Staying Motivated: The Key to Success

Everybody knows that diet and training are the two most important factors in reaching your goals. However, to stay on a diet and continue to train hard, you need to be motivated. Lack of motivation is the number one reason people fail to reach their goals.

A lot of guys start working out to look good for the opposite sex. This is a great initial motivating factor but it's not sustainable. You will soon realize that no matter how ripped you get, the opposite sex doesn't really care. In fact, they may even think you look worse if you get bigger than they would like. For this reason, you need to find alternative motivating factors.

Here are some tips you can try in order to stay motivated to reach your goals:

Music

Music is a pretty simple one but it is very powerful. The right song creates an emotional power that can really amp you up on your way to the gym as well as during your workouts. Songs get old pretty quickly though so make sure you continue to find new ones that work for you. Personally, the song "Boom" by P.O.D. has gotten me an extra couple of reps on deadlifts on several occasions.

Get a Workout Partner

A workout partner can push you during your workouts on days you feel a bit lazy. Having a partner will create a competition between the two of you where neither of you wants to let the other get bigger and stronger than the other.

Take Supplements

Although most supplements are useless in terms of effectiveness, they can help with motivation. If you are spending money on supplements, you won't want them to go to waste. Knowing that you are taking something can push you a bit harder to get the most out of your supplements and your money.

Join a Gym

If you workout at home, join a gym. You are less likely to take it easy if other people are watching you. If you already go to a gym, extend your membership. Sign up for the year rather than pay monthly. You won't want your money going to waste so you are more likely to continue going.

Switch Up Your Routine Often

Doing the same routine day in and day out can get boring. Change up your reps scheme, exercises, or routine lay out if you get bored. You can even try going to the gym at a different time to workout with a different atmosphere.

Tell Everyone Your Goals

Letting other people know what your goals are puts added pressure on you to make sure you achieve them. You don't want everyone to see that you failed.

Set a Schedule

Try allotting a specific time on specific days for the gym. If you have no set plan, then if something else comes up you will be more likely to ditch the gym for the plans. Look at going to the gym as something you have to do. Make it a priority.

Sign Up For a Competition

Sign up for a bodybuilding show or power lifting meet. Knowing that you have to be ready for a specific competition will drive you to push yourself harder in the gym.

Videos

Watch workout videos of people who have already accomplished what you are trying to achieve. If you see someone else did it, then you can do it too.

Summing Up

Although these are some things you can implement to stay motivated, a lot of these aren't sustainable long term and they involve trying to impress other people. Working out for other people is not sustainable because no one really cares about your physique and goals other than you. You need to be motivated internally. The above factors can help you get started for a few months but to succeed long term, you have to want to achieve your goals for yourself. For me, my biggest motivation to start was to look good for other people. That only lasted for about a year and after that my motivation was strictly internal. I wanted to prove to myself I could achieve my goals. I also signed up for bodybuilding competitions because my desire to win on stage helped me train harder in the gym. Find a source of motivation that works for you and you will reach your goals a lot sooner than you think.