise and physiology probably apply to you – you CAN do it. Convincing yourself of that is your first challenge, and looking up success stories can help.

One of Nerd Fitness’ most popular posts is the case study of Staci. a woman who went from overweight to underweight by running, then gained weight and muscle and figure through lifting. It’s a powerful story – because Staci is a real person.

Look up stories of people in your situation. You’ll get to see what worked for them, how hard they worked, and how long you can expect results to take. More than anything, you’ll see that results are possible.

32) Read success stories of people way worse off than you

If you search “fitness motivation” on Youtube, you come up with a bunch of unrealistically shredded people working out.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never gained motivation to exercise by watching already jacked people become more jacked. When I was starting out, those videos just made me feel bad about myself.

Reading about people that are like you can help you believe that fitness is possible, as I’ve already covered.

For me, reading incredible success stories from people that started with nothing and beat the odds inspires me to take action. Watching the story of Arthur, a veteran that had lost the ability to walk unaided, gets me amped and a little teary (someone must be cutting onions).

As psychologist Richard Wiseman argues in his book “59 Seconds,” hanging a picture of Arnold on your wall is probably not going to help you achieve your goals. But appreciating the hard work that goes into these success stories can show you that – if you do the work – you will be successful.

33) Invest in a gym with community

When I was looking for a gym after college, I spent some time touring and trying out my options. Working out is important to me, and I spend a solid chunk of time doing it. I wanted to find the right fit.

One Saturday night I was in that gym, which I had chosen at least partially because of its weekend hours. I was the only person working out, but the guy working the front desk came over and gave me a wordless fist bump after my set.

We didn’t speak that night, but chatted a few times after that. I eventually switched gyms when moving, but at my new gym also – the staff is invested, and that investment trickles down to the clientele.

The culture of the gym is collaborative. It shouldn’t be weird to ask other people about their workouts, and it should never be weird to ask for a spot. You want a gym where people are serious about working out.

As an aside, it helps to have small amenities. Things like having shampoo/conditioner/body-wash already in the showers, towel service, and lockers with electronic locks make the gym a more enjoyable experience, and that translates to better and more enjoyable workouts.

34) Convince someone else to work out

First of all, if you convince someone else to work out, you might get a workout buddy out of it.

But the real reason this fitness motivation tip works is cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance happens when you do an action that’s inconsistent with your beliefs. The inconsistency creates an unpleasant feeling, dissonance, that we resolve by

1. Changing our beliefs
2. Rationalizing our actions
3. Changing our actions

If you convince someone of the benefits of working out, without actually working out yourself, you are creating dissonance – dissonance you want to resolve.

Sound far-fetched? There’s a substantial body of research on cognitive dissonance. It isn’t precisely the same, but this classic study (ungated description here) demonstrated change in condom-related behavior after being required to teach someone else about safe sex.

In their book “Age of Propaganda,” psychologists Elliot Aronson and Anthony Pratkanis argue that cognitive dissonance was even used, to great effect, in the indoctrination of American soldiers in Chinese POW camps.

If you don’t feel like actively persuading a friend, at least write a letter addressed to one (you don’t have to send it). Then resolve the dissonance with a workout.

Other Fitness Motivation Tips

35) Banish gym anxiety from cognitive distortions

The first time I stepped in a gym, I was greeted by the thud, jangle, and grunts of a 315 deadlift.

That might not seem like much weight now, but at the time, with the faint haze of chalk particles in the air, I have to say I was pretty intimidated. I thought to myself “I don’t belong here.”

The fear of being judged in the gym can be huge, and the standard advice of “don’t worry, no one is judging you” doesn’t seem to do much to calm our overactive imaginations. But it can, if we think about it differently.

The sense of not belonging is very real, but it can be overcome by recognizing your cognitive distortions and using effective self-talk.

Remember, there are multiple sides to every story. When you think something like “I don’t belong here because I’m not already toned/ripped/built,” that’s just a story you’re telling yourself. You can change the story by attacking the thought head on.

Step 1: Write your anxieties down

Things are much less scary and easier to pin down when you can physically confront them.

Step 2: Disprove them

Write out some reasons those thoughts are wrong. Take “I don’t belong here because I’m not already fit,” a thought that I had to deal with on my way to being a gym fanatic.

My silly brain: I don’t belong here because I’m not fit

My smart brain: No! That’s ridiculous. How can you ever expect to get fit if you avoid the places that help you get there? Gyms are for people who want to work out and get more fit, regardless of where you’re at now.

My silly brain, round 2: But people will judge me.

My smart brain going for the kill: Probably no one is judging you, but even if they are it doesn’t matter. No one else’s thoughts, real or imagined, can affect your actions. Chances are they’re focused on their own workouts and don’t even notice you, but you can absolutely, 100% control your own actions, and you’re doing this.

Confront gym anxieties on paper. Then learn to crumple them up and toss them aside.

36) Go through a breakup

The first time I got my heart broken I went back to my apartment and did clapping push-ups until I collapsed (37). Then I did regular push-ups until I collapsed again (lost count). My roommates were confused. It helped a little.

Ok, you aren’t going to intentionally break up with someone just to go to the gym more often. But if you’ve ever read Aaron Bleyaert’s heart-wrenching 4 easy steps to lose weight, you can appreciate the power a break-up has on your motivation.

