I struggle with a lot of anxiety and self depricating thoughts and general overthinking. "Don't believe everything you think" has become my mantra for when I feel my brain running away.
I was told a slightly different version, “don’t believe your own bullshit”. It can apply both to overly positive and overly negative self stories but has become a regular check on my attitude.
The mind is so complex, that when people are alone and have much time to think they instantly become potentially very dumb, as they can randomly become intelligent. and it can go to an extremum where people even thought to randomly just end their life. like that's how dangerous is, aloness, and staring to the abyss of your mind, that to what the literal saying says; look at the abyss for too long and it will stare back. that's actually why an opinionated based society is a really big mistake, because the brain is so chaotic, to the point, the only way to become intelligent is to actively suppress natural occurring stupidity. it is so insane, that things like hunger, and things like being in a dark room for too long; literally make people go crazy. we could say that the person who you knew, is literally not anymore, just because of hunger. the brain has been proven to be so sensible, that hearing high pitch tones, and certain frequencies drives it literally insane. Thats actually why being narcissistic, too much opinionated, or too much self-centered, is a serious problem that needs addressing and consulting with an actual people who can help. Like it is so harmful, to feel good and indulging in that good feeling, to the point, where a person can actually actively damage their own body, and kill their neurons, permanent damage their own memory, and completely basically completely destroy their own health, in an extremely painful way and even go to an extent of hurting others, just for that good feeling. basically, that's the bases of any form of addictions. it means that, something that seems good, that give a good feeling; doesn't make it actually inherently good; surprising it is, a bit contractionary but that how insane the human mind is. this is why I don't encourage a leftist or rightist or and flag color opinions in any form, because incentivizing narrow views, and one-dimensional thinking causes massive damage; and the problem is it's not temporary damage, it's no small damage, and it's not a damage that only effects the individual; it's actually a damage that is big, permanent and effect many people all at once, especially the people around that individual. Actively perusing as in, trying to get knowledge, and knowing how to be able to look at a problem in multiple perspectives, and bases; is basically the only way to be able to try and fix a problem, without causing harm; or at worse trying to make any harm as minimal as possible. Basically, in TL;TR One-dimensional ways of seeing things; is extremely harmful for everybody and will always be harmful to more than one individual; as such as a friendly reminder for everybody, try to be less self-centered as possible without ruining your sanity ofc.
I'm grateful that the gym is so addictive to me. For me, strength training has kept me in the gym for the past 4 years consistently. My distal goals are always a target weight to hit in the longterm. My proximal goals are the intermediary weights I hit along the way. Once I hit my main goal, I set another. Rinse and repeat.
@@skyking9248 You made the best choice. You don't need to be a treadmill rat in a gym or fitness centre that does not feel comfortable. If you like you can read the book "Solitary Fitness" , just in case you you don't have your home gym equipment with you. You might end up doing physic as l activity in someone's garden.
Covid was going around my old gym, I caught it first time on the gym floor.Went away in a day or three. Then the following year, my cleaner had a flu so bad she spread it to my dad and I.She also had to be hospitalised with that strain of flu cause her lungs were filling up she couldn't breathe.. That flu took me out for 2 or 3 months and off the gym and treadmill.
.... i got sick at school.... i got sick at the gym.... i got sick from my family.... i got sick from friends......... i got sick from a movie theater.... i got sick on a plane.... i got sick on a bus... i got sick in the rain.... sick from the sun, sick from the dirt, sick from all the whiny babies..... i ran out of rhymes 🤮
Seriously Like I watch CrashCourse at 2x without any problems She is genuinely the only person I have to slow down to 1.75 (due to speed - others are just harder to understand or other issues)
I just love this point you made "the reason why we tell ourselves that we need to exercise in the first place, that determines how much we enjoy working out." I used to associate external factors like trying to fit into my wedding dress back then (the original reason why I joined the gym), and that didn't last long at all. Whereas, the endorphins and feel-good factor contributed to me going back more regularly eventually. Great insightful video! 🙌
I‘m watching this from a treadmill in my gym and it helped me tremendously, because I was starting to lose motivation! Will rewatch after my sets. Glad you are aware of our privilege to have enough time and energy to even go to the gym.
When I focus on the aesthetic of working out I actually get discouraged. I don’t see results and I get discouraged. So for me focusing on the immediate benefits such as more energy and less depression makes it worth it.
As someone with ADHD, my issue with exercise (despite knowing and experiencing the benefits...(was a physiotherapist) used to be a 5-6 days a week weight lifter.) is it gets in the way of something i'd rather be doing. Did it all. I've gone through the love/hate relationship with leg day. I've always 'gone heavy' where possible. I've always loved the way I feel after having a shower after a heavy gym session. I've loved the gym....I've loathed the gym. Avid mountain biker. I don't do any of it anymore. Don't try to make sense of it. I can't make sense of it and I was the one doing it.!
@@natashahussain6281 Nothing good. Regrettably. I still try to get out for a walk regularly. I collect my groceries myself by walking the mile there and back carrying everything in a rucksack. Better than slobbing out completely but a far cry from wat my activity levels used to be. Mental health is quite variable so motivation fluctuates accordingly.
Oh, I feel you! It's why I cancelled my membership & started diverting the money that WOULD have gone into that membership into saving up for equipment at home. That way, I can hack my morning routine (which is when I'm most motivated to do things) to actually achieve something resembling consistency with training & weightlifting, even if it's not perfect.
@@TheMemeRepository In a similar vein, I bought myself a small weight set. It's not as much as I would lift at the gym on legs, but when I see it, I'll do an upper body workout. it only cost like 3 months of gym anyway and I've had it and used it for much longer. If I were diverting funds spent on a membership I could easily get 100lbs worth of weights from decathlon in 4 months. I just don't have that money at all rn.
Adhd’r here and what helped me was orange theory circuit style. So I implement that into exercises (not I said exercises & not routines you know how that goes) So for daily I create circuits or go to orange theory and I realized if it ain’t intense or challenging I get bored so I mix that shit up with random niche activities for instance long distance cycling, bootcamp style cross fit, swimming, boxing, martial arts, barre, & yoga. Point is I’m always mixing shit up through Groupon or freebie weeks and things I always wanted to try or haven’t mastered. I don’t look at it as forced exercise, I always end up liking whatever it is I try or do, and that’s the only thing that keeps the consistency cause after awhile when I drift into boredom I’m like oh yeah let me try or smash a mile swim today!! Your body will naturally not be able to be in the veggie state for long trust me. Good luck fam!
