You know the drill.
You work your little arse off at the gym for a couple of weeks trying to look like Kendall Jenner/Beyonce/Rosie HW, then one night of a Netflix/Dominoes binge happens and BAM...you're off the wagon.
Gone are the dreams of being the next Womens Health cover star with abs of steel and instead you're right back where you started and your gym card is gathering dust.
I've probably experienced this about 195742 in the past few years but in the last month or two, I've actually done what I thought was impossible. I'VE STUCK WITH IT.
As the ultimate lazy gal, it's been the biggest challenge EVER getting myself out of bed in a morning but now I'm actually at the point where I enjoy going to workout and I thought I'd share some words of wisdom with you that might help you stick at it too!
Go with a workout plan / I used to be the WORST for wandering around the gym with no real rhyme or reason to what I was doing resulting in me doing a few minutes on the treadmill then a few reps on a weight machine having no idea what it actually did and then being too scared to try anything else so I'd just go home
and binge on chocolate and allllll the Monster Munch. Phew.
NOT ANYMORE HUNS. Partly due to my addiction to Women's Health magazine and website and a little girl crush on Cassey Ho from Blogilates, I make sure I plan every gym session before I go and I know exactly what I'm doing and for how long and what it actually does for my body. I'm also not a big scaredy-cat anymore and I'll jump into the weights area with all the grunting men without looking back. YAAAAASSS GIRL POWER.
Make plans to go with a friend / Part of the reason I've gotten into working out in the first place was making plans a couple of times a week to go with a friend and just having that time booked into my weekly schedule actually made me stick at going and working alongside someone else made it super productive - with a little gossip in between!
While I'm perfectly comfortable going to the gym on my own, getting out of a cosy bed in a morning is the ultimate chore, but knowing you've arranged to meet someone there and you don't want to be a knob and cancel is the biggest kick up the bum you can have!
I also book a weekly body pump class with my friend Fran now, and while it's super early at 8:30am, I never miss it - and it's nice to have someone understand the struggle of walking up a flight of stairs after!
Go first thing / Following on from making plans with a friend, I find if I am going it alone, I'm more likely to actually get out of the door if I'm doing it as soon as I've woken up. I aim to get to the gym before 10am each time I go and giving myself that sad little challenge actually works and I'm done and back home before midday - meaning that little lie down on the sofa with an extra episode of KUWTK is well deserved and guilt-free!
Variation / Okay, so you've been going to the gym for a couple of weeks and you're starting to get into it but your routine is starting to bore you to tears. Mix it up!
While I like to have a plan for the week so I know exactly what I'm doing, I always try to shake things up here and there and doing a class or even doing a bit of yoga at home is a great way to do that. Body Pump is my favourite class at the minute, but even going for a little swim will still keep you fit and active and won't feel like such a chore!
Set your clothes our the night before / So this one is a bit sad, but the night before my gym sessions I like to set out all of my clothes and things I need for the day ahead. Then in the morning I can just throw them all on knowing I look fabulous (kind of...) and I don't have to spend too much time rooting around for matching socks with those squinty just-rolled-out-of-bed-eyes.
Have a bitchin' workout playlist / THE MOST IMPORTANT. There's nothing more motivating than being in your own little world on the treadmill thinking how awesome you are with a fab playlist in your ear. I love listening to all them girl power tunes (Destiny's Child is a must) with a mix of chart stuff and old school R&B. If you're struggling though, Spotify has some fab workout playlists that are all ready to go for you and you're guaranteed to get in the zone and work out twice as hard! Do yourself a favour - download Anaconda by Nicki Minaj and thank me later.
Buy workout clothes you feel good in / A supportive sports bra and a well fitting pair of gym leggings can fix a multitude of sins, and while it's bit superficial and it's all only going to get ruined by sweat anyway, having cute gym clothes and knowing you look good will help HEAPS. I'm slowly delving into patterned leggings and I just picked up this gorgeous marble printed sports bra from Debenhams! With so many places doing their own activewear now too, there's so many affordable choices for good quality stuff that won't rip to shreds when you're doing your squats. My faves are H&M, Missguided, Pink Soda and F&F at Tesco!
Take progress shots / This one is obviously a slow burner but taking photos of yourself every now and again is the best motivation EVER. I've had so many days where I've felt like I couldn't be arsed and like I'd rather just eat all the takeaways and chocolate and be a little piglet than do a squat or deadlift but I've slowly been collecting a little album of progress shots on my phone which help pick me up on those down days. It's also a great way to find areas to focus on as well as the area that I see the least change I know is the area that I need to bust my arse at the most!
I hope this has helped out a little bit for any of you who are on a mission to get the ultimate bikini body but are having trouble getting into it! I'm by no means a expert on all and I don't have an ab to my name but I'm the definition of lazy when it comes to the gym and these little tips are all helping me out massively so far!
I'd love to know what helps you stay motivated for the gym though, let me know in the comments below and as always don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with more posts (I'll be posting more regularly, promise!)
Always, Alice x
