Its 2022, lets get our Sh!&@ together people!
Everyone now a days has their own goals when it comes down to their health. Eating better, losing weight, gaining weight, drinking more water or eating more greens, theres endless possibilities.
If your goal is to start going to the gym to become more proactive in your fitness journey but find it hard to get started, you came to the right place. As someone who STRUGGLED with being consistent at the gym, I understand how frustrating and difficult it can be but, I got you! Here are a few things that helped me become someone who went to the gym once every other week to going pretty much everyday.
Set Some goals
Like I said before, everyone has different goals when it comes down to their fitness journey. Figuring out what you want to change or improve on is the MOST important step. I found it best when I sat down with myself and taught “what do I want to look like and why do I want to do it?”. For me, it was to work on my confidence more than anything. For some people, it could be as simple as wanting a dump truck of an a** or having the sickest lat spread. But for some, it could be to lose weight or gain it. In order to be consistent at something, you have to know what you want, DUH.
Establish a routine
I know, you hate this one. You’re probably like “Chrissy, I’m reading to learn how to be consistent, WTF”. I know, but this is literally the hardest step. Someone once told me that the hardest thing in life, when it comes to anything, is to start it. Creating a realistic routine (a routine you know you can for sure do) is the key to becoming more consistent. My journey started with two days a week, and eventually made its way up. When you start with a routine that is for you, you will also cut the excuses down in HALF. Trust me.
Moreso, this can allow you to plan out what day is for what work out. This is what people call “work out splits” or just “splits”.
Lets go into Gym Language.
Gym words you should know
Now, learning about the gym and what to do there can be scary. I literally taught myself exercises and splits through TikTok. Why? Because when you know what you’re doing, you tend to be more consistent. Here are some useful terms to know when you start doing research on what workouts to do!
- PUSH/PUSH DAY: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
- PULL: Back and Biceps
- PR/PB: Personal Record/Best
- BB: Barbell
- KB: Kettlebell
- DB: Dumbbell
- SUPERSET: When you do two exercises back to back with no rest in between
- REPS: The number of times you perform an exercise
- ROM: Range of motion
- HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training
- EMOM: Every minute on the minute
- AMRAP: As many reps as possible
- PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: When you slowly increase the weight in your strength training
make a fire playlist
Do I need to explain this? Make an awesome playlist for your workout days! Pick songs you can do all your work outs to that way, you’re having fun at the gym. Plus, if you get anxious about if people are looking at you at the gym (they’re not, I promise), this is a great way to make sure you’re distracted. You’ll be in the zone! Don’t have a playlist? If you have Spotify, there are so many pre-made playlists that you can choose from.
wear comfortable clothing
The best part: the clothing. At first, I thought I had to wear super cute sport bars and leggings when I went to the gym. However, I realized really quickly that if I did not wear clothing that made me feel comfortable, that would rise up or sag, I wouldn’t pay attention to my work out. I would think constantly that everyone was staring at me and half ass all my exercises. Personally for me, I started to care about what I wore to the gym because it made more confident to go. I invested in some athletic attire and went to work!
A simple solution to this is going to the gym and seeing what makes you comfortable. Sweats and a sweater? Fine, make sure to bring an undershirt in case you get really hot while working out! High waisted leggings and a sports bra? Perfect! Oversize T-shirt? BOMB.
Make sure whatever you wear, is comfortable and breathable to wear when going to the gym. And I bet you’ll look great doing it!
get a gym buddy
I know sooooo many people who either start their journey with someone or have someone tag along. I know I started with a gym partner and that experience helped me with my confidence and eventually made me more consistent. This is a great way to hold you or your partner accountable for their goals! Also, this would be a great way to learn exercises with someone without the fear of embarrassing yourself (which, again, you won’t).
Bottom line…
At the end of the day, everyone starts somewhere. But when it comes to being consistent, the most important thing is just to get up and start. Being consistent at the gym has become a game changer to my mental health and confidence but I had to put the effort in going as much as I could. After awhile, it became part of my self-care routine.
As always, hold yourself accountable but do not be discouraged if you end up back in square one! It takes a lot of time and patience to be consistent.
You got this!