In and Out of the Gym? Here's Why You Can't Stay Consistent - and 11 Tips to Fix It

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How often do you find yourself starting over at the gym?

You start off motivated. You go regularly. The gains are beginning to show. But then, something comes up.

Maybe you’re sick. It could be a bad day at work. Friends and family are hitting you up to hang out.

So you take a day off. That turns into two. Then it becomes next week. Before you know it, over a month has gone by.

All your gains are gone and now you need to start over. And that motivation you had just isn’t there anymore.

To make things worse, you allowed some of those bad habits you were trying to avoid creep back into your life: greasy food, sugar, alcohol, smoking, excessive screen time.

Trust me, I’ve been there.

Several years have gone by where I never saw the inside of a gym. I may have played the occasional game of tennis or golf, went skiing, or some other kind of activity; but it was pretty inconsistent. My job as a land surveyor was physical, so I considered that to be good enough.

Things started to change for me when I got a job working in an office. It was 8 hours a day sitting at a computer punching in and analyzing data, sending and receiving emails, and making the occasional phone call.

Compared to my last position, this was a breeze. However, I quickly realized that I needed to be mindful of my health in a job like this. There were a lot of people working in my building who were overweight, out of shape, health problems, bad skin, bad hygiene, and skinny-fat. It wasn’t everyone, but there were enough of those people that I couldn’t ignore it.

Spending my working hours sitting at a desk, looking at a computer, living off of coffee and takeout food would catch up to me sooner or later. I knew I had to take action; but I wasn’t ready to lift weights.

The solution I came up with was yoga. There were classes close to my office I could attend every day on my lunch hour. I started going.

It was awkward at first. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I kept at it and eventually got good. I got to a point where if I had to miss a day due to work or other commitments, I felt off.

I stayed consistent with yoga for a long time, but then I went through a period of a couple of years where I was moving a lot. Sometimes I would work out at home with a YouTube video or exercises I had previously learned. However, it got to a point where yoga just wasn’t as enjoyable as it once was.

I hadn’t been working out for a long time when I came across a copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Bodybuilding Encyclopedia. I spent a couple of afternoons browsing the pages and thought - I can do this!

Yoga is a great way to get in shape, but it’s difficult to build muscle without the progressive overload that lifting weights gives you. I had a lean figure that was toned, but I wanted to have muscles that popped. After a lifetime of being skinny, I decided to pursue the body I always wanted.

I got a membership at a small dingy gym in the basement of a strip mall. It was perfect. I had a plan of what I was going to do, and set out to work.

In the beginning, I started out slow, as an absolute beginner. I would start with the smallest weights, or just the bar and go up in five pound increments. I’d have my phone out in between exercises Googling things like “proper bench press form”.

Every day I went to my job, I made sure to stop at the gym before going home, as well as Saturdays. Sometimes obligations would come up and prevent me from going, but I was usually able to make it at least five days a week - sometimes four, rarely less.

I started paying more attention to my diet. I hired a nutritionist who taught me how to track my macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) so that I could get the body I wanted.

I paid very little attention to my progress. I kept a logbook, so I could remember how much weight I was able to lift on each exercise - but I seldom weighed myself and rarely spent time flexing in the mirror. I was solely focused on the process.

Then one day it all came together.

I was getting dressed and put on a t-shirt I hadn’t worn in awhile. It fit a little weird. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe it. My arms had grown in size to the point where they filled out the sleeves of my t-shirt.

From there, things started to change. My gains kept going up. Other people at the gym were noticing my progress. They would strike up conversations or ask me for a spot. A few strangers came up to me to ask for workout advice.

I stayed true to my workout plan and kept up with my diet.

Until Covid happened.

When the gyms shut down, I was pissed. I had close to two years of consistent effort putting in work at the gym and was dialed in about 80-90% with my diet.

I tried to keep up, but ultimately went right back to living a sedentary lifestyle. At least my diet was a little better this time.

The two year period was rough. I sometimes worked out at home or went for a bike ride, but not consistently. The gyms would open. Then they would close. Okay - now you can come in, but only with a mask - you can’t talk to anyone - and you can only stay for one hour. Who the hell wants to work out like that? I’d rather stay home - so I did. Then they closed again. Okay, now we’re open - but only for people with proof of vaccination. I still couldn’t go.