It's not complex - regular exercise is hard and torturous, and often unpleasant, but the benefits overrule. The key is habitual conditioning. I've been physically active since I could walk and run - a very active kid. School sports, a competitive circle of neighborhood friends, and a sense of adventure. It helped that I grew up in a suburban environment surrounded by a natural playground with things to explore. Gymnastics in Jr. High and High School. That followed me through college, and I kept moving by habit afterward, and I have not stopped since. I took up weight training in 1984 at the age of 27, and still going at 66. I only stop for physical reasons, such as injuries or recovering from a surgery or illness. I hike and swim to break the monotony and drudgery of lifting weights. I had a physical job for many years, then switched to a computer desk job, but I kept going to the gym at night. If I stop moving now, my body will fall apart and I will slowly become incapacitated by a bad back and other joints. Moving keeps me mobile. Exercise must become your chosen lifestyle, not a fad.
i think the thing is, very moderate / light exercise is what works for health, yet often people in the gym feel they need to do intense exercise. like in studies, simply walking fast for a lot of the day, getting a lot of steps, etc., gives you most of the health benefits of exercise. getting one's heart rate up to 120 or 130 bpm for half an hour a day. that type of exercise is not draining and would not cause someone to hate the gym. often when someone hates the gym it's because they are doing exercise that is too intense to be good for their health. going on a few extra walks each day, 15 minutes at a time, between meals, to help with digestion, will usually benefit someone's health far more than two hours in a gym. so if someone feels exhausted by the gym and hates it and quits, i'd interpret that as a clue that they are trying to do too much exercise too fast, they are working out too intensely, to the point where it wouldn't be good for their health anyway. if you are used to it, then yeah, intense exercise is great, but to go from being sedentary to intense exercise without the intermediary steps of getting most of your exercise as low or moderate intensity is a bad idea. it'd be like if someone is told sunlight is good for you, but then they go out to the beach and lay in the sun for hours and get a sunburn. that degree of sun isn't good for someone, especially if they aren't used to it.
I just joined a gym with a beautiful work lounge restaurant, they have the yummiest side order of fries in the world. Every time I go to one of the classes I will do some writing in the lounge while eating the fries. It not only has me at the gym 5 days a week it also has me writing regularly again!
Don't you think you're wasting your time in the gym if you're gonna be eating fries right after? I only ask because I barely find time to squeeze in workouts and I'd be pissed off at myself if I'm sabotaging the benefits in any way. (Also I have trash metabolism)
@@mridhulml3269 It depends on their goals and health. If they aren't trying to lose weight and it's not negatively influencing their health, then probably not. I'm trying to get stronger/put on weight and would absolutely eat the fries if it meant I would more regularly hit the gym and eat more calories.
@@mridhulml3269An order of fries does not have enough calories to put me in a calorie surplus for the day when put in context of the other food I am eating. Plus, eating fries doesn’t erase the workout I did 😂 my sore as fk muscles can attest to that.
@@AsterLane Exactly, my current goal is to just fall in love with physical activity and the gym, and for me that is creating positive associations and creative habits to it. Maybe if I am at a point where lowering my body fat % is a priority I can cut out the fries, but at that point I will have already cultivated the positive habit of coming to the gym and working out, instead of trying to go on a hardcore diet at the same time as starting to lift weights and do workout classes for the first time, which is already painful enough haha luckily my weight is not a major concern for me right now, I am in the healthy bracket in that regard. Just weak as fk.
These are my favourite tips: - Just put your shoes on. The very act of starting gives you the motivation to keep going. Even if you just walk in the gym and do one exercise and it takes you 5 min, just do it to build that habit. Also helps if you tack the habit of putting your shoes on to another habit. E.g. I would always go to the gym after work because it is easy for me to just turn my car when I get close to the gym and that sets off a whole chain of events for me. - Doing what is easy makes your life harder, doing what is hard makes your life easy. Don't beat yourself up, the life's rules aren't there to make you feel worthless but they are rather there to encourage you to show you how to live. If you can be strong and do the right thing then your life will go well for you. - Minimize distractions. You are going to have to prioritise going to the gym if you really want to go. It is a permanent lifestyle change, not a phase. - I agree that you should avoid perfectionism. Don't overanalyze your exercising. Just get in there and lift weights or do your cardio whatever rocks your boat. Perfection will come with time and experience. - Remember to go easy and give your body plenty of rest. Listen to your body - it's not just your muscles you are damaging when you exercise, but your tendons and ligaments and everything else. And tendons and such take longer to heal, especially if you are stretching your body during exercise. The more you stretch the more damage you will do, so you have to rest appropriately, especially when you are first starting to train. But once they are healed you will be even stronger than before and able to train even harder. But think about the benefits of that to the rest of your life, your work and your wellbeing!
Very good point. Good habits are built one simple action at a time. At 66, my gym routine is probably excessive and takes 2 1/2 hours, but it did not start that way. I just kept adding exercises and stretches, and now I feel they are indispensable.
You not only talk to us like were competent and intelligent individuals, but like we're friends. I always forget how impactful that is until I see another one of your videos come out. Everything you're talking about sits with me so much longer because of your delivery and passion. Its also awesome information, of course. Many of these thoughts seem so obvious in hindsight, but I know I would have never considered them on my own. Good luck with exams! We're excited for you!
As a person that loves going to the gym I can confirm that I do mainly rely on these proximal positive outcomes. Feeling refreshed, awake and allowingmy brain to shut of while going throughthe motions. My muscles moving and knowing how much it does for my mental health makes me always look forward to going to the gym. While such things as gaining muscle and looking good while still important to me are never at the forefront of my mind. I'm also a huge nerd, and immediately upon starting went into the science of it all and building my own training regiment. That makes it not feel repetitive and gives me something to focus on while training
Your explanation is classic gym dude reason. Basically you just like it. I for example hate it with every cell... im annoyed i could be doing stuff i like. There are two things i get from it, health and looks. My back started to hurt so i started working out and told myself i might as well do it properly so its 6 years and there (almost) wasnt a week where i didnt work out at least 3 times. Why do i do it then? I have obsessive personality, i always do everything to the best of my ability and if i didnt train that much, it would feel like all previous workouts were a waste. Its easy to imagine people just quitting.
@@Ryan-wx1bi Why? Can you explain? I just said you cant tell somebody to just like working out. Its inherently boring thing. You have to find something else that makes you go.
@Zoltan1251 True, it may just not be the right thing for some people. But I was mainly pointing out that my reasons for liking going to the gym all fit that criteria of immediate reward that this video was talking about, while never trying to really motivate myself with those long off goals. Or at least never using them to get myself to the gym. You using them and feeling miserable about yourself *may* support the thesis of the video
I really wish I experienced any of the proximal benefits you listed. They make the gym sound so nice. My experience with the gym is just not good. It makes my body hurt, i feel tired and depressed afterwards and oftentimes even during the workout, and the mental fog it puts me in steals so much of my day afterwards. I prettymuch can only go to the gym for distal reasons, because without them i have no reason at all to go to the gym.
