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What motivates you to exercise?

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Original post by Queen Cersei
Hmmm I still think it is worth trying even if I am a failure at mornings! Do you not find you have to eat before your workout though if you do it before dinner?


No. I would've eaten at around 3pm anyway.
Original post by Queen Cersei
Are all of you morning exercisers? That's the part I find toughest, choosing between sleep and exercise because a lie in always wins :s-smilie:


I find if I haven't gone to the gym by about 10-11 it usually doesn't happen, as I like it being quiet/empty and I'm there for like 3 hours anyway, any later and I hit the busier times of the day and rush hour and it's just a cluster ****, so I think "F it, what's the point..."

Is your problem purely waking up in the morning and feeling motivated, or is it motivation in general?

I used to get up at 4-5am and go running everyday before college/uni and I'm awful at waking up/staying awake. I would put the alarm on the other side of the room so I had to get up and turn it off, and I would keep a drink and some caffeine pills next to my alarm and take them as soon as I woke up. On an empty stomach they hit you in 10mins or so, 200-400mg of caffeine hitting you all at once is a pretty good way to fully wake up and start to feel motivated early in the morning. That gets over the problem of being sleepy/unmotivated upon waking, obviously you need to have general motivation to do something though.
Well for me its very simple... Few reps on the flat bench i.e. my bed... getting the sheets off me. Then its a heavy set on the walking lunges... every day is leg day! Translated, that is getting out of bed. Some high intensity cardio... to the shower... Then its a high octane deltoid destroyer i.e. deodorant time. Then its a cool down to breakfast! Steve Cook got nothin on me!
Original post by Queen Cersei
I am so jealous of that motivation to get up at 5am! I've always been a night person but sometimes stuff gets in the way in the evening that prevents any exercise, do you go to bed earlier by the way?


I sleep more now than I did before, motivation isnt really a problem after a bit, I would now love to stop getting up at 5.30, but if I dont get up and go i feel like crap all day so its just easier to do it.
I used to go during the day or in the evenings but as you said something or another tends to get in the way most days which stopped me from going. You can change though, I've gone from being a night person, sleeping around 1am-3am most days to now being a morning person. A word of warning though, it gets really annoying when you struggle to have a lie in past 8am every sunday!
Original post by Scoobiedoobiedo
I find if I haven't gone to the gym by about 10-11 it usually doesn't happen, as I like it being quiet/empty and I'm there for like 3 hours anyway, any later and I hit the busier times of the day and rush hour and it's just a cluster ****, so I think "F it, what's the point..."

Is your problem purely waking up in the morning and feeling motivated, or is it motivation in general?

I used to get up at 4-5am and go running everyday before college/uni and I'm awful at waking up/staying awake. I would put the alarm on the other side of the room so I had to get up and turn it off, and I would keep a drink and some caffeine pills next to my alarm and take them as soon as I woke up. On an empty stomach they hit you in 10mins or so, 200-400mg of caffeine hitting you all at once is a pretty good way to fully wake up and start to feel motivated early in the morning. That gets over the problem of being sleepy/unmotivated upon waking, obviously you need to have general motivation to do something though.


Gosh 3 hours is a long time- do you not reach exhaustion quickly with lifting as much weight as you do? That's interesting that you say you are awful at waking up like me- by caffeine pills do you mean like ProPlus? I've never thought of trying this, I'm not a coffee drinker so mornings are rather slow for me. Thanks for the tip :smile:

I definitely have the motivation, it is purely the getting out of bed part that beats me!
Original post by Queen Cersei
Gosh 3 hours is a long time- do you not reach exhaustion quickly with lifting as much weight as you do? That's interesting that you say you are awful at waking up like me- by caffeine pills do you mean like ProPlus? I've never thought of trying this, I'm not a coffee drinker so mornings are rather slow for me. Thanks for the tip :smile:

I definitely have the motivation, it is purely the getting out of bed part that beats me!


Not really. That includes warming up, mobility work and rests between sets (which are 3-5mins), so the time quickly adds up. I suppose it's like everything, you get used to it.

