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How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
I know this article is coming a little late into the “Lockdown” Home Workout Game…but cut me some slack. I did still have a business to run and build, and The Fitness Collective is now allowing me to sit down and write really helpful content for you. Like this.
The Home Workout. It’s a funny beast.
From where I am sat, it is something you know you could do. But it just isn’t that easy to actually execute.
And it doesn’t matter how many times you intend to do one, finding the right energy for it just seems elusive.
And I’ll let you in on a little secret…
During Lockdown I was really struggling to do Home Workouts too.
But keep that between you and me, please.
I’ve been writing Home Workouts for The Fitness Collective for many years now. From 10min Bodyweight Workouts to full-blown Programmes, and with great results I might add. Putting this format of a workout alongside their nutritional adherence to a Calorie Deficit here are some results:
From doing a minimum of 70mins a week I have had one client lose 26lbs. Another client has lost 14lbs by following this programme which I have laid out here. And using this format on the Gym Floor lost another client of mine 24lbs.
I know it works, and I have been using formats very similar to this for years as a one on one Coach as well as an Online Coach. This isn’t a program I learned in a book or even a method that I found out on some secret trainer coaching call.
This is a format I have been intuitively using with all of my clients for the last 5 years.
It keeps training fun, it keeps training optimal and it allows clients to feel progress but not feel overworked. It’s not a quick fix or a fast solution. It’s sustainable, achievable and the results stick over a long period of time.
There are a lot of issues out there with the way that many trainers structure and write a Home Workout for you, so my plan right now is to give you a plug and play formula, one that will challenge you every time you workout and will never get boring or too easy for you.
One that you can change at any moment if you wish, one where you can switch up exercises when you get bored of them or feel like you need a different challenge, however
This is way more advanced than a 20min Booty Workout on YouTube.
But because it's advanced, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be able to do it. It means this Article is going to take you through:
Table of Conetents for: How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
So if you’re ready…
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
GETTING INTO THE RIGHT MINDSET FOR A HOME WORKOUT
Knowing that you are going to the gym to do a workout is quite straightforward, and although you will have good days and bad days with that, you still seem to have the right energy for it when you are there.
But at Home that energy doesn’t exist.
And this is perfectly normal. Many, many, many people struggle to workout from home.
This relates to something called Environmental Productivity.
When everyone around you is working on the same thing you sense that energy and it keeps you accountable for what you want to do too. It helps keep you motivated. It's like going to study at a Library, despite having a perfectly good set up at home. The energy about the place matches your driven desire for your action.
So how can you create a Gym Environment at Home to help you get motivated to do the workouts?
Try Cranking Up The Music
Gyms have specific music on for specific reasons. The ideal Beats Per Minute for a Strength Training Workout is 130–140 for each song. Here Spotify has done the hard work for you and it groups Music by BPM: This Playlist is one example of that.
If you want a Playlist full of inspirational music for the Gym which we use in The Fitness Collective then all you have to do is click here: The Fitness Collective Spotify Playlist
Use Stock Footage Of Other People Working Out
You can head to YouTube and just get rolling footage of other people working out. Put it on your TV and away you go…it will be like you are working out next to other people who are doing the same thing as you.
One Example of that footage is right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfWaGAgU4ms
Give Yourself A Journey To Your Gym
Lay out everything you need for the Gym. Your Weights, your Mat, your Towel, your Water Bottle, put the stock footage on your TV, and start your music playing.
Then leave your house dressed and ready to workout.
Walk around the block knowing that when you re-enter it is not your Home. It’s your gym. Just make the walk 5 minutes and treat it as your workout.
That way when you enter your home, you will see it as a different space, and it will feel more like a fresh space for you.
Peter Hall, the very famous RSC Director said:
“The first act of creativity is sweeping the floor”
That is what you need to do. Clear the decks and set it up as your Home Workout space. Then clear your mind and your physical state by leaving the space and returning with a different intention.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
Are Home Workouts Effective to Lose Weight and/or Build Muscle?
Let’s look at this a little more objectively.
Are you able to get to a Gym? If so…then go to the gym to workout. You can increase the loads and perform much more optimal exercises for your body.