In fact, it isn’t JUST break-ups that affect fitness motivation. Any life transition can serve as a motivator for change. This starts early – one study showed that even the transition to high school can serve as motivation for weight-related change.

Even totally arbitrary periods of transition can work. Is there any real reason that we set New Year’s resolutions? January 1st is an arbitrary date, but the perceived transition to a new year provides motivation. Some studies even argue that Monday is the best day of the week to set goals, since Monday is a mini-transition on its own.

You can’t necessarily force a life transition. But you can set goals this Monday, and you can keep this in mind to make the most of the situation the next time you experience a life change.

37) Focus on positive body image

I was once told that “you should always kind of hate your body,” because that makes you want to improve.

I think that’s wrong, for two reasons:

1. That’s awful for your long-term mental health
2. It goes against the research

One review article gives an overview of the negative effects of weight bias on health. The short version: the presence of weight bias reduces frequency of exercise and increases incidence of unhealthy eating.

Research on a similarly hard-to-change behavior, smoking, indicates possible negative effects of stigmatizing behaviors.

It’s true that, in one study, focusing on changing environment and habits resulted in better long-term weight loss results, but reducing body dissatisfaction resulted in similar results in the short term.  

Ultimately, a focus on changing your environment and habits is the best way to stay fit.

But focusing on positive body image can help. Combining the two approaches, and forgetting the backwards idea of hating your body, is the best path forward for fitness motivation.

Start by recognizing moments of self-hate and derailing them. In the studies, improved body image is a result of education on the causes of negative body image – check out this article on the relationship between the media and body image to learn more.

Then head to the gym – out of self-love.

38) Use the House of Cards Technique

When I was doing educational psychology research, there was a period of time where I did nothing but enter data into SPSS. With minimal supervision and no strict deadlines, it was difficult to get myself off my ass.

Then, one day, I decided to see what all the rage was about. I pulled House of Cards up on a second screen and got to work.

I entered all the data, and finished the whole season, within the week.

Since then I’ve used Netflix to spice up dull fitness activities, like stretching or physical therapy exercises. But the idea behind the House of Cards Technique is bigger than that.

Simply put – connect something you enjoy to fitness. I asked myself the question “what would I be doing if I didn’t have to enter data,” and the answer was watch Netflix.

You can ask yourself the same question for fitness. How can you incorporate some of your favorite activities into a workout?

As a result of this technique, I’ve read eBooks in between sets, caught up with old friends via text, and even memorized new poems.

Making fitness fun makes consistent fitness possible.

39) Complete a 30-day challenge

I’m not always a fan of bootcamp-style challenges. Most of the 6-pack and squats challenges out there are on the internet are pretty ineffective, and a challenge runs the risk of overly relying on willpower.

That said, challenges also have advantages.

• They are short term  – the thought of committing to a long-term program can be difficult at first, but fitness challenges allow you to break past that barrier and take action

• They increase accountability – if you join an existing challenge (like this one on Reddit), there will be people to report to so that you can stay on track

When tackling a challenge, whether it’s for fitness or some other kind of project, it’s crucial that you avoid relying on willpower.

At the beginning of the challenge, focus on creating a plan to get things done. Know when you’ll be in the gym, how you’ll get there, and what you’ll be doing. You can use the other tips in this guide as a way to stay on track and build a fitness environment around you.

If you use it right, a 30-day challenge can be a great way to jumpstart a fitness habit.

40) Get more sleep

Sleeping more makes it easier to work out.

Actually, it makes you better at pretty much everything.

Sleep has become a huge topic of research recently, as we still don’t understand the exact reasons we sleep or how it helps us. That said, there is a substantial body of research on the effects of sleep deprivation. Also no, you can’t train yourself to need less sleep.

Sleep deprivation can affect mood, mental performance, and physical performance. One study estimated the monetary cost of sleep deprivation at $63 billion. The problem has even spurred celebrity response, as Arianna Huffington takes up the charge of sleeping more.

How can you sleep more? There are dozens of articles and books on the topic, but here are the three techniques that have worked best for me.

• No light – exposure to light greatly affects sleep. Consider getting blackout shades or, like me, a kickass sleep mask.

• No screens – limit exposure to electronics before bed. Create a nighttime routine where you gradually unplug and relax, instead of going straight from a screen to a bed. I like to transition to reading a physical book, then play a little piano, and only then go to bed.

• A pre-bed alarm – set an alarm for around an hour before your bedtime. When the alarm sounds, do all of your prep for bed and then go into your pre-bed routine (reading, music, etc.). This last one was a major factor that helped me start going to bed on time and relaxed.

For a while I was also tracking my sleep, which helped me realize how little I was sleeping. I used this app, which uses experience sampling to measure anything you want , but any method works.

Once you are sleeping more, you’ll find that your mood improves and your decision making is less affected by minute-to-minute negative emotions/tiredness. It will be much easier to say “yes” to working out.

41) Caffeinate before your workout

If you’re like me, you start to get sluggish at the end of a work day. Lunch was hours ago, delicious food and a good book are waiting at home, and working out is that last thing on your mind.

