Get 'Pumped' to Work Out

The heart says ‘no’. The brain says ‘no’.

And your body – it doesn’t want to get out of bed. It’s as if somebody keeps hitting the ‘snooze’ button.

Yet, you know that somewhere, lodged deep underneath those sheets and that big, comfortable blanket is a great, big “YES!” just screaming to get out.

And no, sex has nothing to do with it.

Getting motivated to work out is sometimes the greatest obstacle in your path. It’s not so much lifting the barbell or lifting those heavy weights that’s the problem. The real challenge is lifting your spirits just to get to the gym.

So here are a few ways to get pumped for pumping up.

- Set goals. How can you score the physique you’re looking for when you don’t even know you’re aiming at? It is important to set standards for yourself, otherwise you will drift aimlessly until the boredom and fatigue set in. Have something to shoot for. Set a date and a target and take the appropriate measures to achieve success.

- Buy a new article of clothing. It could be anything – a dress, a bathing suit – something that is considerably revealing that you want to fit into. During the winter months, buy that bikini that you want to slip into by the time the warm months roll along.

- Buy yourself a new tape or CD. There’s nothing that can get your heart pumping and your feet grooving the way a funky new tune will.

- Plan a trip. Vacation plans always seem to spark a new incentive in your workout regimen. Walking onto the Bahama beach in your dazzling new body is certainly worth the hours and hours of agony in the gym.

- Try a new gym. Sometimes, the change of scenery is what you need to spurt a new attitude. Too many days of looking at the same walls, the same mirrors, the same machinery, and the same old people will leave you with the same old body and the same old empty feeling.