Top Ten Tips To Stay Motivated Every Day In Your Home Gym

A home gym is the perfect solution for achieving your fitness goals without leaving the house. They are incredibly convenient, and professional-quality home gym equipment can last for many years, making it cheaper than a gym membership.  

As we all know, life sometimes gets in the way, and motivation to work out can wane over time. To prevent your dumbbells from gathering dust and to keep you on track with your exercise targets, we have some top tips to get the most out of your home gym.

 

1. Schedule your gym time

Routine means showing up when motivation and discipline fail you. Just because it is in the room next door or there isn’t a gym instructor waiting does not mean you should skip it. This is an appointment with the bench and an Olympic barbell that you can’t miss.  

Put your home gym session in the calendar with a reminder alarm. Having a set time of the day or working out after a particular cue can help too. For example, changing into gym wear as soon as you get home from work or log off your computer, before you end up on the sofa.

 

2. Have a workout plan

Perhaps you can create a workout on the fly, in your head, but for long-term results it is always better to have a plan. Creating a solid workout plan that incorporates a combination of exercises and progressive loading or resistance can help you reach goals. 

 

3. Start with a goal

Having a specific target to work towards can be motivating on its own. Motivation is behaviour directed towards a goal according to psychology. When we achieve goals, dopamine is released, which rewards us with a happy feeling. 

When thinking about choosing goals for your health and fitness, consider whether they are realistic, whether you will enjoy the process as well as the result, and if they can be broken down into smaller interim goals. 

Another suggestion would be to have regular monthly or weekly goals, such as the number of workouts. 

 

4. Track your progress

You can track your progress on an app on your phone or with old-fashioned pen and paper. Since it is your space, you could also track your progress with a whiteboard on the wall. 

Displaying your goals, your starting point and your PBs can help remind you how far you have come and what you have achieved. 

 

5. Keep it varied

Doing the same routine each day will get boring after a few weeks, so make sure you can add variety to the lifts and workouts. Varying tempo, lifting angles and mixing in cardio and circuits can all help keep it interesting.

Keeping it fresh can also mean trying new pieces of equipment and adding new elements to your programme. Why not try swinging a macebell? Or seeing how it feels to smash a slamball into the mat? Or maybe add a few fractional weight plates to the bar?

 

6. Wear workout clothes

It may be tempting to roll out of bed and lift weights in your boxers or pyjamas, but dressing for the occasion can make a huge psychological difference to your motivation. 

Science backs up the idea that wearing gym clothes can get you in the mood for exercise. A phenomenon called enclothed cognition suggests that clothes can change how we feel and behave when wearing them, especially if they are associated with specific activities. 

 

7. Decorate your home gym

The industrial aesthetic of grey breeze blocks in the garage is not motivational for everyone. Make your gym space yours by sprucing up the walls, clearing out the clutter and adding inspiring artwork or your collection of half marathon or Hyrox medals. 

 

8. Get a speaker

Headphones or Bluetooth earbuds are as essential as dumbbells for many people working in a commercial gym. They help to block out other music and chatter, but when you’re at home you can really turn the volume up. 

Research has shown that listening to music can improve exercise performance and motivation, allowing participants to rise to the challenge with less perceived effort. However, the ergogenic response is only positive if it is to your taste. 

Investing in a speaker and creating a motivational playlist, particularly for those hard cardio sessions, will keep you going. Plus you won’t suffer from the discomfort of sweaty headphone ears. 

 

9. Invite a friend to work out with you

There is nothing like accountability to keep you showing up every day. Inviting a friend, a partner or family member to work out alongside provides encouragement as well as accountability.

 

10. Choose equipment you will use 

Two key factors when buying equipment for your home gym are whether you know how to use it and whether you enjoy using it. 

If you only know one kettlebell exercise, then you are less likely to use it, or if you are a beginner weightlifter, then 40kg dumbbells might not be ideal. 

If you love a sweaty airbike workout, then buying one will not go to waste. Or if you are committed to weightlifting, then buying a full rack, coloured bumper plates and a 2-inch Olympic barbell is a great investment for your home gym. 

Whatever equipment you choose, use our tips to stay consistent and keep moving towards your fitness goals.