I especially struggled with this when I was adapting to the 9-5 life after college, and I found that a cup of coffee around 3:30 was just what I needed to keep going. Simply not being tired is a huge game changer when you’re making a hard decision, and my gym-going increased dramatically.

Besides just making the decision to work out easier, caffeine actually is a performance enhancing drug. You’ll build up a tolerance if you use it all the time, but strategic use can help you lift harder and run faster.

There’s a reason that most commercial “pre-workouts” are basically high doses of caffeine. Forget fancy formulas: even Hyphy Mud, the coke and instant coffee pre-workout championed by Kali Muscle, is popular because of its caffeine content.

That said, I recommend just drinking black coffee. Coffee has a surprisingly large number of health benefits, including drastically reduced risk of Parkinson’s Disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

If you struggle with your morning or post-work exercise, try caffeinating. You’ll go more often and get more done.

42) Time your meals and snacks

Snickers was right when they said “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”

You’re probably not going to turn into Betty White or Joe Pesci, but being hungry can make you tired, irritable, and more likely to give up your resolve.

Think about it: if you eat at noon, get off work at 5, and are ready to work out at 6…you’ve gone 6 hours without eating. You’re probably a little grouchy – even if you aren’t diabetic, not eating for a while results in lower blood sugar and unpleasant symptoms.

Solving the problem is pretty simple – once you realize it exists. It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of saying “no” to the gym without realizing that hunger is subtly sapping your willpower.

I’ve tried having a late afternoon snack and moving my lunch later. A protein bar or shake, or just an orange or banana, can give you the boost you need to power through your workout. Still, I prefer moving my lunch later; I get caught up in my work and forget to have the snack, so I prefer to eat closer to 2pm when I can.

Whatever your chosen solution, making sure you aren’t hungry before a workout goes a long way towards helping you find motivation to go to the gym.

43) Hydrate now!

Go drink a glass of water, right now.

If you’re like most people, you don’t drink enough water. If you ever drink because you are thirsty, you have already experienced the effects of mild dehydration – any amount of thirst is a sign. .

The American College of Sports Medicine believes that hydration is an important contributor to health, safety, and performance. Their official position is that athletes should drink 17 ounces of water two hours before an event, and continue to drink water incrementally during activity.

Outside of performance reasons, mild dehydration has substantial effects on your body. Mild dehydration can affect the clarity of your thinking and your mood, both factors that make it a lot easier to give into skipping workouts because of “tiredness.”

Fortunately, the solution for this problem is incredibly simple: drink more water.

This ultimate guide on drinking more water from Steve Scott has some great ways to develop a simple water-drinking habit.

From my own experience, I found that keeping a water bottle on my desk (in plain sight) causes me to drink a lot more water without thinking about it too much.    

44) Post-it and note card reminders

I stuck a post-it note on the headboard of my bed. It says “how will I get to my goals without this workout?”

If I’m feeling sick of physical therapy or am considering skipping a workout, I make myself answer that question. The answer is pretty simple: not working out won’t help me hit my goals.

There are a lot of ways to use Post-it note reminders. Post-its even have a whole website of ideas related to their uses.

My chosen method is a question, either the one above or “why do I really want to skip this,” which prompts me to get to the root cause of the problem.

You can write yourself motivational notes, actual reminders to complete your chosen habit, or written reminders of why your goals are important to you.

Keeping your goal and habit at the front of your mind makes it harder to ignore and easier to follow through.

45) Compete with your past self

Ernest Hemingway once said “there is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”

Competing with my past self has always been a huge motivator – PR days are the best. I literally jumped for joy after my first handstand push-up and 405 deadlift.

In order to take advantage of the spirit of competition, you need two things: tracking and projection.

First, you need an effective way to track your workouts. It doesn’t matter what method you use, as long as you choose one that makes it easy to see your personal bests and progress over time.

Second, you need a projection. You can use your tracking method to jot this down, but essentially you want to know exactly where in your program you’ll be hitting a new PR.

If you’re a total beginner, that might be every session – which is awesome!

If you have a little more experience, it’s more likely that you’ll have a designated heavy/PR day in your program.

Whatever your situation, be aware of when you’ll be going after your PRs, and use those dates (and your competitiveness) to keep you going.

46) Shower at the gym

This is a little silly, but one way to get yourself to the gym is to shower only at the gym.

The first time I instituted a gym-only shower policy was when the first time I had to pay my water bill. Why spend extra money on showers?

I was quickly surprised, though, about how much more working out I did – even though I already had a workout habit. I would find reasons to go into the gym (other kinds of conditioning, mobility work, foam rolling, stretching), and even add onto those reasons once I started moving.

So when I looked for a new gym, the showers were important. I made sure to have a gym with towel service, so that I don’t have to worry about carrying one around, and the coconut-lime moisturizer, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were nice bonuses.

Showering only at the gym forces you to go to the gym to complete a desirable action. Anything that gets you into the gym is going to help you work out more often.

Plus, it’s nice to shower right after a workout so you don’t get all sticky on the way home.

47) Switch routines – sometimes

“Program hopping” is a well known affliction in the gym world.

A lot of beginners have the problem of jumping too quickly from program to program. They spend too much time switching programs and not enough time following them, and never really see results.