Thank you so much for creating this video! The difference between distal and proximal outcomes, and how they relate to the stages of behavioral change, really resonated with me. I think I have unwittingly sabotaged myself a great deal by trying to use distal outcomes to drive behavior changes day-to-day, rather than using them primarily for goal setting and planning (not only regarding exercise/fitness, but in many areas of life). This was a real eye opener for me! 🙂
It was a switch for me, one day I just started and never questioned it. It’s been that way now for nearly 3 years and the only difference is the complexity and advancements of my workouts, diet and physique and the days I go have gone from 2-4 days to 6 days a week every week without a single week missed for the last 2 and a half years now
im one of those people who always wants to reach perfection goals and i ended out being burnout for that. it was very important for me to hear your advice of thinking more sustainable and less perfectionist. thank you so much!!
See, Arnold always said that to achieve the long term goals (being a bodybuilder, movie star, etc) you had to constantly remind yourself thats what you were working towards, but to motivate yourself for the day to day work, you had to focus on what the enjoyment you were getting out of that day (doing lots of reps, getting a ripping pump, etc). Time and time again, we come to learn that the golden age bros had it all figured out.
Oh my god, you have presented this video so wonderfully. It absolutely cleared all of my doubts. Now I can use this video as a guide to kick start my journey again. Thanks! You are awesome!
In my experience it’s the hard times and events that hurt me are also really good things to remember while you are exercising. It’s like taking a shot of adrenaline while you’re physically exhausted. It works like a charm.
The theory of the second best was mind blowing Oh my God. And the point of the whole cycle repeating, the guilt and rational thought, etc, instantly clicked. Great stuff. I understand why the gym stuff about keeping one accountable makes things so much easier, damn it I understand it very well. Lastly, I'd have never thought how the proximal positive outcomes are better for beginners. I've always been the perfectionist and too vivid of an imaginator so catastrophising seemingly harmless failures is nothing new. Thank you for bringing out these mental nuances to the rest of us. PS - I checked your channel so many times since the last video, glad you're back Liz
Been checking your channel every day for the last few days for new content while binge watching my fav videos of yours. And you dropped a new video today!! Never been happier🥳
Most folks quit for a variety of reasons, but generally this plays a role (or could, if you would let it): 1. Lack of properly quantifiable programming. This turns gymtime into something not readily translated into result, even if it is there. A good strength program gives you a good idea where you will be in 6 months. And you haven't even done anything! 2. Lack of purpose. The beauty of training is that it can be customized and fine tuned according to whatever need you may have. Like "I only have 3 x 30 minutes a week". If you can't make a decent program for yourself, the problem is lack of knowledge. How can it ever be fun if you're not behind the wheel? 3. Lack of curiosity - the thing that drives 1 and 2. I know it sounds bootcampy, but it's not at all. It's actually liberation from bootcamp. Training is all about perspective. Find the one that works, and build from there. Never be afraid to start with the basics. Spend 6 months doing nothing but squatting, become good at it. That's a result. Dare to be opportunistic about it.
The way that I've motivated myself to go to the gym is gaslighting myself that there are no downsides. I am only tired because I haven't gone to the gym long enough. I am not gonna be able to sleep well if I don't work out regularly (that part is actually mostly true) I would've been better if I started going to the gym sooner. Blaming all the disadvantages of the gym itself on yourself pre-gym, you will be reinvigorated to go harder every day.
Regular gym goer for the past 8 years here (4 to 5 times a week). In my experience, at least in the Southern U.S, the gym is more crowded during January and February because of all the new Year's resolution people. The crowd seems to slowly dissipate over March and April and then levels out in the Summer. Also, very articulate video, but it seems like a long rationalization for what equates to lack of self motivation. In the end, a person has to make a lifestyle change and commit to it.
Yeah exactly. I was someone who growing up hated exercising and never did it. Then in my 20s I decided that I wanted a change and decided to create a new lifestyle and habit. I’ve been lifting five times a week for years now and it’s my favorite hobby and best part of my day always, genuinely the endorphins and just the feeling of hitting my goals makes working out extremely enjoyable and fun for me.
I was never an exercise or gym person but at 22 my metabolism slowed down and I started putting on weight and I had to learn how to lose weight...educating myself on counting kilojoules and learning how to run (walk for X amount of time, run for X amount of time then each week close the walking time down until you can run solidly for 30 mins). A year later I joined a gym and ran on a treadmill 3 times a week for years. Then I joined a Crossfit gym for 6 years. Now I just do bodybuilding at a chain gym, having been a 'fitness/gym guy' for 17 years now. I remember what it was like before, it felt hopeless. People really need to educate themselves, so they know how much to lift/how far to run/what to eat/how much is too much food/how much is too little etc. Then trust the process and it becomes a lifestyle rather than something you have to do. We all manage to brush our teeth, so think of the gym like that.
Thanks for doing this. I watched while I was doing my bodyweight exercises at home. Part of what I hate about the gym is the gym. The machines and the other members are intimidating. It takes a lot of motivation and scheduling to get there. I started rowing more than 30 years ago at the gym, and after a few months I realized that was unsustainable, so I bought a rower and have had at least one ever since. One of the nice things about it is that there is no minimum level of effort ... just do it and pull however hard you feel like. More recently, I bought a Bike Erg, and every morning before breakfast I sit on it for 1/2 hour while I have my morning coffee (click me to see my video on that). But arguably I enjoy cardio. Strength training not so much. I just started that about 18 months ago because the evidence is clear you must do it -- especially when you get to be my age. So I bought a pull-up bar and a plyo box. I still hate strength training but I can do many sets of 10 pull-ups or dips, three times a week. A year ago I could do zero. I still keep hoping I'll learn to love it but I guess I'm addicted nonetheless. I hate doing it but I feel a void when I don't.
I'm not saying you necessarily need to buy equipment. Outdoor activities like walking, running, and cycling are great. But weather can interfere. I do all of these, when the mood strikes me. But what I do regularly is morning indoor cycling every morning, and bodyweight training 3 times a week. I know that without some piece of cardio equipment, it would be way too easy to abandon my routine. And for bodyweight exercise, a pull-up bar is pretty much essential, unless you're lucky enough to have a pipe or beam or something you can use. Even so, I use the school playground, weather and time permitting.
Me encanto este video!!!!, hace mucho tiempo que no veía algo interesante en RUclips. Por lo general veo todos los videos a 2X (velocidad máxima) por que son aburridos llenos de propaganda intrínseca y relleno de hablante, pero en este tuve que pararlo muchas veces para interiorizar todo, un gran aplauso a Elizabeth!!
