Yesterday I was going through some emotions, most probably due to me PMSing, and I was angry about a lot of things. This energy was great to bring to the gym. I kept thinking about what was making me angry and it just kept pushing me to workout harder. Heck I even sprint for the longest distance I have run since I played soccer–twice! I usually start to lose steam about 40 minutes into the workout, but yesterday I went strong to the end. And I was proud and I wish that I could bring that kind of intensity to every workout, and it made me wonder what you need to bring mentally to the table when working out.

According to an article on a body building website “extensive research…that training with the correct mindset is half the battle, no matter which sport you are trying to excel in.” And I have been finding proof in that myself with my workouts . In the morning when I am overly tired and not ready for the workout, I do less well during it and quit more often. So I have begun to ask myself,–how do I make every workout count? What can I do before a workout to be mentally present and what will drive me when I feel like quitting?

• One tip given, is to think about my goals as I workout. Today I tried this during kick boxing, as my energy flags early on, as I find it hard to do a lot of the kicks in conjunction with the punching. My cardio level is still growing, but during this class I find it quite noticeable that I still have a ways to go. Today I did not stop when I wanted to, thought about how my body will look when I get to where I want to be physically, and continued on. I was still in pain, but I was motivated to move past the pain.
• Another good tip is to think about what you do NOT want to become–what does this mean exactly? For me it means I never want to go back to being a size 22, I do not want to have no neck, to not see my ankles or to get bigger than that. I am never going back. I have yet to utilize this during a workout, but I can tell you it is a top motivator for me at 6:30am when my alarm goes off.
• Lastly, a source of motivation for me has been seeing the changes in my body. I know I discussed this before, but I find seeing changes in my clothes and the mirror to be rewarding. Going forward I am going to think about this as I workout. When I feel the pain in my thighs, butt or arms I will think about how they will look by working them out past this pain.

Being motivated during a workout is going to be a key to my success in the future. Since I still struggle with certain components of my workouts and want to be at a higher level of fitness, I am going to actively start working on my mental game before and during the workout and will report back on how it is going. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone will not be easy, but I am up to it.