Mental block - 2 years and I just can't get motivated

[AvettBro]

background - early 30's, male

been doing a four hour / week fitness routine before sun up for a few years.

i've got a mental block. my muscles seem work. i just have lost faith I can do anything.

I'm down almost 200+ lbs and still I beat myself up for not doing a pull up or stuttering while jumping ropes.

this has been so much mental for me.

i want to keep going - but - i'm sore and just can't get fired up.

[lemongranita]

Sounds like you've done great work over the past couple of years. Have you any short/medium term goals at the moment to work towards?

I'm horribly inept at jumping rope too. My personal record for consecutive jumps without a tangle or trip is about 10.

[SirEarl]

make those little things that bother you your focus for the time being

I've done tons and tons of skipping, but I still trip up all the time, especially with the new style of rope I've been using.

One thing that may help, is to look back on the past. Did you think that you could get up before the sun to workout constantly? Perhaps you are able to do things you couldn't do before like push ups or lift heavy heavy weights.

[AvettBro]

I've got about 40 lbs left before by bmi says I'm no longer 'obese'. That just seems far away.

Maybe I need to splurge and get some new music on itunes...

I'm sure there is some workout list on the forum somewhere.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Wow! Down 200+ pounds? That's fantastic! How inspiring! Way to go!

What does your routine look like now? Maybe it needs to be changed up a bit? Have you been doing this same routine for the "few years" you mention? I last about six months before I revamp my routine.

Music is a good start, too. And looking back and listing not only your weight loss accomplishments, but physical things you can do now you couldn't before, general well-being changes, etc. help me when my motivation starts to wane.

You mention being sore. Are you getting enough recovery time and getting enough protein? If I'm excessively sore, sometimes I'll throw in an extra day or two of rest. Can you explain what you mean in more detail? Sometimes mineral deficiencies cause me to be sore.

Congrats again on what you've done already!

[Raincloak]

You need a deadline. Sign up for a contest, or make a bet with a friend. Pick a date that is a reasonable distance in the future, but not so far away that you can afford to slack off.

The bet goes as follows: If you don't do (X) physical stunt (eg, pullups) on (Y) date in (Z) minutes, you're a LOOOOOOSER. You may also pledge some sort of forfeit, such as money, chores, humiliating stunts, sexual favors, whatever. If you complete the terms of the challenge, you are a GREAT AND GLORIOUS HERO and you get something nice, such as a new video game, an expensive dinner, tickets to a concert, a night with his girlfriend, etc. (Kidding about the girlfriend, obviously. Even if she agrees, it's best to just not go there.)

This will force you to train with purpose, lest you look like a moron on test day. It works better with high stakes, but some people find that the mere threat of failure is enough.

p.s. You probably need to switch up your routine, if you've been doing the same workout for years. You're probably bored. Try finding a new workout or better yet, take up a sport. If you've been training for several years and you still can't do one pull-up, you may need to increase your upper-body work.

Also, check your diet. If you're feeling depressed and crappy, you may be missing some sort of nutrient.

[AvettBro]

thanks -- i'll look at switching up maybe add a multivitamin.

[AvettBro]

OK -- signed up for tough mudder!

[fire.eagle]

Oh, wow. Good luck with the mudder. I avoid those for now. But, that does help get past having no motivation; I used a warrior dash for the same results to get started a while back.

One thing I didn't see mentioned: it looks like you say you're just working out (with some amazing results though, I might add). Is there anything particularly sporty you'd like to be able to do? If you have something you want to be able to do with what you're doing, it can help get you going. Personally, I want to get better at rock climbing, so it's easier for me to force myself to work on my pullups because I need the grip and upper body strength.

[Piccolojones]

First off, I'm impressed with your dedication to be working out for two years, even if you say you aren't motivated. What I found to be most helpful with my motivation is tracking changes. I started off with a very simple bodyweight routine, so improvement was down to tracking if I could do one more push up than last time or one more pull up. Are you measuring anything? It could be weight (yours or what you're lifting), reps, inches (or cm if that's your thing), and any number of other things. Bettering myself and being able to "beat" myself always challenges me to keep going and do more.

Keep going. It sounds like you've got a solid foundation. You can do this.