I went to my garage to work out this afternoon and realized, “Man, I don’t feel like figuring out today.”

But I still began my warm-up on the deadlift anyway, knowing that sometimes motivation follows motion and all that jazz.

As I worked through my warm-up sets, things just felt heavy. Weight that ought to have been easy to lift felt prefer it weighed 3 times as much. I didn’t feel any general get-up-and-go. I just felt flat, each physically and psychologically. I still didn’t wish to work out. Motivation didn’t follow motion.

But I kept pressing on.

I did my first working set of deadlifts. They felt awful.

I continued to have zero drive to do my planned workout.

So, I modified things up.

I worked out.

I just did a special workout.

I didn’t do what I had planned, but I still got my exercise in for the day.

Should you train long enough, you’ll have days like these. I even have them about a few times 1 / 4. They arrive on for various reasons. Sometimes I’m just stressed from work. Other times they occur after I’ve had a very good run of progressively adding weight or reps to my training. My body and brain are saying, “Dude, we’re going to make you’re taking it easy for a bit.” Other times those flat days crop up for no apparent reason.

But even after I don’t feel like training, I avoid having an all-or-nothing mentality and don’t surrender on the concept of exercising altogether. I still get a workout in. It’s just a neater one. My easy workout won’t be doing much for me within the short term, nevertheless it’s helping me keep the habit of exercising in the long run. Success in life is normally because of an extended obedience in the identical direction. If I can stay consistent with my training, even on the times I don’t wish to train, I’ll be alright ultimately.

Here’s what I do after I don’t feel like figuring out and might’t even will myself to do it:

Reduce intensity. My first recourse is to easily reduce the intensity of my workout. Meaning I reduce the quantity of weight I’m lifting. As an alternative of deadlifting 445 kilos for 3 sets of 5, I’ll do 315 kilos for 3 sets of 5. Should you’re a runner, reducing the intensity of your workout could mean running slower.

Reduce volume. If I’m still feeling blah after reducing weight, I’ll reduce volume. Meaning doing fewer reps. So as a substitute of doing three sets of 5, I’d do two sets of 5. And even only one set. Should you’re a runner, reducing volume would mean running a shorter distance.

Change up your exercises for the day. Sometimes what my mind and body needs isn’t rest but somewhat a change. So after I’m not feeling like doing my regular training session, I mix things up and do other exercises.

Today, for instance, I did a couple of sets of a goblet squat with a kettlebell as a substitute of my frequently programmed safety bar squat.

I’ve had days where as a substitute of doing my regular workout with barbells and dumbbells, I’ll go all in on the kettlebell and do swings, Turkish get-ups, and the like.

Other times, I’ve dropped my scheduled barbell workout to do a fast body weight workout, or I’ve spent your complete session doing mobility stuff.

Don’t be afraid to ditch your plan if it means you’ll still get some physical activity in that day.

When all else fails, go for a walk. If not one of the above are working for me, I’ll a minimum of get a 30-minute walk in. Walking isn’t hard, and it feels good. I all the time feel higher after a walk. Solvitur ambulando!

That’s what I do after I don’t feel like figuring out. This obviously isn’t groundbreaking stuff, but I believe people often need permission to scale things down or mix things up when a training session isn’t clicking. Well, permission granted.

Don’t let the proper be the enemy of the nice; performing some physical activity is all the time higher than doing none, and crucial thing of all is to remain consistent with the exercise habit!