Need the Motivation to Go to the Gym? Here Are 15 Tricks

The idea of signing up for a gym membership can be exhilarating. Picturing how much stronger you’ll be in just a few months is a huge rush! But when it comes to hitting the gym, finding the motivation can still be a struggle.

That’s why we put together this guide full of actionable tips to keep you on track. Bookmark this list and refer to it anytime you lack the motivation to work out.

Why Motivation Matters

The biggest thing to remember with any exercise regimen is that motivation matters. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that motivation is a pivotal factor in whether or not people stick with their workout routine.

In other words, having a sense of accountability often plays a key role in staying motivated, regardless of what kind of workouts you prefer.

This means promising yourself an “easy day” just isn’t enough incentive to get you into the gym. If you aren’t feeling passionate and committed to your fitness goals, it’s much harder to show up.

No Motivation to Workout? 15 Tips Worth Considering

Honestly, this struggle is more common than you might think. Even professional athletes are sometimes plagued by a lack of motivation to work out. Anytime you feel like you’re hitting a wall, try one—or several—of these tips.

Tip 1: Set Clear Goals

According to a study on goal setting and physical activity, setting higher physical activity goals can increase activity levels but may lower goal achievement in overweight adults. The study examined how different step goals affected walking activity in a controlled digital intervention. This suggests that while ambitious goals can boost activity, they might also impact the consistency of goal attainment. Therefore, setting challenging yet clear and attainable goals is important to maintain motivation over time.

However, setting goals isn’t as simple as saying, “I’ll slowly increase my barbell weights between now and next year.” The best fitness goals to set are SMART goals that empower you to measure and evaluate your progress over time.

Tip 2: Find a Workout Buddy

Working out with an exercise buddy has multiple benefits, such as making it harder to skip going to the gym. Additionally, having a workout buddy can motivate you to work out harder and longer compared to exercising alone.

At Gold’s Gym, we make it easy to boost your motivation for gym exercise with our free passes. Bring a friend without any hidden fees or surprise costs!

If your friends’ schedules don’t align with yours, consider connecting with a fellow Gold’s Gym member to help each other stay accountable and motivated.

Tip 3: Hire a Personal Trainer

While a workout buddy can help, sometimes you need more structure and guidance to stay on track. That’s when you can consider hiring a personal trainer.

The great thing about tackling fitness goals with a professional Gold’s Gym trainer is that you get an accountability boost paired with custom, on-demand guidance. Anytime you think your form is off or want to step up your workout, you have the support to do so.

Besides, working with a personal trainer can help you get even more out of every workout. For example, your trainer might recommend dynamic warm-ups designed around whichever muscles you’re focused on strengthening.

Tip 4: Create a Routine

Which sounds easier: starting a brand-new fitness habit or continuing with a routine you know well? Establishing a routine can make maintaining a fitness habit easier. Integrating new practices into your existing schedule can facilitate the development of positive habits.

Forming a positive habit that feels automatic can take anywhere between 18 and 254 days, depending on how consistently the behavior is repeated in the same context.

Simply put, the more regularly one goes to the gym, the more automatic this behavior becomes. This can take any form that works for you—whether it’s “three times a week” or “every other day.” Creating a clear routine means you won’t have to convince yourself to go each time.

Tip 5: Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself is a great strategy for finding motivation to go to the gym. Research shows that the more you view exercise as a fun, enjoyable activity, the more likely you are to work out daily.

These rewards don’t have to be expensive or cancel out the calories you burn. Consider trying free or low-cost rewards, such as:

• Catching up on sleep
• Streaming a movie at home
• Enjoying a protein-rich snack
• Getting a new journal or planner

Tip 6: Track Your Progress

As humans, we naturally seek proof of progress, and exercise is no exception. If you don’t see long-term, measurable improvements, it’s natural to lack the motivation to work out.

That’s why tracking progress is crucial for any new workout regimen. Data shows that seeing positive changes in health and fitness gives one the fuel to keep going to the gym.

A great way to track progress is to log your weight and body measurements monthly and compare them to your starting point.

Tip 7: Mix Up Your Workouts

Have you ever tried to hype yourself up for exercising, only to realize you have zero motivation to go to the gym? This feeling can make it difficult to put your all into every workout, so it’s important to mix things up occasionally.

Adding new exercises does more than just keep your workouts interesting. Research suggests that with a variable mix, one could gain even greater muscle strength than sticking with a fixed regimen.

