You're not seeing results: why should I keep going?
One of the worst experiences training in the gym is not seeing the results you want to see. Going to the gym isn't always fun, and seeing the results of your hard work is a large motivating factor in being consistent. If you don't keep seeing results, you can quickly lose the motivation to keep going.
So what do you do? How do you keep going even when you see no changes?
Look back through your log
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If you look back through your log, you may be able to find patterns that help you diagnose your plateau. Were you making steady progress with one exercise until you changed it in a certain way? Do you need to change the way you hit a muscle group? Looking through your log will give you a different picture of your training and can help you adjust your routine for better growth.
Acknowledge small victories
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It's really easy to disqualify these small victories. Seeing large changes can be some of the most motivating factors to fueling consistency. More often than not, you'll be winning smaller victories. These will generally compound into larger gains. The more you take the time to acknowledge the small victories, the better you will see them compound into those larger gains, which will give you the motivation to stay consistent through periods of growth that feel slow.
Reassess your goals
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Maybe you've been reaching for a certain fitness goal, but your body is telling you that it's unrealistic. How can you maintain your motivation to keep going to the gym? If you adjust your goals to be more realistic and acknowledge your small victories, you can stay consistent. For example, if your loss or gain goal no longer looks realistic, you can change your weight goal to be achievable in the appropriate time frame.
It's also important to differentiate between general fitness goals and specific program goals. A general fitness goal might keep your fitness at a certain baseline level, while a specific program would have you achieving a gain or loss. You can maintain a gym routine that keeps you healthy, regardless of a weight gain or loss program you may be doing. Even as you might reevaluate and adjust your program goals, it will likely be in your best interest to keep going to the gym to stay relatively healthy.
Evaluate your diet
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Diet and fitness are tightly linked. Nutrition fuels your workout. Strength requires the right food, and much of weight loss is done in the kitchen. If you aren't reaching your goals, you may want to look at your diet. A change in your diet may help you achieve the goals you desire.
Make sure you have a diet plan if you're attempting to achieve a particular fitness goal. Since diet is such a key factor in your physical fitness, you will want to think about whether your current diet will need to change to achieve the goal. If your diet plan is a large departure from your current diet, you will want to pay more attention to it as you work to achieve your goals.
Consult with a trainer
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A trainer will have the specialized knowledge you need to make the progress you desire. It's definitely frustrating to spend time, energy, and money trying to figure it out yourself. If you've performed an assessment yourself and asked your peers, all without the results you desire, it's probably time to consult with and hire a trainer to achieve your goals. Their training and experience will go a long way to making your journey smoother.