Let me be frank: if you’re a complete beginner, the simplest and easiest method of getting started is following one program for 2-3 months. This will let you develop a base of strength and prepare you for more advanced programs.

That said, switching it up sometimes can keep you motivated, and there are some well-designed beginner programs that involve 4-6 week phases of training and then mix up exercises. These programs are less common because they’re harder to design, but advanced lifters and athletes often train using phases because they allow for focus on a single athletic quality for a short period of time (and help bust through plateaus).

How can you introduce variety into your workout? You could find a beginner program that uses phases (a form of periodization), but those can be hard to come by. If you have the cash, Mike Robertson’s Bulletproof Athlete is excellent (no affiliation).

Otherwise, you can choose your beginner exercise program with variety in mind. Some popular programs allow you to switch things up. Even if they don’t, doing 2 days of Starting Strength and 1 day of exercises you enjoy or want to try probably won’t hurt you. You might make slightly slower progress, but you’ll be more motivated over the long haul.

Exercise can be fun! Things like Turkish Get-ups, Farmer’s Walks, Zottman Curls, Jefferson Deadlifts, Gray Cook’s Rolling Patterns, and Dean Somerset’s all-out planks might not find their way into a beginner program, but they’re all things that I’ve tried because they seemed exciting to me.

48) Use the sunk cost fallacy to your advantage

The internet loves the sunk cost fallacy. But everything written about it seems to focus on how awful it can be.

The sunk cost fallacy is the belief that you have to do or use a thing because you’ve already put time, money, or effort into it. It’s what makes us use concert or game tickets that we don’t actually want – because it would be a waste not to use them, right?

The sunk cost fallacy can trick you into doing pretty damaging things. It’s part of what makes us stay in bad relationships and eat when we aren’t hungry.

But there are also ways to use it to your advantage. In my intensive search for a gym, I intentionally chose a relatively expensive one. In addition to the lovely amenities that comes with, it makes me want to work out more. Otherwise that extra money would be a waste!

Sure, I could technically get a very similar workout at a cheaper gym. But it’s easier to get myself to work out when I have recurring gym memberships to think about.

You could also consider buying gym equipment or apparel to try to take advantage of sunk costs, but I’ve found these easier to rationalize. Membership fees are recurring, which gives you a constant reminder of the money being wasted if you don’t work out.  

49) Embrace failure – and growth mindset

On my first ever gym session, I nearly dropped a barbell on my face.

That sentence could easily have started “on my first (and last) gym session,” but it didn’t. It can take a long time to become comfortable in the gym, and doing embarrassing things makes it hard to come back for more.

As Epictetus once said “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” Less philosophically, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck has conducted substantial research into what she calls growth and fixed mindsets.

People with fixed mindsets tend to be very aware and invested in how they appear, as they think their characteristics cannot change. Those with growth mindsets, on the other hand, recognize that failure is inevitable on the path to improvement.

There are numerous resources on building growth mindset, including Dweck’s fantastic book on the subject. One of my favorites is the playbook from Train Ugly.

The lesson here is to embrace the challenge of new and unfamiliar exercises. Shift your mindset and you don’t have to worry about failure or embarrassment – you know that what you are doing will make you better, so you keep doing it.

50) Pick a hard new exercise to master

This isn’t for the faint of heart, and might be better off as a technique to use once you have already made some progress. That said, working towards a difficult and impressive new exercise is super satisfying.

As Daniel Pink, the author of Drive, argues, motivation is heavily influenced by autonomy, improvement, and purpose. By picking an exercise to master, you are demonstrating autonomy, building improvement into your program, and giving yourself a clear purpose for your workouts.

The best part is that it isn’t hard to do this. You can work towards pull-ups, or even one arm pull-ups. The first exercise I did this with was one-arm push-ups, and it feels incredible when everything finally clicks.

The best part is that it isn’t hard to find progressions to follow. Try this progression for pull-ups, or this one for push-ups. If you want to get really crazy you could work on exercises like a planche or human flag.

Have fun with this! Go after the feeling of mastery and improvement and you’ll find that fitness motivation isn’t much of a struggle.  

51) Use motivation waves

You know when you feel insanely, ridiculously motivated? The times when you add more to your workouts, work late into the night, or have an intense, passionate conversation about something you love?

Those moments present an opportunity.

When most of us have those moments, we just do more of whatever activity we’re already doing. We’ll work out harder and work longer, but those effects wear off when the motivation does.

Stanford professor B.J. Fogg calls these moments “motivational waves,” and they can be used to your advantage to keep yourself consistent in the future.

As Ramit Sethi argues in his Ultimate Guide to Habits, the value of a motivational wave can be increased by using it differently.

Instead of working out harder, take the wave and make plans for the future. If you have a burst of motivation, set incredibly specific goals, or make a specific plan for when you’re going to work out in the future.

In fact, you can use motivational waves to do a lot of the activities on this list. And if any of these exercises got you amped, channel that motivation into more preparation.

It will pay off in the long run.

On my first day at the gym, I nearly dropped a barbell on my face.

When I walked in, a guy in the corner was deadlifting loudly. Chalk dust was in the air around the platform. A chorus of grunts surrounded me. I had no idea what I was doing at the gym, and I was intimidated from minute one.