It's quite funny when people quit because they got the flu or some other reason like that... When I got sick, I had no time for a few weeks etc. I'll stop for the necessary time to just come back as soon as I can. Working out is a lifestyle. Quitting the working out because of some mishap is like quitting parenting because of a cold... Take care of yourself like you would with your children
I've only missed a handful of days of "working out "over the last decade. I'm approaching ~15 thousand miles logged of running/biking/rowing/walking (plus strength training in my garage gym). The secret to my success is that I subscribe to audible. Those workouts aren't working out, that's my time to get out and listen to a good book. During that time, I have listened to 600(ish) books and lost a ton of weight. I knock out 2 - 3 books a month, depending on length. That works out to a little over an hour a day of being outside and moving. That was my goal, and I'm doing it easy breezy. The only downside is that I've listened to so many books, it's getting hard to find something to listen to.
I got tired of getting ready and then driving to the gym. So I slowly built a gym in my garage so now I just workout at home. And I stay pretty consistent.
thank you for quality content you put so much energy into them. i have an opinion about gyms, well human bodies are not designed for exercising at the gym, it designed for activities under the sun in the nature , our brain cant get motivated to go and workout with metal under a roof. so we dont have to convince our self anymore all we have to do is to find a sport that bring us joy like swimming like walking or skating or basketball or with a cardio app in our balcony
Having met my physical activity quota for the day It frustrates me to no end that I have to do this tomorrow and every day after that to just get a drop of what I'm aiming for in 6 months or even a year Given how much I know about getting ones first pull up and how close I am I genuinely deserve to call my self a pull up expert
Incredible informative and well - produced video! I managed to break out of my too - high - expectations - start anew - gym - quitter cycle this year and I noticed all of the changes in my mindset and approach to exercise exactly as you described here. Focused on the immediate benefits and rewards (made me actually want to and enjoy exercise right now and even if i only did it today, I‘d still get the benefits) and adjusted my goals and expectations to what was actually possible and what I was likely to do. Took me 7 years as well but I‘ve learned a lot in the process, mostly that my former approach was quite silly and would not have worked not matter how „disciplined“ I tried to be :) Thank you for the amazing video and the hours of research and work you must have put into this!
Love it! I am saving the Proximal Positive Outcomes in my vocab. The one I use for going to the gym is thinking about stress relief. My brain feels so much better and I can go back to working on mental tasks with more energy after. Again, thanks for publishing this. I now know more of why I hate planning far into the future.
something crazy that i noticed was that I moved dorms and ended up twice as far from the gym as I had been previously and completely stopped going as a result. it was a 5 minute change, i’d say
This is so helpful! My problem is that when I inevitably get the winter flu, I 'fall off the wagon' and stop going to the gym until the following summer. It's a cycle! This is going to help me break that cycle, and it's great to know I need to intentionally enter that maintenance phase after about 6 months. That's the phase I really struggle to get into because I'm too focussed on short-term benefits as my source of motivation.
I find your videos so helpful- the combination of a deep dive into a subject with hard facts and then actionable steps to implement in your life really clicks with me, particularly the way you do it. I have watched/ read lots of selp help type content and have often struggled to find something that works for me even from professionals- being told on more than one occasion that i am too complicated lol, so i want to thank you for making videos and being yourself. ❤
I've always loved training lifting weights, running, hiking, rock climbing. Whatever, if it's exercise I'll do it. I was very underweight as a teenager which had a real negative impact on my self esteem and once I discovered resistance training and began to learn more about nutrition and my body composition began to change I got totally hooked.
I've been working out every day at my apartment's gym for 3 years and I will be the first to say that I don't enjoy it lol. But I get the immediate benefit of burning calories which has a massive effect on my calorie budget for the day. Makes it 1000% worth it.
Planet Fitness is standing room only in January. In February it's busy. In March it's empty except for 6pm when all the OF models line up on the treadmill and their subscribers line up on the squat rack.
Hello Elizabeth. I watched this video first and then referred to your previous video regarding the "Science of Enjoying Exercising," and wanted to congratulate you on picking out your path to finding enjoyment in fitness. Exercise is very rewarding, but can feel incredibly burdensome at times, even for those that seem frequent and tireless about it. You deserve credit for striving to find the ways and means to overcome your reservations. With regard to distal and proximal goal setting, I would also recommend progress tracking, which could be considered as a bridge between the two. Recording weight discrepancies week-by-week and improvements to different exercise metrics is motivational for some. Snapping front-facing and side-facing full-body selfies week-by-week can also serve to show physical changes we may miss giving ourselves our daily once-over in the mirror, or that the weight scale may conceal in the numbers via unexpected water weight or cortisol gains. Why, just referencing between your video 10-months ago and this video, I can clearly see you have made remarkable progress. You should be proud. I believe you touched on this point, so I will just echo, for others who are struggling to get started: kindness and patience with oneself is paramount to long-term commitment to physical fitness. Train hard, but do not punish your body. Treat your body respectfully. More than half of the battle of being healthy is diet, so eat intelligently. And get plenty of rest! Most gains are made via recovery, so don't skimp! Cheers, Elizabeth. Well done.
For me it is important that I stop and go home whenever I want to. My workout should never feel really bad, because then I don't want to come back. At the moment I have very little motivation. So I only go to the gym once a week. If I don't feel like working out, I will just put a minimum of weight on, so it doesn't feel too bad, but I keep my habit alive. On another note. Elizabeth, please make a video on your teeth journey 🤗 My teeth need to get corrected at some point, because I'm starting to have jaw pain. But I'm really scared about them having to file between my teeth.
The problem is that many people dont understand that quitting is actually part of the process but dont utilize it effectively. Quitting indefinitely vs taking short one/two week breaks, deloading weeks or pyramid training are tools to not only allow the body to heal but also the mind/cns...
When I bring new people, they usually start strong then they take a random lift day off when we were supposed to go after an month or few then they stop completely. I think the strength gains slow down a lot and its a lot more work and time to get anywhere than they realize
For me the first few weeks of going to the gym were very easy because I’ve always wanted to go and have been waiting forever to finally be old enough. The hardest part were 2-4 months. Now I’m in my 6th month and it’s just a part of my life and I need it to stay sane
I really only workout at a gym Dec-April... rest of the year I'm working construction from sunrise to sunset 😂 when I got to the gym it's a 3-4 hour experience or I'll throw a heavy pack on and go hiking for hours!.... people need to learn to push themselves harder, people are getting more and more weak minded... the "it's too hard" shit... don't come at me not everyone can do it, I was off work injured for years having to rebuild myself up... no one will hold you accountable but you..
I love the advice in this video! Looking at the benefits of the future is certainly more motivating than looking at the current benefits. I loved hearing you mention music-I love exercise music! I use the songs I listen to as a guide-first, exercise for one song, then two, then 5, then 10, etc. Add a few a day until you've reached your goal.
Great vid, thanks! I'm 57, and working out is an integral part of my life because my job demands that I be fit. Also, I was married to a medical student. We were together since her first year in anatomy. So, first of all, I know from witnessing it exactly how hard you're working and how much time you must put into studying. I, myself, edit videos and have a channel. So, I also know how much time making videos like this must take. I mean, you have to think the high quality content up, write it, shoot it, edit it... It takes a lot of time and you're shoe-horning it in there with your medical studies. AND you're exercising regularly... And I'm just guessing you've got some other stuff going on too. You set a good example for not wasting your life.
