Staying Motivated (Page 2 of 4)

• Set short-term goals as stepping stones to your "ultimate" (long-term) goals: If your long-term goal is to bench press 200 pounds in one year, then set short-term weekly or monthly goals of the weight you will need to bench press to achieve your long term goal--develop a plan. It is a lot easier to accomplish a goal one day or week at a time, such as increasing 2.5 or 5 pounds a week, than it is to think that you need to increase your bench press by 50 pounds.

Make It Fun
Another way of assuring that you stay motivated is to make exercise fun. If you perceive your workout as a chore, you more than likely will not stick with it. Here are some techniques for making your workout something to look forward to.

• Add Variety: If your weightlifting is getting tedious and boring, change one of these factors: Vary how often you do an exercise and the number of sets and reps you do.
• Find an alternate exercise; for example, if you always do the bench press using a barbell, try doing it with dumbbells or on a machine.
  Change the order of the exercises you do for each muscle group and the muscle groups themselves.

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