Gathering all the courage I could muster, I went up to the only person I vaguely knew and asked “I’m new to the gym. What do I do?”

That workout was terrifying. I could barely bench the bar. I don’t even remember the other exercises I tried—the bar rushing towards my face is a snapshot locked in my mind.

As you might expect, it took a while before I was ready for day two.

But I did eventually come back, and the years of lifting (and training others) that followed taught me a lot that I wish I had known on my first day at the gym.

Questions like “what to do my first time working out” or “what things should I bring to the gym” have answers that are pretty simple once you’ve been lifting for a while.

What about feeling like you don’t belong? Or like you’re being judged? If you understand gym etiquette, have tools to manage gym anxiety, and know exactly how to ask for a spot, those feelings are a lot easier to deal with.

You can even figure out the best times to go to the gym, so that you avoid the crowds.

This guide will help. It should cover everything you need to know on your first day at the gym. You’ll learn:

• A short workout that starts creating a positive feedback loop, getting you to come back to the gym for more
• A simple psychological technique that helps you avoid feeling judged at the gym
• Exactly what to bring to the gym (and what to wear so you don’t stick out)
• Gym etiquette, including what to say if you need to ask for help
• How to find times the gym is least crowded
• Fitness terms you need to know (or will just overhear), in the glossary at the end

---

Want a cheat sheet that has everything you need to know for your first day at the gym?

A simple workout. Exercise videos. How much weight to use. What to wear. When to go. All of that and more—in just one page.

Get My Cheat Sheet!

---

What Should My First Gym Workout Be?

Let’s start with the big question: what workout should you do at the gym?

It feels like there are a million options out there. Stronglifts? Starting Strength? PPL? C25K? WS4SB? 5/3/1? PHUL? Smolov? What do all of these names even mean?

Don’t worry about any of that. On your first day at the gym, keep it simple. As I’ve written before, the best workout is the one you can stick to. And having a plan before you get to the gym can seriously reduce gym anxiety.

I’ll give you a good “first day at the gym” workout in a few moments, but feel free to choose whatever you like: it’s important that you pick a program you want to follow.

Creating a positive feedback loop

The most important part of your first workout is that it gets you to come back for a second workout. The next most important part is to get you feeling good and learning some key movements.

As Fitocracy founder Dick Talens says, “the only way to succeed at fitness is to create a positive feedback loop.”

Exercise is inherently rewarding—it can actually make you feel pretty good. But it won’t do that if you go in on your first day and try to lift the entire gym. Starting light and simple will keep you from getting too sore, and begin setting up your positive feedback loop.

Terry Crews had similar advice in his Reddit AMA:

“It has to feel good. I tell people this a lot—go to the gym, and just sit there, and read a magazine, and then go home. And do this every day. Go to the gym, don’t even work out. Just GO. Because the habit of going to the gym is more important than the workout.”

Despite what so much of society seems to tell us, working out can feel good. It will feel hard sometimes, but still good. And it doesn’t need to be super hard on day one; your first day at the gym is the most important time for working out to feel good.

What to do at the gym: A simple “first day at the gym” workout

I’m going to give you 5 exercises to do on your first day at the gym. Remember, the goal here is just to come back for day 2. I recommend 3 sets per exercise, but if you only want to do 2 or even 1, that’s ok for now.

I’m linking you to videos for each exercise, but if there are any you feel less confident about that’s ok too. Focus on getting at least one exercise right. Next workout you can master the second one.

Goblet Squats 3 sets of 6 reps

Push-ups 3 sets of 6 reps

Romanian Deadlift 3 sets of 6 reps

Inverted Row 3 sets of 6 reps

Plank 3 sets of 25 seconds

Want to save this workout for later? This cheat sheet includes the workouts, the videos, the best of this guide, and more—all in just one page

Get My Cheat Sheet!

---

You probably still have a couple of questions, so let’s walk through this. Here are some of the most common questions that people have on their first day at the gym.

What are sets and reps?

If you don’t know this yet, don’t worry! You’ll pick it up quickly.

A rep, or repetition, is completely doing an exercise once. Six reps of push-ups means doing 6 push-ups.

A set is the collection of reps you do without rest. So if you do 6 pushups and then stop, you did one set of 6 reps. Rest a bit and start set number 2.

You’ll most often see sets and reps listed as [Sets]x[Reps]. So “3×6” is the same as saying “3 sets of 6 reps.”

How much weight should I use?

Luckily only two of these exercises require weights.

For goblet squats, I usually say that a 20 pound dumbbell is a good place to start: this is light enough that you can probably do it, but heavy enough to serve as a counterbalance that lets you get deeper into the squat.

For Romanian deadlifts (often written as RDLs), start with a standard 45 pound barbell.

If those numbers feel too light or heavy, feel free to adjust them. Remember, the goal is to keep you moving and coming back for round two, not just to get you super tired.

How long should I rest between sets?

This is a question that’s still under debate by a lot of people, and usually depends on the goals of your exercise (strength, muscular endurance, power, muscle growth etc.).

For the purposes of this beginning program, about 60 seconds of rest between sets is perfect.

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message (I read every and reply to every legitimate email).

Keeping Spirits High: What If You Feel Judged at the Gym?

