Simple Exercise Plan for Getting Motivated in the Gym

Exercise Plan For In The Gym Becky Holliday

Have you ever had an exercise plan that actually motivated you in the gym?

Don’t you think most are overwhelming? And hard to stick to after a week or two? Especially when you feel tired or don’t feel like it?

If so, this blog post’s for you. Especially if you’re looking for an exercise plan for the gym that’s motivating, achievable and simple.

Keep reading to discover:

The #1 problem with most exercise plans you’ve tried.
A free 4-week exercise plan you’ll stick to this time.
The best way to double your chances of success.
How to be the type of person who does what she says she will.
The trick to boosting your motivation by 79%.

The Problem With Most Exercise Plans

Most exercise plans out there assume you’ll always feel motivated to exercise.

Let’s be honest though, we both know that’s not the case.

Yes, maybe for the first week, you feel motivated…but then, not so much.

The thing is, the best exercise plan in the world is no good if it only exists on paper or a screen.

So, I’m sharing a different exercise plan with you today — one that actually works in the real world.

An Exercise Plan That Works

The exercise plan I’m sharing with you is not only motivating, it’s simple and achievable too.

It’s one I believe you’ll stick to no matter what — and won’t give up on in a few weeks.

It’s an exercise plan for the gym I know you’ll always find the motivation to do — even when you don’t feel like it (yes, really!).

YOUR FREE EXERCISE PLAN

TODAY — Book an appointment with yourself to exercise in the gym once a week

This task makes everything else possible. Firstly, it declares you matter. And secondly, it’s a commitment to YOU and your health and fitness goals.

When you open your calendar and schedule an appointment with yourself to go to the gym, you do two things:

You set an intention with yourself to do something important to you.
You more than double your chances of success. (Research shows 91% of people who planned when and where they’d exercise did.)

So, open your calendar now and book an appointment with yourself to exercise in the gym once this week.

WEEK 1 — Exercise for 10 minutes once this week

When you’re starting anything new, the best thing to do for your motivation and long-term success is to go small.

I know you don’t want to start small, but start small you must :). It took me years to realise this, so please don’t make the same mistake as me.

Trust me on this. Start small until you get into a good routine with your exercise plan.

With that said, the first week of your exercise plan should be super easy — so easy you might be embarrassed to tell someone about it. Don’t worry, you don’t need to tell anyone — this is between me and you :).

So, next week, just go to the gym once for 10 minutes.

Your 10 minutes could be as simple as walking or jogging on the treadmill.

Or, doing 5 reps on each weight machine until your 10 minutes is up.

Doing 10 minutes might not seem much, but it teaches important lessons:

Action leads to motivation.
2 minutes of action creates momentum.
Doing anything towards your health goals is empowering.
You f eel good when you do something — no matter how small.
Doing what you said you would, feels AMAZING.
10 minutes adds up over time, to something much bigger.

WEEK 2 — Exercise for 20 minutes once this week

At the start of week 2, open your calendar and schedule one 20-minute gym session with yourself.

On the day of your appointment with yourself, go to the gym for 20 minutes.

This could be as simple as walking or jogging on the treadmill for 10 minutes, then lifting weights until your 20 minutes is up.

Or, 10 minutes on the rowing machine, followed by 5 push-ups, 5 crunches and 5 squats, repeated until your 20 minutes is up.

Right now, it’s not what you do that’s important, it’s doing something for 20 minutes.

This proves to yourself you’re the type of person who goes to the gym.

The type of person who does what she says she will.

WEEK 3 — Exercise for 30 minutes once this week

At the start of week 3, open your calendar and schedule one 30-minute gym appointment with yourself.

On the day of your appointment, go to the gym for 30 minutes.

This could be as simple as 10 minutes on the rowing machine, then walking or jogging on the treadmill for 10 minutes, followed by strength training until your 30 minutes is up.

Or, it could be a group fitness class such as pilates or circuits.

This is where I also recommend you reward yourself for all your effort and commitment so far.

Why not buy a new gym outfit (according to one study, new gym clothes can boost your motivation by 79%), a new book by Brene Brown (who doesn’t love her books?) or a bunch of beautiful sunflowers?

You deserve it.

WEEK 4 — Exercise for 30 minutes twice this week

At the start of week 4, open your calendar and schedule two 30-minute gym appointments with yourself.

On the two days you’ve made an appointment with yourself this week, go to the gym for 30 minutes.

Again, this could be as simple as 10 minutes on the rowing machine, then walking or jogging on the treadmill for 10 minutes, followed by body weight exercises until your 30 minutes is up.

Or, it could be a group fitness class such as HIIT or Bodypump.

Make time: Book appointments with yourself to exercise in the gym three times a week

At the end of week 4, open your calendar and book another appointment with yourself to exercise in the gym — you should have three re-occurring gym sessions scheduled each week.

Now you’re in the habit of two 30-minute gym sessions a week, adding a third shouldn’t feel too difficult. However, if you find your motivation dropping, make your third session 10 minutes at first.

As you progress into weeks 5, 6 and so on, keep repeating your new routine. Over time, you’ll learn what exercises you like to do in the gym and what you don’t. And, keep building an exercise plan to work for you.

And, when you get those weeks where you don’t feel like it, give one of the tips below a go.

Ideas for When You Lose Your Motivation

Whenever you lose motivation, make what you want to do as easy as possible so your brain stops resisting it.

For example:

Just go to the gym for 10 minutes.
Reduce your exercise plan to one day a week again.
Swap your 30-minute gym session for 10 jumping jacks, 5 push-ups and 5 squats at home.

Read These Posts For More Motivation:

Mindset

The mindset for this exercise plan — and the motivation tips above — is about remembering anything is better than nothing for achieving your goals. Consistency always wins over time.

So keep trying. Keep going. And never give up.

With love,

Becky x