Sick of working out, Bored of working out, Totally unmotivated to exercise, Losing interest in working out


While a few special people really love spending hours in the gym, most of us go through stretches where the motivation to exercise simply isn’t there. Many people can work through these spells, but too many people give up all together.

Here are the top 4 reasons you get tired of working out and simple solutions to break out of your slump.

1. You Aren’t Making Any Progress (Or You’re Going Backward)

Whether your goal is to get rid of inner thigh fat, gain weight, get stronger, or whatever, once your progress stalls your motivation can drop off in a hurry. It’s not long before frustration sets in and you give up.

To combat this: reconsider your goals and your time frame, are they realistic? If not, then adjust them, if so, then consider your exercise program. Does it support your goals? If you are trying to lose weight do you know how many calories you are consuming vs how many you are burning? If you are trying to gain strength are you using the correct weights, exercises and rep ranges?

Quick Tip: If you are really stuck consider hiring a personal trainer for a session or 2. They can give you an objective opinion about your goals and your path to achieve them.

2. You Are Over-Trained

Over-training results when you push your body too hard without giving it proper time to rest and recover. Symptoms of over-training include sleeplessness, mood changes, decrease in stamina/energy, loss of appetite, loss of interest in exercise, etc. Over-training will stop your progress dead in its tracks.

To combat this: get some rest. Take a few days off, get lots of sleep, drink lots of water, and eat lots of good nutritious food. You will need to reevaluate your exercise and eating program to see if it’s too ambitions. Your body can only handle so much and when it comes to exercise, less is more.

Quick Tip: Less is more. Try cutting back the volume of exercise and increasing the intensity. Limit your time in the gym to an hour or less 3 days per week. Try doing fewer sets per body part giving each one maximum effort. Try doing HIIT cardio rather then mindlessly running on the treadmill for an hour.

3. Your Exercise Program Hasn’t Changed In A Year

Going to the gym (or working out at home) and doing the same exercises for the same number of sets and reps will drive even the most hard core exerciser to madness.

To combat this: change your routine every 3 to 4 weeks. Change the exercise, the number of sets, and the number of reps per set. For cardio, try different exercises or try several different exercises for shorter periods. For example, I get bored on the treadmill, so I will do 10 minutes on a treadmill, 10 minutes on a bike, then 10 minutes on an elliptical machine.

Quick Tip: There dozens of exercises you can perform for any given body part. Get educated and try new things. Doing the same things over and over will become stale and will likely halt your progress over the long term because your body is very good at adapting to any exercise program.

4. You Don’t Have A Workout Partner

Working out with a friend can provide motivation, inspiration, and needed help when moving weights around. A training partner can check your form and spot you when necessary and they can also give you new ideas for new programs, exercises or routines.

To combat this: Ask a friend or coworker or someone at the gym to try working out with you. It can start as a simple 1 time thing with no commitment beyond 1 workout. It’s almost like going on a first date (but no kiss at the end).

Quick Tip: Having a good training partner is great for your motivation and it’s great for your spirit. Working out with someone creates a strong bond that you will value for a long time.

Many issues can cause you to grow tired of your exercise routine, but there’s no reason to stay stuck in that rut for long. Many times we develop tunnel-vision and don’t know why we go from loving exercise to dreading it. With a little thought and experimentation you should be able to get back your interest in exercise and propel yourself to new heights.

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