I highly doubt you have a Barbell at home…
Are you unable to go to a Gym? This could be for many reasons. Maybe you are scared of the Gym or it makes you feel uncomfortable. Maybe you have young children and can’t find the time. Maybe you can’t afford a Gym. All valid reasons and understandable reasons for your desire to workout at home, and this is why working out at home can be effective for you.
If you do get intimidated by a Gym environment then please read this article which has helped hundreds of people overcome their fear: https://www.thegymstarter.com/blog/how-to-stop-worrying-about-going-to-the-gym
If you fall into the “Unable To Go To The Gym” demographic then yes…home workouts can be effective for you. But they aren’t going to help you lose weight or build muscle unless you are a beginner and experience those “newbie” gains.
In order to Lose Weight, you must be in a Caloric Deficit
In order to Gain Weight and therefore Build Muscle, you must be in a Caloric Surplus.
So in truth, we need to be asking better questions of your Home Workouts (your Gym workouts too).
Your calories will always determine your ability to lose or gain weight. Your workouts will decide how you feel about yourself when doing either of these goals.
We need to be asking questions like:
Will this workout improve my ability to move? Will this workout help me improve how I feel about myself? Will this workout increase my mood? Will this workout boost my confidence? Will this workout give me a sense of accomplishment?
And the answer to every single one of those is Yes. A Home Workout will do that, provided you continue to follow some key principles laid out in the rest of this article.
Using these questions is how I have managed to focus the minds of my clients which has allowed them to get such great results when they just workout at home. Clients who have worked for just 10mins a day, do it every day. Therefore over a week, they are getting in at least 70mins of exercise a week. This plan is based on doing more than that in terms of time, but less frequently in terms of days.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
What Exercises Should You Do In A Home Workout?
Exactly the same exercises you would do in the Gym.
Thanks, Ron.
Let me clarify.
When I build a workout for anybody I will focus it around three movement patterns groups:
Push / Pull / Squat or Legs
And your Home Workouts should be no different at all. The issue we have here is that access to your ability to Push and Pull will be hindered by the equipment you have available to you.
To accommodate for this, you can allow a bigger bias to your Leg Exercises, which will keep the workouts very challenging for you.
Exercise Selection will always be based around the Muscle Groups of Push/Pull/Squat or Legs and then you will choose exercises starting with the Compound Movements.
These are:
Primary: Squat, Deadlift, Pull Up, Bench Press, Overhead Press
Secondary: Incline Row, Barbell Row, Push Up
As you are working out at home, personally I believe you should be doing three Full Body Workouts a week. These should be between 40–60mins in duration. You can do more, you can do less. It is entirely up to you. What is most important for your training is that you put it into a format that you enjoy, and will, therefore, keep adherent too.
Consistency is and always will be the most important part of ANY training program.
The majority of your workouts at home will be Compound Work (Multiple Muscle Focus). However, you can sneak a few Isolated (Single Muscle Focus) Movements in there too if you so wish.
The following lists will have crossovers for your Muscles and may engage many other muscle groups as well…but that’s ok. Also, the following list is where I would start…that doesn’t mean that other exercises aren’t justified.
The numbers next to each exercise is a difficulty rating based on a beginner working out, 1=Easy, 5=Hard. The difficulty is always subjective and just because an exercise is rated as 5 doesn’t mean you need to avoid it. What you are willing to put into your plan is completely up to you and I would recommend you challenge yourself as much as possible, whilst feeling safe and having a sense of accomplishment from what you are doing.
We can also limit or increase the intensity of an exercise and that will be very important for you to manage as you write and develop through your program (more on this in the section “What Sets and Reps Should You Do In A Home Workout”)
An exercise with FB written next to them means you can use them as a Full Body Compound as well
Bodyweight Push Movements (Compound)
Push Up (4), Incline Push Up (1–3), Wall Push Up (1), Bear Crawl (3), Spider Climbers FB (5), Push Up Plank (3), Mountain Runners (2), Pike Push Up (4), Hindu Push Up (5), Long Plank (4), Full Plank (3), Cobra Stretch (1), Stop Press Push Up (3), Walkout FB (2), Burpee FB (5)
Bodyweight Pull Movements (Compound)
Bodyweight Deadlift FB (1), Good Mornings (1), Towel Row (3), Bird Dog (2), Supermans (1), Prone Back Extension (1), Renegade Row (3)
Bodyweight Pull Movements (Isolation)
I’s, Y’s and T’s (2), Prone T (2), Wall Angel (3), Cobra Wings (2).