What made things worse was that I knew what I should have been doing. I could have been performing bodyweight workouts: burpees, pushups, pullups, pistol squats, handstand pushups. Instead, I got lazy, smoked too much pot and spent too much time on the computer.

Eventually common sense started to prevail once again - kinda. The gyms were finally open without restriction. The masks were off. I could get back to working out.

Since that time, I’ve managed to stay pretty consistent with my workouts. I do my best to make it to the gym six days a week. Things still come up. I miss days here and there. Sometimes I miss a week or two. But, I always come back and keep working.

On top of that, I’m putting together a home gym to use in addition to my commercial gym membership. It puts the power back in my hands. All the excuses of the gym being closed, packed with New Years resolution crowds, or not having enough time aren’t going to be acceptable anymore. I get to work out as I see fit on my own schedule.

So what can you do to ensure that you stay consistent and maintain your momentum? Keep making gains. Building muscle. Losing weight. Living healthy.

Here are some things that helped me:

1. Have a plan and research what you’re going to do before stepping foot in a gym. Make sure that it’s something you can stick to and will give you the results you’re looking for. This way, you know what you need to do, and you won’t be fumbling your way through the gym guessing which exercises you should be doing. Know exactly what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it.
2. Focus on the process - not the results.You already found a plan to help you get there. Now just focus on getting to the gym, performing the exercises correctly, finding out where your limits are - and then pushing them.
3. Don’t try to do everything at once.Break everything into smaller chunks. Focus on one muscle group at a time. Get your exercise regimen down before fixing your diet.
4. Do what works for you.There was a time when yoga was what I really loved doing. Now it’s a bodybuilder’s weightlifting regimen. For others, it could be bodyweight exercises, playing a sport, running outdoors, surfing. Just be sure to do something.
5. Find the right place for you.Some people love going to the gym: the atmosphere, the people, the staff, and all the equipment you need. It could be a large commercial gym or a small weight room in the basement of a strip mall.For other people, the gym is a nightmare: crowds, no parking, waiting for equipment, noisy. judgmental, and that guy isn’t wearing any deodorant.Setting up something at home may be a better way to get in shape. You can work out when you want, however you want, without having to deal with anyone else or paying expensive gym memberships.Whatever you choose, just make sure that the place you work out is a place you’ll enjoy going.
6. Discipline beats motivation.There are plenty of days where you just aren’t feeling it. Go work out anyways.You don’t have to give it your all every single day. A half-assed workout is better than no workout at all.There have been many times where I was dreading my workout, but I did it anyways and by the time thirty minutes passed, the endorphins started kicking in. I got myself to a point where I actually was feeling it and went on to have a great workout session - but I had to work to get it there.
7. Have a goal, or at least a reason.It doesn’t have to be six pack abs or a 4 plate deadlift. It could be looking better in the mirror, feeling more energetic, or playing with your kids without having to stop and take a break.
8. Embrace the pain.Especially if you plan on getting into seriously good shape. You’re going to be sore almost every day for the first couple of months - and that’s normal.
9. You don’t have to go all out.You don’t need to be in the gym for 2-3 hours a day 6 days a week. For most people, trying to do that is setting yourself up for burnout.Fitting in a 30 minute workout every day, or a solid session three days a week is fine for most people.
10. Have a set time to workout.That way you don’t have to think about it. You just look at the clock and go.For me, it’s on my way home from work. Some people like to wake up early and do it. Still, others wait until the middle of the night to get their workouts in.Find a time that works for you and be consistent about it.
11. The more time you spend away from the gym, the harder it will be when you start going again.The best way to avoid that feeling is to continue working out on schedule.

All in all, it’s not the end of the world if you fall off. The biggest mistake you can make is to keep putting off what you know needs to be done. No one can force you to go to the gym and nobody can do your workouts for you.

Whatever your journey looks like, the key is to keep going. Start where you are, do what you can, and stay consistent. That’s where real results happen.

I’ll be sharing more of what’s worked for me — both in the gym and outside of it — so stay tuned, and don’t forget to subscribe.

God Bless.

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