10 Tips to Stay Motivated for Your Workouts

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We all have those days where we don't want to exercise and the days where when we do make it to the gym our workouts are awful. It's okay - that's life! This is a lifestyle and we completely believe in the 80/20 rule with everything (it's how we've maintained this healthy lifestyle for over 5 years)! With that being said, we wanted to share some of our tips so that you can get the most out of your workouts!

Tips to Get Yourself to the Gym & Stay Motivated Once You Get There!

1. Schedule your workouts like you would a doctor's appointment - and keep them. At the beginning of the week take a few minutes to write down your schedule and your workouts. Remember to take at least 1-2 rest days per week. If you can't make a workout you have scheduled, don't beat yourself up about it. You can still remain active and do a short workout at home!
2. Have a workout plan! There's nothing worse than spending an hour on a cardio machine and then moving up and down the aisles of machines without a clear plan. I see it all the time in the gym! If you want to succeed with your fitness goals, you need a clear plan. Try one of ours - we have 4 week plans and 12 week plans. We even have plans just for runners! All of our plans outline exactly what to do each day (how many reps, sets, etc). You will reach your goals much faster with a plan!
3. Workout when you can. The best time of day to workout is whatever time you will do it! You will read articles about why morning workouts are better or why evening workouts are better but really the best time to workout is whatever time you can. It would be best to try and keep the same time each day but life happens!
4. Make it a habit. Believe me, I was not an athlete growing up (besides rec league cheering and softball) so I don't come from a background in sports but I actually like the gym now. I never thought I would say that! It might be hard for you at first but just keep going and stick to your plan until it becomes a habit!
5. Don't be afraid to mix up your days. On the days when you are really just dragging in the gym do the workout that you like the most. For example, my favorite is leg day so if I'm not feeling the gym that day I'll do legs because I like that workout. If I have to drag myself to the gym and put myself through a workout that I don't even like it won't be pretty! Do your least favorite workout on the days when you are feeling your best. It's okay to swap out days, just make sure that you are taking at least 2 rest days before you work that body part again and at least 1 full rest day per week.
6. Start playing your favorite playlist before your workout. Gear your mind up for the gym by listening to your playlist while getting ready for the gym. It will pump you up before you even get there! 
7. Complete all reps on each side before switching. Using this trick will make you finish all reps. For example, if you need to do 12 step-ups on each leg, complete 12 step-ups on the right leg before moving onto the left leg. If you try to do 6 and 6, and 6 and 6 again, you will probably quit after the first 6!
8. Find a workout that you like! There's nothing worse than going to the gym and dreading what you do. Of course, there are things that we think everyone should incorporate into their workouts like weights, cardio, and flexibility training but you can be creative with how you do these types of training. Don't like the treadmill? That's fine! Take a class as your cardio! Try one of our challenges and give one of our workouts a try. ;-)
9. Be flexible! Is your equipment taken? Try to do something in its place or skip it and come back to it at a later time. Don't get frustrated - there are alternates for almost everything! Instead of a barbell use dumbbells, bands, etc.
10. Stay motivated. This is hard, right? The title of this is 10 tips to stay motivated but one of the tips is to stay motivated! Yes, we meant to do that. You must find ways to stay motivated. We want you to become your own motivation instead of constantly searching for outside motivation. It's easier said than done but there are a few things you can do to make this happen. Record your workouts (again, our workout plans have a place for you to record everything!) so you can see how much stronger you are getting! Even if you can't tell a difference in a mirror, seeing how you improve in your workouts is a great motivator. Try to avoid using others looks as motivation because you could easily fall into a comparison trap (this post on 5 Reasons You Aren't Achieving Your Dream Body may help!).

We hope these tips help you reach your goals. Always remember, progress is progress - no matter how slow. Never give up!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Andrews Bald & Rocky Top

I have NO idea why I just realized that although our website is pretty extensive we basically leave out a HUGE portion of who we are and what we do. We aren't like many other fitness websites or fitness "personalities". We don't count calories or macros. We also don't live in the gym.

More often than not you will find us outside hiking. We've been on some amazing hiking trips that I plan to post about in the coming months. Hopefully you find these inspirational and a way to get outside of the gym. Along with the new travel page we've also added a money page to the website in order to fully encompass what we are all about! We are very excited to bring much more than just workouts and recipes to you in 2016!

Back to hiking, a few weeks ago (Nov 20-21, 2015) we went hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Scott had the day off on Friday so we drove up early. GSMNP is about three hours from us and we always leave super early to beat a lot of the traffic in the park. We were only there for two days but took advantage and hiked each day.

Hiking In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Andrews Bald

3.5 Miles
Moderate

We did Andrews Bald on Friday afternoon for a short and sweet hike. It was only 3.5 miles and we loved it! The payoff was HUGE, especially considering it was such a short hike. Once we got out of the trees and onto the bald, it was breathtaking.