Bodyweight Leg Movements (Compound)
Squat (2), Forward Lunge (4), Squat Jump (4), Split Squat (3), Sumo Squat (2), Bulgarian Split Squat (5), Split Squat Jumps (5), Squat Pulse (3), Split Squat Pulse (4), Sumo Squat Pulse (4), Reverse Lunge (2), Side Lunge (3), Walking Lunge (3)
Bodyweight Leg Movements (Isolation)
Single-Leg Glute Bridge (3), Glute Bridge (1), Frog Pump (3), Clamshells (1)
If you have one set of Dumbells or one Single Kettlebell at Home you can add in any of these exercises:
Please note these exercises are not rated for difficulty as it will depend on the weight you have at Home
Push Movements (Compound)
Floor Chest Press, Overhead Press, Floor Chest Flyes, Arnold Press, Seated Overhead Press, Floor Pullover, Squat and Press FB.
Push Movements (Isolation)
Lateral Raise, DB or Bodyweight Arm Circles, Front Raises.
Pull Movements (Compound)
Deadlift FB, Bent Over Row, Renegade Row, Seated Low Row, Single Arm Row, KB or DB Swing FB, KB Halo, KB Single Arm Deadlift FB, KB Single Leg Deadlift.
Push Movements (Isolation)
Reverse Flyes, Upright Row.
Leg Movements (Compound)
Goblet Squat, Squat and Press FB. You can also add weight to any of the Leg Movements detailed above.
Leg Movements (Isolation)
Romanian Deadlift. You can also add weight to any of the Leg Movements detailed above.
Own Preference Training
This refers to anything additional you want to work on. This could be an Ab Circuit, some additional Arm Work, some Mobility Focus, anything you want to work on that is additional to your Goals. For example, in The Fitness Collective, we run Exercise Challenges, and you could insert that here.
Putting These Exercises Into A Structured Workout
A good dynamic warm-up is important for working out if you went for a brisk walk beforehand that’s a great start, and then from there just go into some Squat Swings, Arm Swings and any form of light movement that gets the heart rate elevated and your limbs moving.
Then you are going to use this structure (please note RPE is explained in the next section):
Full Body or Leg Compound (RPE = 9)
Leg Compound (RPE = 9)
Push Compound (RPE = 9)
Pull Compound (RPE = 8)
Leg Compound (RPE = 8)
Push Compound or Isolation (RPE = 8)
Pull Compound or Isolation (RPE = 8)
Leg Isolation (RPE = 7)
Leg Isolation (RPE = 7)
Own Preference Training (RPE =7)
What About Rest Periods? Your rest period between each exercise will be determined by your RPE. Therefore if you found an exercise was an RPE of 9 you would need longer to rest as opposed to if it was just a 7. You can dictate your rest, as long as within each set you reach your desired RPE.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
What Sets and Reps Should You Do In A Home Workout?
This is where so many Home Workouts fail you.
The typical Home Workout will tell you to do one of these many things:
The HIIT Format
30secs of said exercise, 10 seconds rest, or 40secs of said exercise, 20secs rest, etc, etc.
The Strength Format
3 Sets of 12 Reps, 5 Sets of 5 Reps, etc, etc.
The Failure Format
Do every exercise to exhaustion
It is impossible for myself as your trainer, or for anyone else to know truly how many Sets and Reps you need to do to gain what you need to gain from a Home Workout. We have formats in the Gym Environment of what Rep Range you need to work for, for certain outcomes. However at home, as you more than likely won't have enough weight to challenge yourself to the desired outcome across a Set you will need to judge everything based on your RPE, not Reps.
Therefore you need to learn to develop how many sets and reps you are capable of doing whilst sticking to the desired RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) across the set.
What is RPE?
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion. It’s a scale of 1–10 of how exhausted you feel once you have finished a set of exercises.
1 = you can do it all-day
10 = you need a 10-minute rest once you are finished
What RPE Should You Work For?
Across the whole workout, you want to walk away feeling like you worked at an RPE of 7–8.
One of the principles behind making workouts successful and effective is that of a Progressive Overload. This is the concept that every workout you try and do a little bit better than you did before. This could be: More Reps, More Sets, Longer Time Exercising, Better Form or Lifting More Weight.