You don’t have to give up your favorite exercises. Small changes like adjusting squat posture or swapping to inverted rows can make all the difference.

Tip 8: Join Classes or Groups

In the end, your attitude is everything. Sometimes, even the best workout buddy can’t change how one feels about exercise—but the right environment can.

A study by Iowa State University’s Department of Kinesiology suggests that exercising with a large group of other people is a great way to fight a lack of motivation. The social element—being surrounded by others who are giving their best—can make every workout feel more rewarding and enjoyable.

As a bonus, seeing other members of your class or group break a sweat can help you feel less self-conscious about being physically active.

Tip 9: Make It Fun

Do you tend to skip the gym because it doesn’t seem fun? Try customizing your workout to engage your mind and body. What makes a workout fun is different for everyone—and that’s okay!

Some people prefer a more dynamic workout. If that’s you, consider adding in dance-based workouts like Zumba or high-energy kickboxing and circuit-style workouts.

To stick with strength training and add some variety, speak with a trainer at your local Gold’s Gym about your fitness goals. They’ll create a custom team training program to keep your workouts fresh and motivating.

Tip 10: Visualize Success

A study on positive visualization and its effects on strength training found a remarkable difference between people who visualized success in their fitness goals and those who didn’t. The group that didn’t visualize success achieved only an average five-pound increase in their weightlifting max.

And the group that did? They demonstrated an average increase of 10 to 15 pounds across multiple lifts, including the bench press, squat, clean, and deadlift.

This suggests that training your mind is just as important as training your body. Simply visualizing yourself performing an exercise successfully could help you push past limits and stay committed to your workouts.

Tip 11: Get Inspired

Inspiration can come from many places. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Building endurance to keep up with your busy children
• Having the strength for demanding outdoor activities
• Feeling confident in your favorite outfit
• Hitting a personal fitness milestone

If none of these resonate, spend some time thinking about your biggest reason for wanting to exercise.

Tip 12: Prepare Ahead

Have you ever gone to bed thinking, “Tomorrow, I’ll hit the gym harder than ever!” just to wake up feeling completely unmotivated and exhausted? When you don’t prepare, this scenario feels like hitting a brick wall.

Even if you hit the gym, getting the most out of your workout requires some planning. The day before you’re planning to exercise, make sure you:

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Have a water bottle or a water fountain at your gym
• Figure out something healthy to eat before you work out
• Wash, dry, and pack up your workout clothes into your gym bag
• Have enough of your pre-workout supplements for tomorrow
• Review your workout plan so you know what you want to focus on

Tip 13: Focus on the Benefits

If all the benefits of exercise could be put into a pill, every person on Earth would take it. But in reality, achieving these results takes time, consistency, and effort.

Whenever your motivation dips, remind yourself what you gain from working out:

• Increasing physical endurance
• Maintaining or losing weight
• Lowering risk of heart disease
• Feeling more confident in your body
• Being all-around stronger for daily activities
• Improving short-term and long-term mood

Tip 14: Address Barriers

We all have what we believe are ‘valid reasons’ for lacking the motivation to work out. While some of these are very real, it’s important to distinguish between true barriers and excuses.

An excuse has a clear, immediate solution. For example, if you “never have time” to hit the gym, try scheduling it on your calendar for the next available opening.

Barriers require a little more effort to resolve. Consider these as you decide your workout regimen and plan accordingly. If you prefer to work out early in the morning but don’t have a car, acknowledge that transportation is a challenge and set aside time to research your options.

Tip 15: Move to Stay Motivated

You might be surprised to learn that regular exercise is strongly linked to feeling more positive and motivated. A large-scale study published in Clinical Psychology in Europe found that people who exercised frequently had a significantly higher positive affect—suggesting that the more active you are, the better you feel.

So, anytime you’re debating with yourself about whether or not to exercise, remember the positives:

• Every rep helps you get stronger
• Even a “lazy gym day” is better than skipping altogether
• Fitness doesn’t progress linearly—small efforts add up over time

Conclusion: Find the Motivation for Gym

If there’s one takeaway from this guide, it’s that staying motivated to work out doesn’t have to be a solo effort.

Struggling to find motivation to go to the gym is completely normal—even professional athletes face it at times. The key is to find what keeps you on track, whether it’s a workout buddy, a structured plan, or a supportive gym environment.

At Gold’s Gym, we’re here to help. Whether you need a free pass to bring a friend for extra accountability or guidance from one of our certified trainers, just find a local Gold’s Gym near you to get all the support you need.