I love your passion and "expressivity", you must be very enjoyable to talk to in person. As a fellow introvert, my solution was to build up a home gym in the basement, so I don't have to deal with the silly posturing and sizing each other up (probably a bit different amongst us males 😊). Earlier, my motivation came from being a competitive athlete, these days it's all about being strong and healthy, i.e. physically capable, so I can also be of good service to the people around me, and if that can make me a positive role model I'll take it 😊
I started with the gym end of January. Only to swim half an our before work. Until today I nearly managed it too. I only paused because of a week of vacation in London where I only managed to go to a pool two times. A day when I had a bad muscle ache and two days I had a cold and decided it’s maybe not a good idea to have a swim. - I also started to use some machines too lately just because they are there and as I pay each month using everything makes my membership more efficient. I haven’t found the motivation to go to one of those lessons.
The best thing for my gym life was getting an expensive powerlifting coach. He's so expensive I had to quit my therapy. But I haven't missed a single training in the last 2 years 😂
it is amazing how the quality of your content has improved within time, congratulations! i am impressed how good you are getting at producing content ( good and entertaining ) for youtube. I have been watching your channel about 3 years. i am very impressed by this video , the shift you have made since the first video ( which was already very good ) , it is good to see youtubers to have effort to produce good, entertaining and relevant content 👏
Going to the gym is similar to how you build up other habits. It's so easy to forget about what you are doing, because the likelihood that something will distract you is so high. Also, sometimes you temporarily have to postpone your goals, if you're going on vacation or maybe have to move. So how do you keep your gym goals? Just as Elizabeth said that she obsessed over her medical career to reach her doctoral goals, so you too must obsess over the gym (or whatever other goal that you have, it doesn't have to be the gym, I don't go to the gym, but think they're great and maybe someday I'll use one) and just think on that goal constantly. You have to. It's what will make it so that even if you are not doing it, it is on your mind constantly. Then, take action and make sure to go through the awkward and unusual stage of doing the activity, which will feel embarrassing and you're probably not going to find the right gym right away or you'll do the wrong moves or feel like you don't belong. You might fall flat on your face. You might not get any recognition and feel like you are the worst performer of your type. It might even be true. Zero. Zero. Zeros. But, you know, you can still get up and figure it out, just like you've figured other things out in your life. And when your actions on the outside finally begin to match the inputs that have been going on for years inside of you, everyone will bask in your glory and be able to benefit from your great efforts. Thanks Elizabeth for showing the way and teaching us, too.
This was helpful thank you. I am joining the gym when I turn 16 in 4 days, on 4 day split. Luckily I notice I have more proximal positive outcomes when I view exercise benefits.
I see it like this: going to gym is like reading a self-help book. Doing something like BJJ or Capoeira (or any other fun sport) is like reading a fantasy or SF book 😃.
Been working out for over 20 years. Had bumps along the road. Shoulder surgery, and other injuries and I am still going. I am sure that I am the exception and not the rule.
Firstly I absolutely love your content, some of it being especially precious! Please enlighten me as to the quick pace of your speaking- I would guess that it's at the speed that your mind works and you wish to communicate a lot of information however it is a good deal to take in and the speed makes it even a little more challenging...🙏
If you can't stick to it that probably means the training modality isn't something you enjoy and look forward to in your day. Better to find a sport or physical activity that doesn't regularly demands you overcome demotivation, because if you constantly have to psyche yourself up to go, that means eventually you won't.
I’ve gone to the gym for a decade and all together I’ve shed I would guess like 70 pounds going on bulks and cuts. The thing that keeps me going is the progress and the fear to lose it all after all the work I’ve put in.
i added all the cost of working out including my hourly rate vs the cost of hospitalization and long term care. It's waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy cheaper. that's how I changed my behavior
I think if you're focusing on the proximal you can also enjoy thinking about the distal. I'm going to the gym now since 2018 and I have lost some substantial amount of weight. During covid I gained it all back and for a long time I really didn't enjoy the gym as I felt guilty for lack of self control. But I still did go and when I got back on track I liked seeing my progress again but I also think about my progress in the future which motivates me to keep going. I tried to convince some friends to also go to the gym put they either just say they try it or quit relatively soon. You have to have some intrinsic motivation and realistic expectations as well and sitting on the couch eating snacks is easier.
Idk if you take book suggestions but man search for meaning by Victor Frankle was a very interesting read, sorta similar to the AA summary but it’s a take on the mindsets of being in the holocaust but still having a reason to live and keep showing up. From a survivors POV
“Do not believe everything you think.” = incredibly good advice.
I struggle with a lot of anxiety and self depricating thoughts and general overthinking. "Don't believe everything you think" has become my mantra for when I feel my brain running away.
shhh the voices are always right
I was told a slightly different version, “don’t believe your own bullshit”. It can apply both to overly positive and overly negative self stories but has become a regular check on my attitude.
The mind is so complex, that when people are alone and have much time to think they instantly become potentially very dumb, as they can randomly become intelligent.
and it can go to an extremum where people even thought to randomly just end their life.
like that's how dangerous is, aloness, and staring to the abyss of your mind, that to what the literal saying says; look at the abyss for too long and it will stare back.
that's actually why an opinionated based society is a really big mistake, because the brain is so chaotic, to the point, the only way to become intelligent is to actively suppress natural occurring stupidity.
it is so insane, that things like hunger, and things like being in a dark room for too long; literally make people go crazy.
we could say that the person who you knew, is literally not anymore, just because of hunger.
the brain has been proven to be so sensible, that hearing high pitch tones, and certain frequencies drives it literally insane.
Thats actually why being narcissistic, too much opinionated, or too much self-centered, is a serious problem that needs addressing and consulting with an actual people who can help.
Like it is so harmful, to feel good and indulging in that good feeling, to the point, where a person can actually actively damage their own body, and kill their neurons, permanent damage their own memory, and completely basically completely destroy their own health, in an extremely painful way and even go to an extent of hurting others, just for that good feeling.
basically, that's the bases of any form of addictions.
it means that, something that seems good, that give a good feeling; doesn't make it actually inherently good; surprising it is, a bit contractionary but that how insane the human mind is.
this is why I don't encourage a leftist or rightist or and flag color opinions in any form, because incentivizing narrow views, and one-dimensional thinking causes massive damage; and the problem is it's not temporary damage, it's no small damage, and it's not a damage that only effects the individual; it's actually a damage that is big, permanent and effect many people all at once, especially the people around that individual.
Actively perusing as in, trying to get knowledge, and knowing how to be able to look at a problem in multiple perspectives, and bases; is basically the only way to be able to try and fix a problem, without causing harm; or at worse trying to make any harm as minimal as possible.