When you judge a workout on your RPE your Progressive Overload is taken care of by itself as you adapt. Month One your 5kg Goblet Squat could be an RPE of 8 which is your target exertion level.
Then in Month Three, the exact same exercise, for the same amount of Reps might only make you feel like you worked at an RPE of 6.
When this happens you need to add in Progressive Overload. You can now improve your form, do more Reps, add in an extra set or add more weight to make sure you keep your Exercise at your target RPE of 8.
How To Structure Your Sets
You can structure your Sets however you want and in whatever format you desire.
You can stick to a traditional Strength Training Format which would be typically 3 Sets and as many Reps as you need to hit your RPE.
You can group the exercises into Circuits. The time for each exercise will be determined again by your RPE. If you find an exercise easier then do it for longer, or rest for a shorter time period. If you find the exercise harder then do it for less time, and rest for more time.
You can Super Set the exercises which is when you do two exercises back to back and give yourself no rest between each set.
To begin with, whilst you are figuring out how hard you are working over a Set to get your RPE then aim to work towards the traditional 3 Sets of 12 Reps format.
Or if you want to do a more HIIT Style of training use the 40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest structure.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
An Example Training Programme Based On This Structure
Here is a Training Programme you can take straight into your Training based on the structure I have outlined in this article.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
What Equipment Do You Need For A Home Workout?
Luckily, you don’t need a Golden Retriever to do your Reverse Crunches.
This Article has laid down a plan that should allow you to build some amazing workouts for yourself without any equipment at all.
I’m called The Gym Starter and part of that means I want to make Exercise as accessible as possible for you, hence giving you a plan that requires no investment other than your own body.
That being said, most people know someone or can get their hands on some equipment, and if that’s something you want to find out more then here is what I would personally recommend:
Dumbbells: They don’t have to be flashy but do need to be heavy and if you can get some they will certainly make your Home Workouts more interesting. I would recommend anything two 5kgs Dumbells or above.
5kg Dumbbells are heavy for many beginners especially when they are dong Isolation Exercises. But as you know by now, at Home we want to work as many Compound Movements into your workouts as possible, and 10kgs+ in those movement patterns is going to make them a lot more effective for your body.
Kettlebells: The exact same rules apply here as with Dumbells. A Kettlebell is a wonderful tool for your Home Workouts, but if you can only afford one KB, try getting a 10–12kg+ Kettlebell. This will make exercises like your Deadlift and Goblet Squat a lot more effective for you.
TRX/Suspension Trainer: If you can get a Suspension Trainer it will add another dimension to your workouts, especially your Back Exercises. They are super safe to use, hook over your door, and super fun too. An official TRX is quite expensive, but there are plenty of affordable Suspension Trainers on the Market, and I do recommend them to clients.
Yoga Mat: You will be doing a lot of floor work and making that feel more comfortable is important. If you are going to add in a lot of Ab Work in your Own Preference Training then maybe consider getting quite a thick Yoga Mat to just help with that.
Resistance Bands/Mini Bands: I do love a Resistance Bands as they are really cheap and can very much add a useful dimension to your workouts.
If you can add those three items to your arsenal of Workout Equipment then you will do very well. But you shouldn’t be spending 100s of Dollars on this stuff.
I always say to clients, lets see how you get on being consistent with just your Bodyweight first, then we can look at investing in some equipment. The last thing I want is for you to spend $200 on all of this stuff, and it just collects dust, making you feel like you aren’t achieving what you want, and therefore making you feel rubbish about yourself every time you come across it.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
Conclusion
Now it’s your turn. Go and be creative. Go and create your workouts and explore what your body can do.
You now have a format that you can adapt completely for your own individual circumstances and you can create a fantastic training programme for yourself at home.
Track your progress, write down your RPEs on every workout and when you get bored of a workout change either the exercises or the workout structure.
Here is a Blank Template you can download and use for your Home Workouts:
And that’s it.
Have fun.
And make sure you let me know how your progress goes.
Did You Find This Useful?
I have plenty more articles about working out throughout this website.
Here is a selection I think would make great further reading for you:
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How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
If you have got this far, I would imagine you haven’t considered whether you are inspired for your fitness journey.
Or that you even should be?
Because all we talk about in Fitness is: Motivation.
