Don’t bullshit a bullshitter. We have all made some nonsense excuse to skip the gym a day here and there, so when someone who obviously makes a habit of that starts to tell you how it is impossible for them to work out on a regular basis, it’s easy to see right through it.
The bottom line is if you want to find time to train, you’ll do exactly that.
No one has it easy when it comes to adhering to a steady training regimen and it takes dedication to not only drag your ass to the gym five days a week, but also eat a healthy diet and get enough rest so all three facets come together to live a healthy lifestyle.
So when we list some of the more common excuses why the part timer or New Year’s Resolution crowd “just can’t seem to make any progress,” it is done with tough love and the ‘been there, done that’ attitude.
1. NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY
Getting in a decent workout can take you less than an hour (in some cases, much less), so you need to wake up a little earlier or stay awake a little later to make sure you extend the hours in an given day.
The local gym is not so local or you don’t have enough time to drive back and forth? Then buy a home exercise machine or do sprints, crunches, push-ups and planks. If you want to do it, you will.
2. NAGGING INJURIES HOLDING YOU BACK
Bad knees? A bad elbow? Shoulder pain? Anyone who has trained with weights over an extended period of time has had one or all of these injuries and you merely have to get used to the pain and discomfort. Taking time off when it first occurs is a smart option or even doctor-prescribed medication or surgery, if necessary. But there will come a time when you have to grin and bear it, wear a knee or elbow brace and eliminate some of those movements that fuck you up.
3. HEALTHY FOOD TASTES LIKE SHIT
Well, you got one there, pal! Grilled chicken and brown rice does get old after a while, but you have to make the best of it and try different dishes to mix things up every once in a while. And – if you must – enjoy a cheat day once a week. But there has to be a happy medium between bland food and a Big Mac extra value meal.
The first thing that you should ask yourself is ‘what did I eat for breakfast this morning?’ If it’s bacon, egg and cheese on a roll with butter, stop right there with the lame ass excuse.
4. I’M TOTALLY EXHAUSTED
If you expect to get something out of a workout, you need to have the energy to put some balls into it, right? So if you find yourself out partying late into the night and then get to the gym before work in the morning, chances are that you will not have one of those workouts that you talk about…unless it’s to say how much of a waste of time it was.
Not only do you need proper rest for energy, but also for recovery. Your muscles get banged up while lifting weights and the growth only occurs when they heal. So you need to plan your workouts ahead of time and not miss days, because then you will be hitting body parts too close to one another and not give them enough time to recover.