We posted the plank picture (above) on Instagram. I absolutely love the way it turned out with the mountains in the background. After resting and eating for a few minutes we headed back out to the car. One the way out we were talking about how this hike is a great one for someone just starting out because it's not too difficult (but definitely leaves you breathless in some spots!) and has great views.

After hiking we went into Gatlinburg, TN to eat dinner at Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Q. At Bennett's we wanted to just order a few pounds of meat because we don't eat any of the sides that most BBQ restaurants offer. This restaurant was just like a few others we've been to where they don't let you order just the meat while dining in. However, our waitress allowed us to order from the "to-go" counter to get just the meat and eat it at the table. I know that many of you always ask what we eat when we go out so these posts will give you a glimpse into that. We normally only eat out while we are traveling.

After dinner we drove to our hotel in Townsend, TN (we stayed at Townsend Gateway Inn). 

Rocky Top

11.5 miles
Strenous

On Saturday we woke up and set out to hike Rocky Top. Thankfully this was only about a 20 minute drive from the hotel. We started this 11.5 mile hike at the Lead Cove Trailhead. It was pretty difficult and basically uphill the entire way to the top. This trail does join the Appalachian Trail for a few miles so I had to stop and take a picture for my dad!

Once at Spence Field it was another 1 mile to Rocky Top where it was cold and windy. We actually talked about quitting and turning around but we, of course, didn't. We hiked all the way to Rocky Top and we are glad we did!

On the way back down the mountain we met the nicest dad and daughter hiking duo. They were doing a two night trip in the park. I love seeing families spending time together outside! We meet some of the best people hiking and I can't wait to tell you more of their stories!

After finishing the hike we headed back into Gatlinburg (after picking up some Red Velvet Fudge!) to eat lunch. We were going to eat at Mellow Mushroom but it was almost impossible to get to the restaurant with traffic so we ate at Texas Roadhouse instead. After lunch we made the three hour drive back home.

I hope that this post, previous hiking posts I've written (you can find those here), and future posts will encourage you to get up and start moving. Don't limit yourself to the gym, running, or classes. Almost all of my best ideas come from when I am outside in nature, completely unplugged.

Healthy Is Not "One Size Fits All"

This is something that I posted a few months ago in our FREE Healthy Living Challenge group but wanted to share it here as well. Honestly this is just a few rants from me. :-)

As we've mentioned many times previously, what works for one person might not work for you. What works for you this year might not work for you next year. Our bodies are always changing and we need to be flexible and learn to listen to our bodies. For example, some people might feel better with higher carbs and less fat and some people might feel better with lower carbs and higher fat. One isn't better than the other and one isn't "wrong"! Maybe your best friend did lose 20 pounds by cutting out carbs and instead started eating coconut oil, peanut butter, and bacon with each meal but if you tried the same thing you would end up eating an entire jar of peanut butter instead of one tablespoon. What do you think would be better? That you continue to eat a balanced diet, even if it is more carbs than her, or try to force yourself to eat the same way she does, knowing that you will over-indulge in those foods? Being healthy and fit is NOT one size fits all. You have to take the time to find out what works for you (be patient, this can be a long process!).

I also see way too often that people get hung up on "being perfect" or "being holistic" that they just give up and don't do anything. How does that make sense? You wanted to be perfect and/or holistic but you couldn't so you just gave up? Make small changes that add up over time to a HEALTHY lifestyle change...notice I didn't say perfect. As we mentioned in our Getting Started with Clean Eating post, we changed everything "overnight" but if you can't do that - that's okay! Just get started!

Keep in mind that you will be able to find anything you want online...on both sides of everything. Every day something new will kill you if you eat it - according to someone. YOU must find balance and find what works for YOU. This takes TIME. If it sounds good to be true it probably is. Only eat bananas all day, no fats, no carbs, only eat grapefruit, no protein? Seriously?! Just eat a balanced diet of HEALTHY food and LIVE YOUR LIFE. Don't get so hung up on every single detail. The details will ultimately drive you crazy.

Am I as lean as I once was? Nope. My priorities have changed - I now spend more time coaching others and I'm being pulled in a million different directions all the time. Is this an excuse? Not in my mind because I'm still in the gym 4-6 days a week and I still eat healthy and I AM STILL HEALTHY. Being lean doesn't equal being healthy. It takes A LOT of focus, time, and energy to be super lean. Honestly, I think the reason I've been successful is because I've been on this "fitness journey" for almost 4 years now and I've never tried to get a "bikini body". I did do a photo shoot but that wasn't my main motivator, I just wanted a healthy lifestyle - one where I could travel and hike and do all the things I love to the best of my ability. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a "bikini body" or whatever your goal is but there HAS TO BE SOMETHING MORE! There has to be something else driving you. What happens after you work for 3 months just to walk around in a bikini during the summer? What happens in the fall? You just go back to your old habits until March rolls around again? Is this the position you are in right now?

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