Seriously…its all anyone focusses on when it comes to starting their fitness or carrying on with their fitness. The number of people that tell me they are lacking motivation, or they have lost motivation…
So how does Jacquie, who is 46, and that person you always see at the gym, no matter how infrequently you attend, how does she always seem to be there…how does she keep going if we know motivation fails people and shouldn’t be relied upon?
Well, I believe that motivation fails you if you don’t add inspiration to what you do when working on yourself physically.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the great Russian composer said this:
“Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy.”
In this article I want to address the following so that you can go away from here lit up and ready to keep going for the amount of time you need to keep going for to be a success at what it is you want to achieve.
Table of Contents for: “How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?”
3. 6 Ways To Find Your Fitness Inspiration
4. Conclusion
If you want to watch my YouTube Video that accompanies this blog then please head here:
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
The Difference Between Motivation and Inspiration
The wonderful Humanitarian Leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar describes it thus:
It has also been described like this:
“Motivation is a push factor,” he explained. “It’s an outside force that is compelling you to take action, even if you don’t necessarily want to. Inspiration, on the other hand, is more of a pull or driving force. It’s something that comes from within that gets us to proactively give our best effort. When someone is inspired, they’re with you for the long haul.” — Sam Taggart
I find both quotes interesting.
In Fitness the topic of Motivation is a very prevalent one. It's the go-to word that people use when it comes to describing the state of their fitness.
You fall into two camps:
Motivated
Not Motivated
It is completely linear. The majority of people see that if they fall into Camp 1 (Motivated) they are then taking action and doing the things they need to do to get to their goals.
If you are in Camp 2 there is no point at all. And that's that.
The much-misunderstood truth is that there is a Third Camp:
3. Motivated and Un-Motivated
Which is what every single human being in the world is. No one ever has the perpetual motivation and no one ever has perpetual un-motivation (I’m sure that's a word…leave me alone!).
The human condition is a blend…like with everything else.
Now we know that the best way to find your Motivation is the following:
You follow this Loop.
Start with Action, then you get Results and then you find your Motivation.
Or a simpler way I like to put it is: Do, Track, Repeat
However…if you know Motivation will fail you…how do you bolster that part of the loop? How do you make sure that when you hit Motivation you then are able to restart the Loop with Action again?
As Sam Taggart says in the quote above:
“Motivation is a Push Factor”
“Inspiration is more of a Pull Factor”
Now if you have followed me for a long time you will be very aware that I am a proponent of Balance in your Fitness journey.
I am sure you have seen someone with a Kyphotic Posture in their life? A very over-pronounced upper spine tilting someone's head forward.
This Kyphosis occurs, presuming there are no other health issues at play, the Kyphosis will occur if someone has spent too much of their life “hunched over”. It could be someone has worked on a laptop for 20+ years, it could be they have hunched over a Games Console for too long, or they just stand that way as they lack strength.
My point is it comes from an imbalance.
To correct this in the Gym we would have to strengthen all of the back muscles using many Pulling Motions and stretch out the shortened chest muscles. We would have to work on counterbalancing the body.
So, if Motivation is a Push…
…and if all you do is Push you create an imbalance in yourself.
We need to create a Pull in your life.
Just like we would create balance in your workouts in the Gym.
And that Pull is your Inspiration.
You need to turn your Motivation Loop into a Success Loop:
You must do both: Repeat AND Learn.
You need to find your Pull and your Push in order to be able to stay in perpetual motion towards your Goals.
With my clients in The Fitness, Collective success is always attributed to those who work on their inspiration. Motivation and Inspiration are very close bedfellows and one thing they do have in common is they must both be worked upon.
Neither of them will just appear or turn up, they will require you to work on them in order to allow them to have the correct effect.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
What Is Inspiration in Fitness?
Personally, I think I came a little late into the game when it came to Instagram Fitness Inspiration
Or should I say #fitspo
And I am eternally grateful because I had I have joined the industry maybe 4 years previous I might have fallen foul to the bandwagon, but instead I have found clarity and my message which is miles away from the selfie hell that #fitspo truly was and probably still is.
A quick search on the good old Instagram and 70.7million hits of Fitness Inspiration show up and they look like a pile of sick:
Please read this next bit really carefully: THIS IS NOT FITNESS INSPIRATION
This is Fitness Self Indulgence. This is a bunch of very fit people trying to make a bunch of unfit people feel very very shit about themselves.