Basically, in TL;TR One-dimensional ways of seeing things; is extremely harmful for everybody and will always be harmful to more than one individual; as such as a friendly reminder for everybody, try to be less self-centered as possible without ruining your sanity ofc.
you could apply this to MANY things in life
I'm grateful that the gym is so addictive to me. For me, strength training has kept me in the gym for the past 4 years consistently. My distal goals are always a target weight to hit in the longterm. My proximal goals are the intermediary weights I hit along the way. Once I hit my main goal, I set another. Rinse and repeat.
I got sick so bad once from a gym goer that coughed on me. Quit the gym, and made a home gym.
@@skyking9248 You made the best choice. You don't need to be a treadmill rat in a gym or fitness centre that does not feel comfortable. If you like you can read the book "Solitary Fitness" , just in case you you don't have your home gym equipment with you. You might end up doing physic as l activity in someone's garden.
I picked up covid at either yoga or pilates. If i didnt live in a tiny city apartment I'd be doing exactly this 😭
Covid was going around my old gym, I caught it first time on the gym floor.Went away in a day or three. Then the following year, my cleaner had a flu so bad she spread it to my dad and I.She also had to be hospitalised with that strain of flu cause her lungs were filling up she couldn't breathe.. That flu took me out for 2 or 3 months and off the gym and treadmill.
.... i got sick at school.... i got sick at the gym.... i got sick from my family.... i got sick from friends......... i got sick from a movie theater.... i got sick on a plane.... i got sick on a bus... i got sick in the rain.... sick from the sun, sick from the dirt, sick from all the whiny babies..... i ran out of rhymes 🤮
Weak immune system
She sounds like my playback speed is at 2x. But I just checked and it's "normal" speed.
Seriously
Like I watch CrashCourse at 2x without any problems
She is genuinely the only person I have to slow down to 1.75 (due to speed - others are just harder to understand or other issues)
You put into words what I was thinking for a long time 😄
I love it though
I just love this point you made "the reason why we tell ourselves that we need to exercise in the first place, that determines how much we enjoy working out." I used to associate external factors like trying to fit into my wedding dress back then (the original reason why I joined the gym), and that didn't last long at all. Whereas, the endorphins and feel-good factor contributed to me going back more regularly eventually. Great insightful video! 🙌
I‘m watching this from a treadmill in my gym and it helped me tremendously, because I was starting to lose motivation! Will rewatch after my sets. Glad you are aware of our privilege to have enough time and energy to even go to the gym.
When I focus on the aesthetic of working out I actually get discouraged. I don’t see results and I get discouraged. So for me focusing on the immediate benefits such as more energy and less depression makes it worth it.
As someone with ADHD, my issue with exercise (despite knowing and experiencing the benefits...(was a physiotherapist) used to be a 5-6 days a week weight lifter.) is it gets in the way of something i'd rather be doing. Did it all. I've gone through the love/hate relationship with leg day. I've always 'gone heavy' where possible. I've always loved the way I feel after having a shower after a heavy gym session. I've loved the gym....I've loathed the gym. Avid mountain biker. I don't do any of it anymore. Don't try to make sense of it. I can't make sense of it and I was the one doing it.!
What are the things you are doing instead with your time?
@@natashahussain6281 Nothing good. Regrettably. I still try to get out for a walk regularly. I collect my groceries myself by walking the mile there and back carrying everything in a rucksack. Better than slobbing out completely but a far cry from wat my activity levels used to be. Mental health is quite variable so motivation fluctuates accordingly.
Oh, I feel you! It's why I cancelled my membership & started diverting the money that WOULD have gone into that membership into saving up for equipment at home. That way, I can hack my morning routine (which is when I'm most motivated to do things) to actually achieve something resembling consistency with training & weightlifting, even if it's not perfect.
@@TheMemeRepository In a similar vein, I bought myself a small weight set. It's not as much as I would lift at the gym on legs, but when I see it, I'll do an upper body workout. it only cost like 3 months of gym anyway and I've had it and used it for much longer.
If I were diverting funds spent on a membership I could easily get 100lbs worth of weights from decathlon in 4 months. I just don't have that money at all rn.
Adhd’r here and what helped me was orange theory circuit style. So I implement that into exercises (not I said exercises & not routines you know how that goes)
So for daily I create circuits or go to orange theory and I realized if it ain’t intense or challenging I get bored so I mix that shit up with random niche activities for instance long distance cycling, bootcamp style cross fit, swimming, boxing, martial arts, barre, & yoga. Point is I’m always mixing shit up through Groupon or freebie weeks and things I always wanted to try or haven’t mastered. I don’t look at it as forced exercise, I always end up liking whatever it is I try or do, and that’s the only thing that keeps the consistency cause after awhile when I drift into boredom I’m like oh yeah let me try or smash a mile swim today!! Your body will naturally not be able to be in the veggie state for long trust me. Good luck fam!
It's not complex - regular exercise is hard and torturous, and often unpleasant, but the benefits overrule. The key is habitual conditioning. I've been physically active since I could walk and run - a very active kid. School sports, a competitive circle of neighborhood friends, and a sense of adventure. It helped that I grew up in a suburban environment surrounded by a natural playground with things to explore. Gymnastics in Jr. High and High School. That followed me through college, and I kept moving by habit afterward, and I have not stopped since. I took up weight training in 1984 at the age of 27, and still going at 66. I only stop for physical reasons, such as injuries or recovering from a surgery or illness. I hike and swim to break the monotony and drudgery of lifting weights. I had a physical job for many years, then switched to a computer desk job, but I kept going to the gym at night. If I stop moving now, my body will fall apart and I will slowly become incapacitated by a bad back and other joints. Moving keeps me mobile. Exercise must become your chosen lifestyle, not a fad.
i think the thing is, very moderate / light exercise is what works for health, yet often people in the gym feel they need to do intense exercise. like in studies, simply walking fast for a lot of the day, getting a lot of steps, etc., gives you most of the health benefits of exercise. getting one's heart rate up to 120 or 130 bpm for half an hour a day. that type of exercise is not draining and would not cause someone to hate the gym. often when someone hates the gym it's because they are doing exercise that is too intense to be good for their health. going on a few extra walks each day, 15 minutes at a time, between meals, to help with digestion, will usually benefit someone's health far more than two hours in a gym. so if someone feels exhausted by the gym and hates it and quits, i'd interpret that as a clue that they are trying to do too much exercise too fast, they are working out too intensely, to the point where it wouldn't be good for their health anyway. if you are used to it, then yeah, intense exercise is great, but to go from being sedentary to intense exercise without the intermediary steps of getting most of your exercise as low or moderate intensity is a bad idea.
it'd be like if someone is told sunlight is good for you, but then they go out to the beach and lay in the sun for hours and get a sunburn. that degree of sun isn't good for someone, especially if they aren't used to it.