Let me start by reassuring you: you probably aren’t being judged. People in the gym are usually dialed into their own workouts. Headphones are in, weights are moving, and probably no one is looking at you.

In fact, if anyone does look at you, they’re more likely to think “way to go” than anything else. People in the gym, especially the super in-shape people, are usually super supportive.

They might even envy you! This comic from the Oatmeal takes an entertaining look at some of the social dynamics of the gym.

That said, I know hearing that “you aren’t being judged” and believing it are two entirely separate things. One way to stay focused on yourself is remember your plan, running through the exercises of your workout in your mind.

Another way is to borrow a cognitive behavioral technique from psychology. I covered this in-depth in this article, but you can check out one example technique below. 

A psychological technique to reduce gym anxiety

Inaccurate thoughts are at the core of our gym anxiety. Thoughts like:

• “I don’t belong here”
• “I’ve tried to work out before, I’m just a lazy person”
• “Only really fit people go to the gym, and that isn’t me”
• “Everyone is judging me”   

These kinds of thoughts are tempting. I know I definitely had to overcome them when building my workout habit, and I failed more than a few times.

Whenever you have a negative thought like this, make a note of it. Jot it down on paper or the notes app on your phone—anywhere that gets it out of your head and into the real world.

Once you have the thought down, take a few minutes and rip it to shreds. Logic the hell out of it. “Only fit people go to the gym?” Bullshit. Gyms exist so that people can get fit.

Attack your negative thoughts from every angle, and write down your answers. Writing things down makes them easier to deal with. In your head these thoughts and rebuttals are amorphous blobs. Outside your head, your concerns seem less concerning and your responses more brutally accurate.

This is rooted in cognitive behavioral techniques, and it really helps tear down gym anxieties.

Understanding Gym Etiquette

It makes sense. Even after you learn what to do at the gym, if you feel like you’re out of place, you worry about doing something socially unacceptable.

Fortunately there are relatively few unwritten rules of the gym, and they aren’t hard to learn.

1) Don’t bother someone in the middle of a set

Unless someone drops a barbell on their neck, your question can wait until the set is done.

This is mostly common sense, but you’d be surprised at how often it comes up; I once tweaked my back because a guy literally tapped me on the shoulder in the middle of a rep.

If you need a spot or want to work in, that’s totally fine. But wait until the set is done.

2) No curling in the squat rack

The bigger rule here is: don’t use equipment unnecessarily. Don’t go hogging multiple pieces of equipment, or (if you’re doing some kind of circuit or superset workout) offer to let people work in.

But especially don’t curl in the squat rack. If the equipment looks like this or this, it’s intended for bigger exercises (squats, overhead press etc.) that really can’t be done at all without them. There are other places to do curls at the gym.

3) Re-rack your weights

When you finish with the equipment you’re using, clean it up. Leaving weights on the bar is both annoying and confusing. It’s annoying because the next person has to do extra clean up. It’s confusing because it isn’t obvious that equipment is free if there’s still weight on the bar.

4) Be the right amount of social

People at the gym are mostly super nice people. But they are also ultimately there to work out, not be chummy.

It’s totally fine to chat with people every so often, and more than acceptable to ask for a spot, but try to avoid talking their ears off.

Along the same lines, don’t be gabbing away on your phone in the gym. If there’s an important call, take it in the lobby.  

5) Asking for a spot is totally ok

These rules have so far been a lot of things that you shouldn’t do. But one thing you definitely should do it ask someone to spot you when you need it. Asking to work in is also totally acceptable.

If you hang around the gym long enough, you’ll probably be asked these questions yourself.

How to ask for a spot

If you need to ask for a spot or want to “work in,” how do you go about it? People are often busy with their sets, and headphones mean that you can’t just say “hey” to get their attention.

First of all, if you need a spot, you want someone that knows what they’re doing. Go ahead and locate the biggest person in your immediate vicinity; it’s not a foolproof method, but it should be good enough.

Once you know who you want, walk over to them and get their attention (after their set is done!). You’ll want to approach from in front of them; it makes it easier for them to notice you, especially if they’re wearing headphones.

To get their attention, I usually give a little half wave in their field of vision. They’ll take out an earbud and you can ask “do you mind spotting me real quick?”

That’s it. It’s that easy. Sometimes they’ll even know what you want and volunteer themselves. The same rules apply to working in.

Know What to Bring to the Gym

One great thing about working out at a gym is that you really don’t need to bring much with you. This is my standard gym bag.

You probably don’t even need most of this stuff. I keep the balls around for self-myofascial release, the bands for stretching and targeted glute work. You probably only need gym clothes (more on this in a second).

There might be some other things worth bringing, depending on your gym. You might want to bring a lock for the locker room, a towel for the showers, and shampoo/conditioner/bodywash. A lot of gyms (mine included) provide these things, so make sure you check what you need when you sign up.

There are also a few things you probably don’t need to bring:

• Lifting gloves: I understand that weights can hurt your hands sometimes, but trust me when I say you’ll get used to it. Moisturize and keep lifting; your hands will be fine. Wearing gloves actually makes lifting less safe and less effective, as you have less control over the weights.