It causes eating disorders, poorer self image and can really really harm those who look at it.
As I outline in these TikTok Videos which I created after the awful news of Nikki Grahame’s death from Anorexia Nervosa:
I’m not saying they are doing it intentionally, but that is the effect and the result of this horrible practice and anyone who utters the word “Fitspo”.
70.7million photos of unachievable physiques, highly edited photos, and extremely lucky genetics have caused a failure to you. It has caused many people to think that Inspiration is the perfect body, unachievable results and beauty that can only truly be achieved by Adobe Photoshop.
Looking through all of those photos…I personally do not find a single one of them inspirational.
They just make me feel rubbish about myself…and I wonder if you feel the same?
The good news is this: Fitness Inspiration doesn’t exist on Instagram.
Inspiration for Fitness comes from within, not an external source. It comes from your own desires, beliefs and wants from yourself.
Inspiration in Fitness is Learning. It’s the studying. It’s developing your “fitness brain” and figuring out how it interacts with your life. It's learning how you manage under heavyweights, it's feeling your Glutes fire, it's walking out of the Gym feeling strong.
It’s finding out about how much you are struggling with it and how much the professionals struggle with it. It’s the understanding of your humanity in the field of Fitness.
I know that sounds like a lot…I’m not saying just because you are trying to become fit you need to become a PT…believe me you really do not need to do that.
What I am saying is you need to be a little more immersive in the subject.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
6 Ways To Find Your Fitness Inspiration
At Drama School, we had to keep inspired, and just like Motivation, I found the harder I worked the more inspired I became.
When we would get a new script…it was like learning a new language. A script doesn’t come alive until you have read it at least 8 or 9 times…and you need to do that before…well before Day 1 of Rehearsals.
The reason it reveals itself slowly to you is because of all the other research you do around it. You find out the History of the time the Play was set, you find out the stories of the people who lived during those times, you listen to Music and look at Art from the period to try and help make the world believable to you…make the world seem real to you.
Many people dislike Shakespeare because they quite simply “don’t understand it”. When I first pick up a play of his…I don’t either. But the more I work on it, and the more I read it, and view it from different angles…the more it reveals to me.
The difference is that I give Shakespeare an 8th and 9th chance. Most other people don’t give it a second chance.
And Fitness is the exact same. You have to delve deeper sometimes, you have to ask insightful questions and you have to allow it to reveal its work to you.
If you just go to it with a standoffish attitude, then you can expect standoffish results.
So here are six strategies to help you find your Fitness Inspiration…and spoiler alert…
…None of them are “Check Instagram”
They will all help you move towards the Learn aspect of the Success Loop. You don’t have to do all of them, but I do recommend you do as many as you can take on without feeling stressed out about them.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
CONNECT TO A HIGHER PURPOSE
When you set your goals, I don’t want you to think too much on topics like:
I need to lose 2 stone
I need to look good in this top
I need to get into those jeans
I think they are quite materialistic goals, but I do know they will let you down eventually and will not fulfill you fully if at all.
What you should look more towards is:
I want to be a role model for my family
I want to prove to myself I can change
I want to feel more alive than I do right now
With the second set of goals, you are looking more “Intrinsically” than “Extrinsically”.
Edward Deci in his book Why We Do What We Do says this in relation to Intrinsic Goals:
“…strong aspirations for any of the intrinsic goals — meaningful relationships, personal growth, and community contributions — were positively associated with well-being. People who strongly desired to contribute to their community, for example, had more vitality and higher self-esteem. When people organize their behavior in terms of intrinsic strivings (relative to extrinsic strivings) they seem more content — they feel better about who they are and display more evidence of psychological health.” [1]
And this in relation to Extrisnisc Goals:
“The researchers found that if any of the three extrinsic aspirations — for money, fame, or beauty — was very high for an individual relative to the three intrinsic aspirations, the individual was also more likely to display poorer mental health. For example, having an unusually strong aspiration for material success was associated with narcissism, anxiety, depression, and poorer social functioning as rated by a trained clinical psychologist…[1]
Here we can see that you can literally inspire yourself…and as a by-product, it will make you happier as well.