I just joined a gym with a beautiful work lounge restaurant, they have the yummiest side order of fries in the world. Every time I go to one of the classes I will do some writing in the lounge while eating the fries. It not only has me at the gym 5 days a week it also has me writing regularly again!
Don't you think you're wasting your time in the gym if you're gonna be eating fries right after? I only ask because I barely find time to squeeze in workouts and I'd be pissed off at myself if I'm sabotaging the benefits in any way. (Also I have trash metabolism)
@@mridhulml3269
It depends on their goals and health. If they aren't trying to lose weight and it's not negatively influencing their health, then probably not.
I'm trying to get stronger/put on weight and would absolutely eat the fries if it meant I would more regularly hit the gym and eat more calories.
@@mridhulml3269An order of fries does not have enough calories to put me in a calorie surplus for the day when put in context of the other food I am eating. Plus, eating fries doesn’t erase the workout I did 😂 my sore as fk muscles can attest to that.
@@AsterLane Exactly, my current goal is to just fall in love with physical activity and the gym, and for me that is creating positive associations and creative habits to it. Maybe if I am at a point where lowering my body fat % is a priority I can cut out the fries, but at that point I will have already cultivated the positive habit of coming to the gym and working out, instead of trying to go on a hardcore diet at the same time as starting to lift weights and do workout classes for the first time, which is already painful enough haha luckily my weight is not a major concern for me right now, I am in the healthy bracket in that regard. Just weak as fk.
Extremely counter-productive. Fries are one of the worst things you can eat.
These are my favourite tips:
- Just put your shoes on. The very act of starting gives you the motivation to keep going. Even if you just walk in the gym and do one exercise and it takes you 5 min, just do it to build that habit. Also helps if you tack the habit of putting your shoes on to another habit. E.g. I would always go to the gym after work because it is easy for me to just turn my car when I get close to the gym and that sets off a whole chain of events for me.
- Doing what is easy makes your life harder, doing what is hard makes your life easy. Don't beat yourself up, the life's rules aren't there to make you feel worthless but they are rather there to encourage you to show you how to live. If you can be strong and do the right thing then your life will go well for you.
- Minimize distractions. You are going to have to prioritise going to the gym if you really want to go. It is a permanent lifestyle change, not a phase.
- I agree that you should avoid perfectionism. Don't overanalyze your exercising. Just get in there and lift weights or do your cardio whatever rocks your boat. Perfection will come with time and experience.
- Remember to go easy and give your body plenty of rest. Listen to your body - it's not just your muscles you are damaging when you exercise, but your tendons and ligaments and everything else. And tendons and such take longer to heal, especially if you are stretching your body during exercise. The more you stretch the more damage you will do, so you have to rest appropriately, especially when you are first starting to train. But once they are healed you will be even stronger than before and able to train even harder. But think about the benefits of that to the rest of your life, your work and your wellbeing!
Very good point. Good habits are built one simple action at a time. At 66, my gym routine is probably excessive and takes 2 1/2 hours, but it did not start that way. I just kept adding exercises and stretches, and now I feel they are indispensable.
You not only talk to us like were competent and intelligent individuals, but like we're friends. I always forget how impactful that is until I see another one of your videos come out. Everything you're talking about sits with me so much longer because of your delivery and passion. Its also awesome information, of course. Many of these thoughts seem so obvious in hindsight, but I know I would have never considered them on my own. Good luck with exams! We're excited for you!
As a person that loves going to the gym I can confirm that I do mainly rely on these proximal positive outcomes. Feeling refreshed, awake and allowingmy brain to shut of while going throughthe motions. My muscles moving and knowing how much it does for my mental health makes me always look forward to going to the gym. While such things as gaining muscle and looking good while still important to me are never at the forefront of my mind. I'm also a huge nerd, and immediately upon starting went into the science of it all and building my own training regiment. That makes it not feel repetitive and gives me something to focus on while training
Your explanation is classic gym dude reason. Basically you just like it. I for example hate it with every cell... im annoyed i could be doing stuff i like. There are two things i get from it, health and looks. My back started to hurt so i started working out and told myself i might as well do it properly so its 6 years and there (almost) wasnt a week where i didnt work out at least 3 times. Why do i do it then? I have obsessive personality, i always do everything to the best of my ability and if i didnt train that much, it would feel like all previous workouts were a waste. Its easy to imagine people just quitting.
@@Zoltan1251and your response is the classic judgementally full of themselves reply
@@Ryan-wx1bi Why? Can you explain? I just said you cant tell somebody to just like working out. Its inherently boring thing. You have to find something else that makes you go.
@Zoltan1251 True, it may just not be the right thing for some people. But I was mainly pointing out that my reasons for liking going to the gym all fit that criteria of immediate reward that this video was talking about, while never trying to really motivate myself with those long off goals. Or at least never using them to get myself to the gym.
You using them and feeling miserable about yourself *may* support the thesis of the video
I really wish I experienced any of the proximal benefits you listed. They make the gym sound so nice. My experience with the gym is just not good. It makes my body hurt, i feel tired and depressed afterwards and oftentimes even during the workout, and the mental fog it puts me in steals so much of my day afterwards.
I prettymuch can only go to the gym for distal reasons, because without them i have no reason at all to go to the gym.
Thank you so much for creating this video! The difference between distal and proximal outcomes, and how they relate to the stages of behavioral change, really resonated with me. I think I have unwittingly sabotaged myself a great deal by trying to use distal outcomes to drive behavior changes day-to-day, rather than using them primarily for goal setting and planning (not only regarding exercise/fitness, but in many areas of life). This was a real eye opener for me! 🙂
It was a switch for me, one day I just started and never questioned it. It’s been that way now for nearly 3 years and the only difference is the complexity and advancements of my workouts, diet and physique and the days I go have gone from 2-4 days to 6 days a week every week without a single week missed for the last 2 and a half years now
im one of those people who always wants to reach perfection goals and i ended out being burnout for that. it was very important for me to hear your advice of thinking more sustainable and less perfectionist. thank you so much!!
In current extremely busy world, physical and mental exercises are the most desirable 💯
See, Arnold always said that to achieve the long term goals (being a bodybuilder, movie star, etc) you had to constantly remind yourself thats what you were working towards, but to motivate yourself for the day to day work, you had to focus on what the enjoyment you were getting out of that day (doing lots of reps, getting a ripping pump, etc).
Time and time again, we come to learn that the golden age bros had it all figured out.
Oh my god, you have presented this video so wonderfully. It absolutely cleared all of my doubts. Now I can use this video as a guide to kick start my journey again. Thanks! You are awesome!
I like how this video is not only about the gym, but it can be extended to all behaviors and benefit from it.
Great video Liz ❤️❤️❤️
How thought-provoking. This explains a lot, while giving helpful suggestions.
Thanks for including links to research papers.
