Long Time Motivation Tricks

Hi,

I´m not really bored or want to drop F1(no way I would drop it...), but I feel that some exercises are getting harder with the time.

Example: I´m doing ABH for nearly 5 months and my progress is slow but steady [ I´m able to36sx5sets ]. But after all this time I would really like to do another exercise, just to get some variety.

I can feel that I´m not as much concetrated anymore and because of that my progress is slowed down.

Sometimes I listen to music to fight this (

How do you stay motivated?

Cue angelic choir, while I envision myself doing planche in glorious soft focus.

That's it really...

Nah, seriously there are so many good reasons to be doing this that I don't really need more motivation.

I'd have thought that Too Long would be a better choice of songs for an exercise like ABH. 

Mostly though, I'm the same as Ravn. So many reasons to stay motivated (the promise of what we'll be able to achieve, the fact that it's working already, etc) and I may be stuck at ABH for the SL progressions, but I'm progressing on pretty much every other element, so variety is still there. Also, do keep in mind that ABRs suck even more so actually enjoy it while it lasts. 

Nice track. I'm motivated, let's go.

Welcome to the world of the athlete. Repetitive grueling long hours of basic foundational drills. Variety won't help your ABH, training ABH however will help ABH. Suck it up, man up, and keep going.

Go for a run if you want variety.

With kindness, RJS.

RJS said:

Welcome to the world of the athlete. Repetitive grueling long hours of basic foundational drills. Variety won't help your ABH, training ABH however will help ABH. Suck it up, man up, and keep going.

Go for a run if you want variety.

Better yet: Do your ABH sets broken up in the middle of a jog, preferrably in a well populated area. And filmed of course.

Really? I've found these courses to be about the only method that *doesn't* bore me. I like the challenge of 'You have 12 weeks to get to this next standard; if you can do it in less you pocket the difference.' I put earphones on when I'm doing rings simply because I get self conscious.

I didnt mean to be harsh in my earlier post, just curt. My apologies.

Watching those videos of nestor abad was motivating. Half of the video is F1, and hes still using those moves in his training.

I like to think about how somewhere out there there's a guy training harder than I am, and I'm going to have to fight him someday.

I don´t find F1 boring and I also like the system.

Well I guess the longer I need to conquer the ABH, the more proud I can be

I don´t find it harsh and in the training scene I find that being harsh and telling people what they have to do in a clear way is sometimes the best way.

Bipocni said:

I like to think about how somewhere out there there's a guy training harder than I am, and I'm going to have to fight him someday.

Ditto - just the first part though, not the second :-)

I imagine myself doing the things that I plan to do with my body. For example, I played with things the other day and...

Visualization is an excellent tool when you're passing through bad moments. I use it a lot. When I go to work with my bike and I pass across my old place where I used to put the rings (quite a lot time since I don't use rings), I imagine myself doing Ring Series there. 

I also read Coach post and quotes about this as a Marathon, not a Race, and this stay me motivated too.

All we've to deal with it, it is part of the process. Process of life, not just training, I would say.

Here's one. I remind myself that I have LateStarter and Carmen Amara on my Facebook; the one who will call me out if I get lazy and the other who will doubtless be a sweetheart about it but no less mock me with her superior strength >.<

Motivation is an interesting thing and it's good to think about it sometimes. I think my main reason for training is that I'm happy and want to stay healthy, live long and so on. On the other hand training makes me happy directly (love to sweat and feel the pain at times) and simply all the benefits it gives you on various levels. (Hormonal and neural effects)

There are also some goals in mind, gymnastic strength moves are just so cool But that last one I find the least compelling why I'm not too strict about my training. I just accept there are times when I'm not as bothered to work out, will miss a day or two of training and it's not a big deal. I have all the time to better myself, not pursuing some specific goal. Considering how much better my body feels, how much better I look and all other benefits F1 has given me even done lousily as me, I'm just not even bothered to "go all in" with training, doing 4-5 training days even if I could and it would speed my progress substantially.

I totally appreciate those who want to achieve crosses and other stuff, but whole lot more important it to enjoy the journey. If you take too much on your plate because you want something fast, it will lead to burnout.

Woah, that was pretty good rant Just want to add there once again thanks to Coach and F1 for all the things it has taught about my own body.  

adriano, that pic is so cool! I especially like the owl with its big eyes in the back 

I use visualization too, but only in my head. Just this morning before getting out of bed I was imagining doing a ring workout on a carribean island because it is pretty cold outside right now 

Buy F2 and every now and then go there and dream about all that you will be able to do eventually if you persist.

I also find that lurking here in the forums is very motivational.

There's a couple tricks I like to use to power through the long holds/high rep exercises:

I like to visualize what I'll be able to do with the work I'm putting in right now. 

I also like to remind myself that the hardest part is the most productive: to improve, you have to push beyond your current limits. The harder the struggle to keep going, the more you're improving. 

It's also helpful to keep in mind that all of the endurance exercises are about building good habits. You're doing so many reps because the goal is to ingrain these patterns of movement deep into your brain. Every rep you do; every second you hold, the patterns get etched just a little bit deeper. 

It also helps to find some music that gets you really pumped up, and play it really loud. 

LateStarter@46 said:

Ditto - just the first part though, not the second :-)

I live in a rough neighbourhood.......

i've felt like quitting every now and then but these 2 vids in particular always seem to toss those thoughts out the window:

For me staying consistent is all about habit. If you need to psyche yourself up and force yourself to get out and train every time, eventually you're going to fail. As wonderful and amazing gymnastics training is, excitement can only sustain you for so long. When you're training the same element, the same way for months on end, excitement is going to be hard to find every day.

When my alarm goes off at 5am I just get up, get dressed and ten minutes later I'm warming up (which is difficult in an unheated garage in sub zero temperatures!). The same way, at the same time every training day. I don't think about it, or second guess myself. It's not because I'm excited or motivated that day, or because I have superior willpower, it's just because that's my routine. I just turn off the chatter in my brain and get to work.

Once you find a groove, your mind and body will just effortlessly slip into training. Don't get me wrong, motivation is important as well. But motivation just gets you started, habit is what keeps me moving towards my goals.

Someone posted this bboy vid that my kids just love.   Also we have barstarzz type people train in a park nearby that we occasionally see.   Very motivating.

I like Bipocni's signature that slow progress is better than no progress.

Rock Lee. Watching Gaara vs. Rock Lee can make me cry because of its awesomeness... which is perhaps a tad embarrassing   

I´m always motivated after watching Dragonball. Maybe I should just watch it everyday before I train

And thanks for all the cool reposts!

The following two quotes have repeatedly proven 'motivating' for me since I began my 'fitness journey':

"No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training ... What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." - [frequently attributed to] Socrates

"Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor." - Alexis Carrel

every time i'm  wondering if i really should train i remember the quote from Coach at the London Seminar towards me when i was in a Wall-Handstand: "Look this is Michael, hes not thinking bout alignment at all, he's just trying not to die" and that i dont want to hear that again at the next seminar. Gets me back to work in no time :-)