Why Motivation May Be Sabotaging Your Training Progress

And what to focus on instead

I had an interesting interaction with my mailman the other day, which I’ll tell you about in a sec.

Let me start off by saying that if there’s one thing everybody seems very interested in, it’s fitness — even the people you’d least expect. Truth be told, this little factoid shocked me, but I’ve noticed it seems to be true around the world, not just in my little corner of it. When I used to hitchhike in Israel (not something I suggest you do, by the way lol) and people asked what I did for a living, I’d just tell them that I was a personal trainer.

And boy oh boy, did that light up people’s faces.

They’d want to talk all about their own training, their frustrations, their hopes and dreams. They’d ask a lot of questions, ask me to confirm or dispel myths and fads, and so on down the line.

This brings us to just the other day when I had a chat with my mailman.

I’ve talked to him before, so he knew I was a trainer, and he asked what he needed to do to get in better shape. He weighs more than he’d like to, has some injuries, and has very little time to train, but owns a gym membership, which “I know I need to start using. I’m just having a hard time finding the motivation” (in his words).

My suggestions?

· Forget “motivation” and embrace momentum.

Motivation comes and goes as it is based on our emotions; momentum will carry you through valleys, across plateaus, and over new peaks, because it is NOT fuled by your feelings. It is far more reliable and helps you to build routines which turn into habits which turn into results.

· Aim low.

This may sound counterintuitive, but the reality is that our bodies and minds are just wired to hate big changes. If you were currently working out 0 minutes a day and decided to work out 20 minutes a day (a modest amount), you might still struggle to make it work because 20 is a lot bigger than 0.

What’s NOT a lot bigger than 0 minutes? 5 minutes.

5 minutes is your only commitment. Yes, you can do more if you want, but you don’t have to. Once your 5 minutes is up, you can call it a day training-wise.

What’s great about this is that 5 minutes is enough to get your attention but not enough to avoid doing. It’s almost easier to do it than NOT to do it. I’ve helped more students (online and in person) transform their lives from this one piece of advice than possibly anything else. It’s really that potent.

· Focus on convenience rather than optimal conditions.

Who wouldn’t love to have access to a fully-loaded gym with all the cool training toys they could possibly dream of? Kettlebells of all sizes, pullup bars, space to crawl and carry, etc.

But optimal conditions like the one above can be as fleeting as motivation, so should not be relied upon for your success. Instead, focus on what you currently have available with the LEAST number of blockades and speed bumps in your way. This will almost guarantee your forward progress even in the most unfavorable of conditions because your training is just like anything else in life: it’s a dance between actions and consequences.

Take action and the consequence is that you’ll move in SOME sort of direction forward.

Take no action and you’ll either stay put at best or start backsliding at worst.

Need a focused, done-for-you kick start to get you back on the right track instead of constantly sliding back?

Then you might wanna check out my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge.

It consists of some simple, easy-to-learn movements that I can almost guarantee you’ve NEVER done (including crawling, marching, etc) and as the name implies, it only takes 9 minutes to do.

Not only does it fit neatly at the end of whatever other routine you’re currently doing anyway (so no need to put your regular training on hold), but many people have found that it actually enhances their workouts.

Have a look-see at what a gent named Deo had to say when he added my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge into his current kettlebell program:

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“Simple on paper but surprisingly challenging in an unusually pleasant way. With a focus on the gait pattern, I can tell I’m working things in my body that aren’t being directly challenged otherwise, strengthening foundational elements. I finish feeling refreshed and not beat down, but still knowing I did quality work for my body.”

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Check it out for yourself at www.9MinuteChallenge.com

Have fun and happy training!

Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” Salkin