Motivation for the Gym After Work....How?

[equestrian]

What has worked for me the past 5-6 years is: I get home (from teaching teenagers all day) braindead.... I set my alarm for 30 to 40 minutes and lie on coach until alarm. When it goes off I am up and going to gym.....

Wow! You are my hero for being able to do this.

Me, lay down on couch, set alarm.

Alarm goes off, I expend just enough energy to pummel it into non-existence. This is very carefully judged but easier than most folks think.

I sleep quite comfortably after that.

[SunnyAZGrl]

I work full time and go to school full time. I also see my horse every other day, whether I am riding or working him from the ground.

I come home after work because my fiance works nights and the two hours from the time I come home and the time he goes to work are sometimes the only chances we get to see each other.

My trick is that I don't just "shut down" after work. I'll find a way to relax, but I'll also keep myself occupied, like starting the laundry or starting dinner. I might unload or load the dishwasher but it keeps me going without frantically running around. I know chores aren't everybody's favorite thing, but they're small and they keep me from just vegging on the couch (which I also do plenty of in between!).

I also keep in mind that I'm only cheating myself if I decide not to go to the gym. I am responsible for my own results and if I decide not to go, then I really can't complain to anyone about not getting them.

[euco09]

Wow! You are my hero for being able to do this.

Me, lay down on couch, set alarm.

Alarm goes off, I expend just enough energy to pummel it into non-existence. This is very carefully judged but easier than most folks think.

I sleep quite comfortably after that.

Haha so true!

[danibel]

I empathize with you, OP. I recently switched from a sedentary job to one that requires being on my feet all day, too. When I get home, I usually collapse on my bed and doze off for a while, which gives me enough extra energy to drag myself to the gym. Ultimately, I end up feeling better post-workout than I did after returning home! That "pumped" feeling is a nice reward for working hard, and it gives me the energy to do whatever else needs to be done that day.

Still, I have had a few "bad" workouts recently, wherein it seemed my exhaustion caught up with me mid-workout. I'm hoping this problem will dissipate once I get more into the swing of things.

I'm amazed by the way some of you ladies balance your work/school/fitness/family/etc lives. I hope to get it together someday in the same way!

[Thebull8666]

I work at BMW and all I do all day is walk fast and stand and pick up heavy parts and build cars for 12 hours for seven days in a row. I do get five days off but I'm wondering when's the best time to go cause I feel so tired after work.

[aknorthstar]

Go to the gym. Pick your favorite get pumped song and start kicking butt!

I work midnight to 8:30am and weight lift 5 days a week after work.

[Dusthappy1]

I spent $65 a month for over a year on the gym daycare so I could go mid-day. That money (my massage funds) was a pretty good motivator. Then I started homeschooling the little guys and it was such an interruption in our day that I stopped going most days. So I cancelled the kids membership, but at the same time I got a medical diagnosis that hammered in the importance of my staying active. Newfound motivation!! I set my alarm for 3:45 every morning. Drink a cup of coffee and hit the gym as the doors open at 4:30. I am so not a morning person and I'm pretty stiff in the mornings. But I actually love it. It sets the tone for my whole day, loosens me up faster than just piddling around the house, gives me energy to tackle all the kid/house/managing a large family stuff and a bonus, this insomniac/night owl is reformed into an early to bed, early to rise girl.

Find your time, don't allow yourself excuses to avoid it, and just do it. I can say there have been many days I would rather have hit the snooze button, but I have never regretted my gym time once I'm there.

[kmcginley613]

Waking up at 3 AM to train before work. It might sound horrible, but I love it. I have the gym mostly all to myself, I feel great the rest of the day and I actually have tons of energy. I can't make any excuses not to go because honestly, nothing is really going to come up to prevent me from going at that time.

[ayydj94]

PREWORKOUT. Get a good pre workout sup like N.O. Xplode and create a pre workout pump up routine. Like drink your pre workout mix 30 mins before leaving for the gym and in that time plan out exactly what your doing at the gym that day. Writing down the excersizes and planning out reps/weight will pump you up for sure. Also, music. And dance like fuxcking weirdo, then jump in the truck and pound pavement to the gym. #Gotime

[Ferela]

I work 9-5 and on my feet the whole time, by the time I get the kids from daycare, make their lunch and dinner it's close to 7. I maybe get 20 minutes to eat dinner and doing single mommy things right up till when the kids go to bed. As soon as they fall asleep I'm off to the gym while grandma watches them in case they wake up. Do I have much energy by then ? No, I'm usually drained and my feet are sore. But as soon I get to the car and start driving to the gym I feel better, and all my aches are gone when I'm working out , and afterwards I feel amazing. (Maybe it's also because it's the only me time I get, and I'd rather not waste it on the couch) I go ether way, I think it's mostly mental when wanting to skip and ones I'm at the gym my body is more than able to do some heavy lifting helps when you like the gym too

