By Thomas King, MSc, CK, CSCS

Given the situation in the world right now, there is a good chance that gyms in your area are either shut down completely or operating with limited capacity meaning you can’t always get a workout in.

This doesn’t have to be the end of your fitness goals though! Working out at home can be an excellent alternative. While this may not be ideal it is the reality and so presented below are my top 5 tips for staying motivated while training at home!

1. Keep the Same Workout Schedule

Never underestimate the power of keeping yourself on schedule. Did you previously get up early to exercise before work? Then keep doing that! It’s likely that you train at this time because it works best for your schedule. As a bonus, it may mean that you end up having your workout completed before your partner or kids are even awake. The same goes for you night owls out there. If you previously trained in the evening/night, keep doing that! Don’t feel like your training regime needs to change just because your other routines have.

2. Choose Your Favourite Music

This is an important one. Choosing your favourite music can be the difference between feeling motivated and feeling like nothing is working quite right. Several studies have found that when participants listened to music they enjoyed, their rate of perceived exertion (read: how hard they experienced an exercise) was lower than when they listened to music they didn’t like. The bottom line: pick music you like when training at home.

3. Check in With Your Trainer/Coach (us!)

This is a great way to stay accountable and any coach worth their salt should be happy to help with this. Just feel like you need that extra accountability? Email your trainer to tell them what you done for your workout, how it felt, exercise/technique tips, anything! While we can’t train in person right now, our world is more electronically connected than ever and your coach is just a couple of clicks away (*hint hint* let us know you’re still getting your workouts in!!)

4. Make it a Family Affair

Kids won’t leave you alone long enough to workout? Make them part of your training! Workouts can be great family time. Kids are an endless source of energy so having them burn off a little taking part in your workout can serve a double purpose of helping you complete your workout and making them a bit tired. Try doing some lunges, jumps, push-ups, whatever! As long as their technique is appropriate kids are more than capable of doing these exercises.

5. Accept Progress May Stall

Unless you have a home gym set-up exactly like your gym, you may experience a plateauing or slight decline of your progress. This is normally and totally okay! Unless you plan to train for the World Powerlifting Championships, no one is going to care that you lost 20lbs on your max deadlift. Besides, a little break will likely do your muscles, joints, and nervous system some good. When you get back in the gym again, you will be refreshed and ready to train hard and that 20lbs won’t be very long coming back.

The Wrap-Up

Hopefully some of these tips will help you remain motivated to train even when you can’t get in the gym. In an ideal world, we would all be back in the gym doing what we love and improving our lifts. For now though, that is difficult for most and training at home is the next best thing. So take these tips and use them to keep yourself motivated to keep going, gyms will be open again soon!

~Thomas 🏋️‍♀️

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I had virtually no real experience using weights and felt intimidated going gyms. I avoided gym-goers using free weights, especially when hearing that loud crash, as they would drop weights to the floor. I thought this was to show everyone around them that they owned that area and that I shouldn’t go anywhere near! So I guess I just wanted to learn how to lift weights safely in a gym environment.

I spent over 18 years in the British Military, so I got to use some nice gyms. 99% of my time and experiences in those gyms was spent doing cardiovascular workouts, because I could just jump on a treadmill, plug in my head phones and do my own thing! JKC is different, because they have given me the confidence to use free weights and equipment that I had feared for years. Their demonstrations and knowledge is impeccable and I thank them for their continuous belief and support they show me at every session.

I heard somewhere that achieving your health goals is determined largely by what you do in the kitchen. I am grateful to have found Julia who brought direction and accountability to this most important piece for me. Having Julia in my corner has brought me confidence and certainty that I am on my way to achieving my goals. I highly recommend her if you are serious about making a change and feeling better about your health.

The people and the training set JKC apart from other gyms or programs I’ve tried in the past. Truly Jon and Thomas meet you where are and help you get to where you want to be. There are no expectations and never any judgement. You can go there having the worst day and you always leave feeling better. Truly JKC has given me a level of strength and confidence I would not have had otherwise ❤️.

I’m 36 Years Old and started with JKC in 2013. In the past I’d often have motivated spurts of a gym routine but they would usually only last a month or so. It’s pretty easy to press the snooze button at 530 am when there’s no one waiting for you. The fact that the guys are always on time/prepared and motivated for your session adds a level of accountability to your shoulders to “get out of bed” and bring your best effort each time. From the pressure free trainers to the camaraderie that you create over time with the individuals you’re working out with, JKC is able to offer an experience many other gyms cannot.

I’ve always been a gym rat, but was getting tired of the same ol’ routine. My better half was attending JKC and encouraged me to try it out. My favourite part of JKC is that is isn’t a gym – it’s a community. Jon and Thomas are awesome, and I love that every time I go I know who’s working out with me and we can socialize while working on our health. Everyone is supportive, encouraging and genuinely looks out for one another. It’s an upbeat and positive experience and I can honestly say that I look forward to each and every workout.

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