• Lifting shoes: I’ll give some shoe recommendations in a moment, but you don’t need powerlifting or olympic lifting shoes. These often have an elevated heel, which artificially increases your ankle mobility and therefore lets you squat deeper/more. You don’t want that unless you intend to compete, since they’ll limit your actual ankle mobility.

• Chalk/Wrist Wraps/Straps/Fat Gripz/Knee Wraps/Lifting belts: All of this equipment has its place, but you don’t need it on day one. It’s better to get some lifting experience first.

 

What should I wear to the gym?

Let me start by saying—I know next to nothing about women’s fashion. My specific recommendations will probably mostly apply to men, but the general advice stands: just wear athletic clothes and you’ll be fine.

If there were a uniform for the “new person” at the gym, it would be an oversized T-shirt, basketball shorts, and tennis shoes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s something a lot of people wear.

But seriously, most clothes will be fine. Don’t wear jeans or cargo shorts and you’re basically good to go. For a long time I just wore plain black crewneck shirts from Target.

If you want my more specific recommendations, here they are:

• Shoes: I used to prefer Nike Frees or New Balance Minimus, shoes that don’t provide that much support and make your ankles work to support you. I recently switched to some Mizunos that are a little more supportive. Ever have foot pain? If yes, you might want something with support. Employees at a running store will be very knowledgeable and can help give you specific recommendations based on your feet.
• Favorite shirts: Like I said, I used to wear a ton of black Target crewnecks. Now I wear crewnecks, old ultimate frisbee jerseys, or tank tops.
• Favorite shorts (mini rant): I straight up do NOT understand how ultimate frisbee shorts aren’t insanely popular. I used to lift in basketball shorts or basic athletic shorts, but discovering frisbee shorts was an absolute game changer. They’re ridiculously comfortable and allow full range of motion. Every athlete I know that’s tried them thinks they’re awesome. You can check ‘em out here.

I have no affiliation with any of those products, but they are my gym apparel recommendations (especially the shorts).

How to Reduce Muscle Pain after the Gym

It’s a cruel trick of the gym that your first days are always the most difficult.

After your first workout, you’ll probably get sore. Your body isn’t used to exercise, or to the specific movements you’re putting it through. Until it adapts, you’re going to feel it. First time gym soreness is totally normal.

The causes of soreness and gym-related body pain are complicated, but they boil down to this: if you do new exercises, you’ll get sore. For a little bit.

Thankfully, this doesn’t last long (via GIPHY).

As you get more experience working out and movements become more familiar, you’ll get less sore and you’ll get sore less often. This is also a reason I like to ease people into working out—the workout I laid out above is great for your first day because it teaches you the fundamentals at a reasonable intensity.

But let’s say you are sore. Can you still work out? How can you reduce soreness?

The short version: yes, you can still work out while sore. You reduce soreness by resting, eating, and sleeping.

The longer version is that yes, you can still work out while sore. You might notice that the range of motion of your sore muscles is pretty limited. When your hamstrings are sore, for example, it gets harder to touch your toes. That can make some exercises more difficult.

If you’re super sore at the gym, make your workout a bit easier than normal. Do some cardio, stretch, and decrease weight on your lifts if you have to. Once your soreness goes away, you can get back into full workouts. How long does soreness last? It should go away on its own within a week.

If you’re looking for some specific ways to reduce soreness, there are some things that might help. Notice the emphasis on “might.” By far the most important ingredients to reducing soreness are rest and time. These extra steps could make a small difference:

• Eat good food: Eating high quality foods with a good amount of protein gives your body the fuel it needs to recover.
• Foam roll: Foam rolling helps improve the quality of connective tissue, and can feel good on sore muscles.
• Stretch: Stretching a sore muscle feels fantastic. Especially if soreness affects range of motion, stretching can help you get a bit more movement out of a sore muscle.
• Take an ice bath: The research on ice baths is mixed, but taking the plunge into a cold bath will help reduce the actual body pain of soreness, even if it doesn’t turn out that it helps you heal faster.
• Spend time in the sauna: If your gym has a sauna, hanging out for a few minutes after your workout can help prevent soreness from limiting your range of motion.
• Do some light cardio: Getting your heart rate up and moving can help you deal with muscle soreness.
• Sleep: I said it before, and I’ll say it again: nothing is more important for recovering than lots of good, high quality sleep.

Even the worst gym soreness should fade within a week. As you get more experience in the gym, you’ll get less sore from each workout.

When is the Gym Least Crowded?

Most of the new lifters I’ve worked with prefer to exercise when the gym is relatively empty. How do you know when that is?

Let me start by saying that the best times to go to the gym will vary by location. A popular group fitness class on an ordinarily unpopular day of the week can really boost foot traffic and crowd things up.

In my experience with commercial gyms, this is the general breakdown of times:

• Monday/Tuesday around 6pm is the busiest the gym gets
• 6-8 am on weekdays is also a fairly popular workout time. Fewer people seem to work out in the morning, but the gym still gets somewhat busy.
• Friday/Saturday night is the least busy
• Thursday/Friday around ~6pm is the least busy an after-work time slot will get
• Saturday/Sunday during the day is a pretty consistent stream of traffic. The gym stays moderately occupied throughout the day.
• Any weekday will be quieter from 9-5

Want to know for sure? When you get your gym membership, ask the sales rep or the person at the front desk how busy the gym gets. They’ll usually have an idea of the most popular times for that location.