Just my thoughts

[baileyfong]

I get the same feeling sometimes where i'm just so exhausted mentally and physically that the mere thought of going to the gym can be tiring to me. I work a full time government job that requires a lot of brain work and can be very mentally straining, I also work out of my home as a hair stylist some week nights and times during the weekend when people need their hair done, as well as a weekend job at a supplement store on Saturday's, i'm also training for a competition in April as well as helping plan my friends wedding in Cancun which is exactly a week after my competition. So as you can imagine there are times when I feel like I just want to say f*ck it and go home and pass out on the couch and annihilate a bag of chips... buuuut I just have to think about the end result and why i'm doing this and why I can't break my routine. I always bring enough food for my entire day as well as my gym clothes and supplements to work and then at the end of my work day I will eat a quick snack or meal, take my pre workout, get in my car and pump the music on the way to the gym. That combo of high intensity music and pre-workout allllways gets me out of my daily rut and into killing workout mode.

[ThatJeepGuy]

Can I post here as a guy? If not..Oh well.

To be honest I used to have absolutely no motivation. The thought of having to lift a finger when not needed disguisted me for a long time. What helped me? Having a close friend to basically drive me to want to do one more rep then him, or more weight. Also, finding a few body builders to follow on youtube and watch them progress while I do the same.

Without these things id probably be sitting on the couch 5x a day rather than lifting.

Good luck

[fihe]

I've established a 4x/week lifting schedule. Sometimes I feel really tired after work, and whether or not I go to the gym that day depends on how many workouts have yet been completed for the week. For example, if it's already Tuesday and I haven't worked out on Sunday or Monday, I will definitely make myself go on Tuesday even if I'm quite tired! However, I almost always go on Sunday or Monday because I like to space out my workouts throughout the week, although two consecutive days on my current split will be inevitable.

If you're a beginner, I suggest a 3x/week full body routine. I know when I first started exercising consistently, I started feeling tired a lot, so you don't want to do too much to start. This will also give you greater flexibility when choosing what days to work out. Just don't leave them all for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! Also, keep gym clothes and shoes in your car at all times. I do this because if I stop at home to change first, it's unlikely I'm getting out of the house again :P

[MadCatLady]

I have huge admiration for those of you who train after work. I would probably force myself if I had to, but then again...I'm pretty lazy.

I work 2 early shifts, 2 lates, 2 nights, 4 off. I train before lates and nights and on my days off, earlies I treat as rest days and come home and veg out.

I love working shifts. It means I only set an alarm 2 days in 10.

[cjobson]

I'm a college student and unfortunately, on Tuesdays and Fridays I start class at 8 AM and go all the way until 1:30 PM. It is very hard to motivate myself to go to the gym after my last class because I feel so dead from sitting in lectures...but I always pack my gym bag and pre-workout the night before.

I find that once I eat my pre-workout meal right before my last class I feel like I have to go. Sometimes I even wear my workout stuff to class underneath a fleece/sweatpants so I feel ready. I also tell myself that it's either the gym or go home and study...and I rarely, if ever, want to do the later over the former.

Honestly it's all about mind over matter. I'm a morning exerciser so yes it sucks. But it feels great when it's done of course, and then I get to go home and eat dinner...and then sack out. If I came home after my last class there's no way I'd be able to drag my butt to the gym.

[chaddy20]

Just keep working hard! That's what this is all about... Pushing yourself!

How bad do you want to achieve your goals? Not very badly obviously...

People can't motivate you, only you can. Nut up and either do what you say you want or stop wasting your time. It's that simple.

[CBexyGirl]

For me it depends on my shifts. To be perfectly honest if I am working a later shift I am the same, the idea of going at that hour and after an 8 hour shift makes me miserable and I am just not motivated at all when I am there. The answer............I get up at 5.30 on a morning and get my session done BEFORE work. Yes it can be hard getting out of bed. But it works better for me. and its worth it when Im finished. Plus the release of endorphines sets me up for a fabulous day. x

[CrayHealthNut]

I tell myself "I'm doing this for myself because I love my body" once I get to the gym I just feel so at home, it's the getting out of bed and walking there that's the hardest lol.

Progress motivates me, and the post workout meal I have planned for afterwards :P