Not ProPlus specifically as they're incredibly expensive and not very strong, but things similar. I use these:
http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/caffeine-pro/10529801.html

You could always try having one as soon as you wake up on days you plan on getting up early and exercising, will probably be that kick up the backside and out of bed that you/most people need, especially in the beginning.
Reply 26
Original post by Queen Cersei
Are all of you morning exercisers? That's the part I find toughest, choosing between sleep and exercise because a lie in always wins :s-smilie:


Going to bed early helps a lot, I normally sleep at like 11 on weekdays and get up at like 6 in the morning and at the gym by half 6. I normally down a preworkout as well so I have the energy and stuff :smile:
Okay I don't go to the gym, I started a rowing club which has made me incredibly fit and healthy and the training sessions must be attended if you want to stay on the team. It may sound like hard work but once you start you can't stop because you feel so good in your body and fitness. You could always start a new sport like that or Zumba which is more fun or something which appeals to you more perhaps like swimming or cycling with mates rather than just going to the gym. 👍
Reply 28
It shuts my brain up, lot to be said for mindfulness
It's very rare for men in my family to live past 65, I'd like to live quite a lot longer than that
I find it generally interesting to go explore what I might be capable of
It's just enjoy it, not all exercise but the types I choose
It lets me eat more. I'm currently down to 2400 calories on my fat lose diet, I don't understand how people live on it. I'd be fat if I wasn't as active

I don't do mornings though.
Prefer the gym in the evenings as its usually emptier
The confidence I'll have with a smaller waist line and being more attractive to people (particularly those I pursue romantically).
Original post by Scoobiedoobiedo
I would put the alarm on the other side of the room so I had to get up and turn it off.


This is something I do. If I let it go to snooze, my housemates would kill me :tongue:.

Original post by BKS
I'm currently down to 2400 calories on my fat lose diet, I don't understand how people live on it. I'd be fat if I wasn't as active



If I allowed myself to snack, I could do about 2.4k cals but with proper food, I'd struggle to go past 2000.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 32
Original post by keromedic

If I allowed myself to snack, I could do about 2.4k cals but with proper food, I'd struggle to go past 2000.

I think I'd have go to 3 meals a day on 2000 for them not to all be ****ty and small which would feel like intermittent fasting. I don't understand not having a bed time meal.
Reply 33
The end result.


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Original post by Queen Cersei
I hear of people getting up at the crack of dawn to go down to the gym and bust a move but I can hardly talk myself out of bed after hitting the snooze button three times?

What motivates you to get up and exercise?


I'm a morning person and I just love the endorphin rush I get from exercise :biggrin: at the moment I have exams too, so it's one of the few times I actually get out the flat to do something different and not so mentally tiring!


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Original post by BKS
I think I'd have go to 3 meals a day on 2000 for them not to all be ****ty and small which would feel like intermittent fasting. I don't understand not having a bed time meal.


Only way I can diet is IF

Currently eating 1-1.5 meals a day :yy:

No exercise losing weight life :tongue:
Original post by Queen Cersei
I hear of people getting up at the crack of dawn to go down to the gym and bust a move but I can hardly talk myself out of bed after hitting the snooze button three times?

What motivates you to get up and exercise?


It used to be that i was a perfectionist and I've always had a bit of an ego so being able to outrun friends and be skinny to look good in clothes was the motivation. These days it's thought that my current drought will end with a flood.

I've found the best motivator for me generally is competition.

I exercise in early afternoon generally. Come March or April i plan to join a walking club though.

Original post by Angry cucumber
The thought of being obese

Also I'm at an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease etc due to a previous illness; so that's another rod in my back :smile:


What illness causes that?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Rakas21

What illness causes that?


Chemotherapy :smile:
I got called a fat spaz a lotwhen younger, left me with cripplingsocial anxiety. I can't get around the fact I am technically 'retarded' but I can be well, not fat.

Although now motivation is stop insomnia/hypochondria tells me X days sedentary=heart attack lol
Original post by Smash Bandicoot
I got called a fat spaz a lotwhen younger, left me with cripplingsocial anxiety. I can't get around the fact I am technically 'retarded' but I can be well, not fat.

Although now motivation is stop insomnia/hypochondria tells me X days sedentary=heart attack lol


Your not technically retarded. You do beat yourself up though.

Have you ever read Neitzche? His philosophy might be good for you.

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