Think how many times in the past you have used an Extrinsic Goal like “get into that pair of jeans” and you achieved it. Are you now…months or years later still able to get into that pair of jeans?
If they were your sole aspiration…I would give a fair bet that you have gone through cycles of yes and no with that.
If you wanted to get into those Jeans to feel a lot sexier, and it makes you feel more alive and healthy when you do….chances are you are wearing them right now…
Connecting to your intrinsic values will educate you on yourself, it will help you look at what is driving you forward and what and who you really value in your life.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
2. FOLLOW INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE
Don’t follow them on Instagram…i mean you can…but can you actually follow them on more meaningful platforms too?
Do they have a Podcast? Do they have a book? Do they have a blog? Do they have a website? Do they have a YouTube Channel?
All of these longer-form contents will inspire you a lot more than a quick flick and tap on the old IG.
A list of humanoids I find Inspiritational in terms of Fitness and the content I find of their’s most inspirational is the following:
Achieve Fitness Boston (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/achieving-fitness/id1294470614)
Jordan Syatt (https://www.syattfitness.com/blog/)
Mike Vacanti (http://www.mikesmacros.com/)
Tony Robbins (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Awaken-Giant-Within-Immediate-Emotional/dp/0743409388)
Richard Nicholls (https://www.richardnicholls.net/podcast/)
Dave Cottrell (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/master-the-mind-master-anything-with-dave-cottrell/id1287141836)
Mike Matthews (https://legionathletics.com/blog/)
Simon Sinek (https://www.ted.com/speakers/simon_sinek)
Mark Manson (https://markmanson.net/books)
Dan John (http://danjohn.net/)
Dr. Spencer Nadolsky (http://drspencer.com/)
Or there is you know…
Me and my new Instagram page: @the_gym_starter
I may have found some of these initially on Social Media, but without a doubt, their longer-form content is what has inspired me the most and actually that is what I will go back to most when I need that inspirational lift. Not their latest post on Twitter.
Some of them are uber famous, some of them aren’t, and that is the beauty of the list. I gravitate towards people who speak my language. Your list could be extremely different.
This is also just my inspiration in terms of my Fitness and part of that is running my business. Your list could have musicians on there, playwrights, artists…
And that brings me to my next point…
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
3. ENGAGE IN ART
I’m sorry. Coronation Street just doesn’t count. Eastenders is not Art.
In the same way, I think Long-Form content form inspirational people can help you more than their Social Media feeds can, I too think that Art can help you stay connected to your Intrinsic Goals.
Find the things that light a fire up inside you.
For me, it’s the Theatre. For you, it could be Robbie Williams’ “Swing When You’re Winning” or Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.
Art has a wonderful way of making us understand the human condition. When someone can pluck a phrase or a lyric and sum up exactly how you are feeling at that moment, and finds just about the right words, and puts it in a way that speaks to you like you never knew something could…
That lights you up.
And to be inspired…being lit up is very important.
When I am feeling my lowest I would jump on a train and head to London to do two things.
I would walk past my Drama School and listen to Jackson Brown’s “These Days”
Head to Trafalgar Square to go and stare at paintings in the National Portrait Gallery.
Yup. I’m a rock star.
(I challenge you to find another Fitness Blog that uses Bob Ross this effectively)
These were two strategies that have always helped me feel alive. They have made me understand my condition as Adam, they have guided me and connected me with who I believe I truly am.
There’s a lyric in These Days that says:
“Don’t remind me of my failures, I have not forgotten them”
It drives me forward. It teaches me compassion and empathy. It allows me to reconnect to some of the most inspirational times in my life…and I just love it.
Find your song that does that. Watch Movies that aren’t about Superheros beating each other up but that are about real humanity.
Art can and will keep you inspired. Inspiration isn’t linear. If you can get inspired about life that will bleed into your Fitness. It will help you reconnect with your higher purpose.
I was always taught: “You must fall in love each day”
Do that…because it will reconnect you with your Intrinsic Goals and educate you on your own humanity — which is something none of us do enough of.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
4. BECOME PART OF YOUR FITNESS COMMUNITY
Being part of a community can improve Mental Health. One very significant reason for that is that you begin to feel connected.
Connections in this day and age are getting more and more lost in the world of WhatsApp and Email. We don’t talk as much.
And when you have a community you communicate.
