how do you keep the motivation?

[JackedAngel]

I feel unmotivated. should I get a personal trainer?

[chamelious]

Its very difficult to give someone advice on motivation.

I would start by reassessing your goals. Are you trying to lose fat? Get stronger? Are you following the best path to get you to your goals? Are you sure you WANT it? No ones forcing you into the gym, its eminently possible to maintain ones health without the gym, if health is your only concern.

A personal trainer is always unnecessary, but no one can tell you how to spend your money. If you find it helps you to achieve your goal and it makes you happy then feel free.

[LunaLifts]

Motivation isn't reliable, you have to make it a habit, and the days you don't want to you have to do it anyway. If you rely on simply feeling motivated, there will be a lot of days you skip your workouts. For me my initial motivation was just being sick of what I was doing not working. I got into it pretty quickly, and enjoyed the lifting itself. Overtime I changed routines, and found out what I do, like, don't like, and have to do anyway, so I could adjust routines to find what will make it enjoyable overall. It may sound stupid, or petty, but telling other people helped because I don't want to be someone who just quits, especially after talking about how much I enjoy something. Now it's just routine, so I don't have to remind myself why I do it, I just do it because "it's Friday so it's leg day."

That said, making it a habit takes time too, and accountability does help some people. If you think a PT would best the best/only way to have a feeling of accountability, and help you until it's just a routine thing, then do the research to find a good one. Not all of them are great, talk to the about their methods, see if you can get references from other clients, etc.

However, PTs can be pricey too. If you want to save money, you could find a workout partner. This way you still want to show up at least so the other person isn't left alone, and you'd have each other for encouragement. If you can't think of anyone, and don't feel comfortable reaching out to someone new, you can start a log on this site, and post your workouts, and progress. It can take some time for people to join in, but when you have a few regular visitors it can be great for support.

Oh, and give yourself enough time to see progress. Seeing that it's making a change can help too. Whether you want to see more shape, or see yourself lift a certain amount. If you can start to see how it's helping you reach your goals, you feel more inclined to continue. Set small goals (ex: getting your squat up five more lbs, gaining 1.5lbs that month, etc depending on your current goal) that you can achieve along the way, then set new ones when you pass those. Use pictures to see small changes over time you wouldn't notice otherwise.

Just some alternate ideas anyway.

[spradish]

External motivation is vastly overrated. You either are motivated internally to improve yourself or you want to maintain the status quo. Seeking motivation from somebody else when you do not have it on your own means you expect somebody else to care more about your health/fitness/appearance than you do. A personal trainer can help you find ways to reach your goals but at the end of the day you have to do the work to get there. If you are unmotivated, you're not in the frame of mind to do that work and I suggest saving your money until you are.

[BrotherWolf]

I feel unmotivated. should I get a personal trainer?

some people get motivated by that .. I think having a goal is more important , getting stronger, looking sexy .. whatever it is that's your motivation
start small for example set a lifting goal .. deadlift your bodyweight etc.. take pictures , videos and hang out with likewise people find a workout partner

btw it's ok to go through phases where you feel unmotivated.. just don't let it take over

[HaydeeDjinn]

Personally I get miserable and depressed if I give up.

there is no other choice but to move forward.

[nikky78]

I wrote down a list of goals and would keep them nearby so I could see them daily. Reaching a goal helps...it makes me more determined. I guess it's more about determination than motivation. It's become so much of a habit for me that even on the days I don't want to I still do it.

[katya422]

Another vote for goals. Defined concrete goals work best for me.

-resting heart rate under 60 BPM (done)
-body fat @ 25% (work in progress)
-BW X 1.5 for DL and BS; BW for FB (not even close...)

I've had others that I've reached and some little ones I keep working on too.

[Bean100]

I have a trainer and I really enjoy it, but I use him more for keeping my workouts interesting and learning new things. I workout about 15 hours a week, and only 1 of those is with a trainer. However, it is nice to have that relationship to use as accountability. He'll notice if I haven't been in the gym in a couple days. He has also helped a lot with my form and technique which has made huge improvements in my workouts. It is expensive (over $1000 for 24 30 min sessions) but I think it's worth it. If you have the money, go for it. A trainer might help you find a workout that you love and that you'll want to continue on your own.

[yoojungl]

I think it's best to set goals and find purpose in why you do what you do. Set your goals and take it step by step to achieve them. Not everyday is perfect, but always keep in mind of where you want to be in the long run.

[euco09]

Personally I get miserable and depressed if I give up.

there is no other choice but to move forward.

Same!