The Working Out Push

Many of us work out alone. This is not meant to be a sad thing, it’s just the way things are. It can be a challenge to find someone to workout with who can do it on your schedule or for you to join theirs. I think working out alone has a lot going for it, but I also understand the value of working out with others or a group.

When doing a group exercise there are others there to encourage and push you when the going get tough.

That’s not so much the case when you are alone is it? This can be a slippery slope for some. What can happen, and I’m speaking from experience, is we have all the intentions in the world to hit it hard. We get out there, do the work out, and on days when we are feeling less than motivated we might tend to slack off a bit. Over time, this slack accumulates; until we’ve reached that point where we justify in our minds it’s ok to skip a day. Then it’s two and so on. Before you know it, we’re right back to where we started…staying in bed or on the

couch. Ouch.

I’ve come to appreciate the Working out Push, as I call it, lately. I can hear my former trainers words in my head. I used to tell him after a class a big thank you and I appreciate his efforts to help make me stronger. He replied back one day with words that stuck with me. He said, “You’re doing the work and you’re either doing it or you’re not.” He continued, “you’ll know if your efforts pay off. Why else do it?”

Why else do it?

Now when I’m working out I can rely on my “Working Out Push.” It’s what I’m visualizing in my mind as I can feel things getting hard to do. Sometimes it’s too hard and I don’t want to push. That’s when I hear the words…why else do it? That drives me to push hard during my work outs when I know no one is watching. No one is there to push me. It’s me. Pushing myself. I picture myself as an observer right there pushing me and encouraging me. I’ll hear “come on, you got this!” or “just a bit longer, push, push, push!” I can catch myself going at something half-assed and recognize when I have to call on my imaginary coach. I let that irritate me, the fact I’m slacking, so I dig down deep and give it that extra go needed to get through something.

This is a great thing.

After the workout I can feel like “I did it!” The extra hard work was worth every ounce. It carries me through the day when I have an awesome workout. I feel healthy. I feel strong. This is why I do it. Each day is a new chance to follow my internal coach to drive my “working out push”. It becomes a new challenge to see what I can do in the next work out. I don’t want to slack. If I’m out there I want to exercise. It makes me a better person physically and mentally.

I invite you to describe your “Work Out Push” scenarios below. What do you do to stay motivated to push for that extra rep? How does that make you feel?