Communication is one of my big must do’s for a client. I won’t work with someone if they aren’t willing to communicate with me. They must also communicate with others.
Recently I overhauled my Private Facebook Group and I was really surprised that when I messaged people that I would have to revoke their access unless they joined The Fitness Collective for just £20/month how many of them said thank you to me for allowing them to be in the group for the period of time they were.
They said that although they hadn’t commented much they still got great value from it.
I was astonished.
The words Community, Communication have the same Latin Origin: “Communis” and this means: to share.
Ever heard the phrase: “Sharing is Caring”
If you find a Fitness Community, you will find a place where you can communicate, where you can share and where you can care for yourself and for others.
The Gym floor is this place for many people. Online Fitness Communities are that for others. When you see stories from people, whether you personally know them or not, but when you see their stories, and you spend time with them it’s amazing what kind of an effect they can have on you.
You can learn a lot from other people and especially if those people are just like you. They will share your struggles, your beliefs and your energy…and it will keep you inspired when you see them both succeed and learn.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
5. LONG BOUTS OF LISS
This is a fancy way of saying “go for a walk”.
LISS means Low-Intensity Steady State Cardiovascular work.
This doesn’t just mean Walking though. It can be a light jog…but stay with me.
You can also do all kinds of things like:
Canoeing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Mountain Biking, Tandem Biking, Mountain Climbing, Hill Walking, Beach Surfing, Rock Climbing, Rafting, Kayaking.
The list can go on, and I appreciate that some of them aren’t that accessible to do regularly.
But they do all have one thing in common.
Nature.
And nature can be so moving it hurts and it can be so much fun!
Nature also teaches us insignificance which is a terribly humbling thing to go through. Have you ever been stood in a Mountain Range and felt like a speck of dust?
When we are humbled by nature it gives us perspective on our lives, and perspective is something that you very much require in Fitness.
Find out more about how Perspective influences your Fitness in this Article: Your Scale Strategy
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
6. ACTIVE VISUALIZATION
The first thing a Professional Golfer does before hitting aTee Shot is visualise the shot. Where is the ball going? How will it land? How will the swing feel?
Professional Athletes visualize everything they do. They see how their race will go, they see how that pass will look, they use their imagination in this way for two reasons:
To create a consistent outcome
To drive them forward for success
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you have sat there and imagined how it might feel if it would ever happen?
The imaginative version of try before you buy.
Well, when you visualize your ability to create something you also learn to sense what it will feel like. This will teach you control and understanding, this will train you how to react when things won’t go wrong, you are helping increase your hours of practice in what you are doing.
There are very few things that teach us better than practice.
Afterall; practice makes permanent.
Therefore when you spend time in your imagination, thinking about what it is you are working towards you begin to develop sensual and behavioral responses.
These are known as Manifestations.
When you want something, and you think about it, you visualize it, you sense it…you feel it in your body you then will find the behavior change you desire for that outcome a lot easier.
Because you have mentally practiced for it.
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
CONCLUSION
When you can get Motivation and Inspiration into your Fitness Journey everything will become easier.
Both require action, to be able to get there, but they have slightly different pathways.
Motivation is a Push Factor. Its what drives you to do something.
If all you do is Push in your life, whether that is in Fitness, Business or anything else you will become imbalanced.
To fix that balance you require a Pull.
This is Inspiration.
In order to find inspiration for your Fitness Journey, you need to allow yourself to learn. Learn about the subject of fitness by following inspirational people who will teach you, you need to form an opinion, you need to question why you are doing what you are doing.
It’s almost not enough to just “Do” fitness. You have to allow it to permeate your life…if you want to learn to be ruthlessly consistent and achieve your goals.
I wrote this a few months ago…and I think it sums up this article quite well…
How Do You Get Motivated To Lose Weight and Exercise?
What’s Next?
I have plenty more articles about Motivation in your Exercise and Weight Loss Journey right here on my website.
Here is a selection I think would make great further reading for you:
If you struggle with motivation for a Home Workout then read this:
How To Stay Consistent with your Fitness and why it’s important
How Long Will It Take To Lose Weight with Diet and Exercise?
You are also invited to get a bundle of Fat Loss Goodies from me including:
Get yourself a free month of workouts (Home and Gym-based options)
Get yourself a free copy of my e-book ”27 Ways To Faster Fast Loss”
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