Another note: the gym will always be crowded around New Years. It also is almost always back to normal after Valentine’s Day.

Glossary of Fitness Terms for Your First Day at the Gym

When you research fitness, or just hang around a gym, you’re likely to come across these terms. Even after you know what to do at the gym, hearing a bunch of words and having no idea what they mean can be stressful. So I put together a list of some common ones.

This list isn’t exhaustive, so if you hear a word that isn’t on here, shoot me an email and I’ll add it.

Aerobic exercise (Cardio) – Exercise that uses aerobic energy systems. Most people refer to this as “cardio.” Aerobic exercise tends to be less intense and take longer than anaerobic exercise (but not always).

Anaerobic exercise (Lifting) – Exercise that uses anaerobic energy systems. Lifting is the most common example of anaerobic exercise, although lifting is not automatically anaerobic (it depends on intensity).

Big 3 – Refers to the main powerlifting movements: squat, bench press, deadlift. Powerlifting has had a big influence on the fitness industry, so you’re likely to hear about this if you hang around gyms often enough. Some people might also ask about your “total,” which is your personal best for each lift added together.

Body composition – The ratio of different substances in your body, including fat, muscle, water, and bone. You’ll most often hear about this in reference to fat and muscle percentages, but you’ll probably also hear about “water weight.”

Bodybuilding – Using weight training to intentionally shape your body. Bodybuilding competitions involve posing, and are judged based on mass, symmetry, proportion, definition, and stage presence.

Circuit training – A popular form of exercise that involves going from one exercise to the next with no or minimal rest.

Concentric – The part of a movement where a muscle is contracting. Examples include going up in a squat (quads contract) or pull-up (biceps, lats, etc. contract).

Core – Basically abs, but core also includes your entire midsection (including your lower back).

Cross training – When someone that does one kind of exercise does a different kind of exercise. If a runner did a swim workout, or a football player played some ultimate frisbee, they would both be cross training.

Curlbro – Dudes that basically only do curls at the gym. May also do some other upper body exercises, but definitely not legs. Found frequently in commercial gyms.

DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Ever feel sore after a workout? This is why. DOMS usually strikes the day after a workout, and is more intense if you’re doing a routine for the first time. If you’re just getting started DOMS can last a week, but it usually goes away after a few days. It’s totally fine to work out while you’re sore.

Eccentric – The part of a movement where a muscle is lengthening. Examples include going down into a squat or lowering a deadlift.

Flexibility (vs. Mobility) – Flexibility and mobility are related but slightly different. Flexibility is the degree to which a muscle can lengthen and mobility is the actual range of motion you have at a particular joint (which is influenced by flexibility, but also soft tissue and bone structure).

Interval training (HIIT) – Training that alternates between work and rest. An example would be 20 seconds of sprinting followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated. High intensity interval training (HIIT) uses fast, intense intervals rather than longer ones.

Isometric – Exercises that work muscles without actually moving them through a range of motion. Planks are an example.

LISS – Low Intensity Steady State. Usually refers to long distance running.

Macros – Shorthand for “macronutrients.” A macronutrient is a nutrient that has calories. The three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat (micronutrients are vitamins and minerals). You’ll hear this in the diet, of course, and often in terms of the ratios of each macronutrient in your overall diet.

Olympic Lifting – Also called “weightlifting” (as one word), this is the lifting that appears in the Olympics. It is based on lifting the most weight in two movements: the clean and jerk and the snatch. Other related movements like power cleans and clean and press are often lumped into weightlifting.

Plyometric – Explosive exercises that involve contracting a muscle very quickly. Box jumps and other jumping activities are an example.

Power – The ability to exert force quickly. Power exercises include plyometric exercises and Olympic lifts like cleans.

Powerlifting – Lifting based on lifting the most weight on the big 3: squat, bench, and deadlift. At powerlifting meets, contestants compete for the highest numbers in those three lifts.

Pump – When blood rushes to your muscles after a workout. The muscle swells up and the skin feels tight.

Rep – A repetition. Completing an exercise once is one rep.

Set – A collection of repetitions. After a specified number of repetitions you “set” the weight down; doing 12 reps of bench press and then stopping is one set.

Strength – The ability to exert force against a weight. This is different from power because it isn’t related to the speed at which you move the weight.

Superset – When you pair two exercises and do them back to back with no or minimal rest. When written into a program, a superset looks like this:

A1) Front Squat 3×5

A2) Pull-ups 3×8

You would do a set of front squats, then a set of pull-ups, then another set of front squats until you’ve finished all sets.

Have another term you want defined? Just shoot me an email and I’ll add it.

The End of Your First Day

That’s it! Everything you need to know to survive your first day at the gym.

Remember: the goal of workout one is to come back for workout two. So head home, have a nice shower, and relax. Your work today is done.

Whether you want to fit into your old jeans or look good at the beach, consistency will get you there eventually. Shedding fat, building muscles—getting that toned look—all come down to sticking with it.

Want a cheat sheet that has everything you need to know for your first day at the gym?

A simple workout. Exercise videos. How much weight to use. What to wear. When to go. All of that and more—in just one page.

Get My Cheat Sheet!