In my experience it’s the hard times and events that hurt me are also really good things to remember while you are exercising. It’s like taking a shot of adrenaline while you’re physically exhausted. It works like a charm.
The theory of the second best was mind blowing Oh my God.
And the point of the whole cycle repeating, the guilt and rational thought, etc, instantly clicked. Great stuff.
I understand why the gym stuff about keeping one accountable makes things so much easier, damn it I understand it very well.
Lastly, I'd have never thought how the proximal positive outcomes are better for beginners. I've always been the perfectionist and too vivid of an imaginator so catastrophising seemingly harmless failures is nothing new.
Thank you for bringing out these mental nuances to the rest of us.
PS - I checked your channel so many times since the last video, glad you're back Liz
Been checking your channel every day for the last few days for new content while binge watching my fav videos of yours. And you dropped a new video today!! Never been happier🥳
Can you please make a video on how to research better? Like where to find useful articles and research papers. Thank you, love your videos ❤
People realize its time consuming. Find a form of exercise that is sustainable. I workout at home or at park. Cheaper and faster
Most folks quit for a variety of reasons, but generally this plays a role (or could, if you would let it):
1. Lack of properly quantifiable programming. This turns gymtime into something not readily translated into result, even if it is there. A good strength program gives you a good idea where you will be in 6 months. And you haven't even done anything!
2. Lack of purpose. The beauty of training is that it can be customized and fine tuned according to whatever need you may have. Like "I only have 3 x 30 minutes a week". If you can't make a decent program for yourself, the problem is lack of knowledge. How can it ever be fun if you're not behind the wheel?
3. Lack of curiosity - the thing that drives 1 and 2.
I know it sounds bootcampy, but it's not at all. It's actually liberation from bootcamp. Training is all about perspective. Find the one that works, and build from there. Never be afraid to start with the basics. Spend 6 months doing nothing but squatting, become good at it. That's a result. Dare to be opportunistic about it.
The way that I've motivated myself to go to the gym is gaslighting myself that there are no downsides.
I am only tired because I haven't gone to the gym long enough.
I am not gonna be able to sleep well if I don't work out regularly (that part is actually mostly true)
I would've been better if I started going to the gym sooner.
Blaming all the disadvantages of the gym itself on yourself pre-gym, you will be reinvigorated to go harder every day.
I appreciate the fact that she’s trying to do what she’ll be preaching once she becomes a doctor.
Regular gym goer for the past 8 years here (4 to 5 times a week). In my experience, at least in the Southern U.S, the gym is more crowded during January and February because of all the new Year's resolution people. The crowd seems to slowly dissipate over March and April and then levels out in the Summer. Also, very articulate video, but it seems like a long rationalization for what equates to lack of self motivation. In the end, a person has to make a lifestyle change and commit to it.
Yeah exactly. I was someone who growing up hated exercising and never did it. Then in my 20s I decided that I wanted a change and decided to create a new lifestyle and habit. I’ve been lifting five times a week for years now and it’s my favorite hobby and best part of my day always, genuinely the endorphins and just the feeling of hitting my goals makes working out extremely enjoyable and fun for me.
I was never an exercise or gym person but at 22 my metabolism slowed down and I started putting on weight and I had to learn how to lose weight...educating myself on counting kilojoules and learning how to run (walk for X amount of time, run for X amount of time then each week close the walking time down until you can run solidly for 30 mins). A year later I joined a gym and ran on a treadmill 3 times a week for years. Then I joined a Crossfit gym for 6 years. Now I just do bodybuilding at a chain gym, having been a 'fitness/gym guy' for 17 years now. I remember what it was like before, it felt hopeless. People really need to educate themselves, so they know how much to lift/how far to run/what to eat/how much is too much food/how much is too little etc. Then trust the process and it becomes a lifestyle rather than something you have to do. We all manage to brush our teeth, so think of the gym like that.
Thanks for doing this. I watched while I was doing my bodyweight exercises at home. Part of what I hate about the gym is the gym. The machines and the other members are intimidating. It takes a lot of motivation and scheduling to get there. I started rowing more than 30 years ago at the gym, and after a few months I realized that was unsustainable, so I bought a rower and have had at least one ever since. One of the nice things about it is that there is no minimum level of effort ... just do it and pull however hard you feel like. More recently, I bought a Bike Erg, and every morning before breakfast I sit on it for 1/2 hour while I have my morning coffee (click me to see my video on that). But arguably I enjoy cardio. Strength training not so much. I just started that about 18 months ago because the evidence is clear you must do it -- especially when you get to be my age. So I bought a pull-up bar and a plyo box. I still hate strength training but I can do many sets of 10 pull-ups or dips, three times a week. A year ago I could do zero. I still keep hoping I'll learn to love it but I guess I'm addicted nonetheless. I hate doing it but I feel a void when I don't.
I'm not saying you necessarily need to buy equipment. Outdoor activities like walking, running, and cycling are great. But weather can interfere. I do all of these, when the mood strikes me. But what I do regularly is morning indoor cycling every morning, and bodyweight training 3 times a week. I know that without some piece of cardio equipment, it would be way too easy to abandon my routine. And for bodyweight exercise, a pull-up bar is pretty much essential, unless you're lucky enough to have a pipe or beam or something you can use. Even so, I use the school playground, weather and time permitting.
I'm glad to hear you realized how incredibly important resistance training is, even if you don't enjoy it. :)
Me encanto este video!!!!, hace mucho tiempo que no veía algo interesante en RUclips. Por lo general veo todos los videos a 2X (velocidad máxima) por que son aburridos llenos de propaganda intrínseca y relleno de hablante, pero en este tuve que pararlo muchas veces para interiorizar todo, un gran aplauso a Elizabeth!!
Queen is back
It's quite funny when people quit because they got the flu or some other reason like that... When I got sick, I had no time for a few weeks etc. I'll stop for the necessary time to just come back as soon as I can. Working out is a lifestyle. Quitting the working out because of some mishap is like quitting parenting because of a cold... Take care of yourself like you would with your children
I've only missed a handful of days of "working out "over the last decade. I'm approaching ~15 thousand miles logged of running/biking/rowing/walking (plus strength training in my garage gym). The secret to my success is that I subscribe to audible. Those workouts aren't working out, that's my time to get out and listen to a good book. During that time, I have listened to 600(ish) books and lost a ton of weight. I knock out 2 - 3 books a month, depending on length. That works out to a little over an hour a day of being outside and moving. That was my goal, and I'm doing it easy breezy. The only downside is that I've listened to so many books, it's getting hard to find something to listen to.
OMG this video is way tooooo long but your edit are always getting more mind blowing 🤯 Make a masterclass from it!
I got tired of getting ready and then driving to the gym. So I slowly built a gym in my garage so now I just workout at home. And I stay pretty consistent.
Wake up, babe, new Elizabeth Filips video just dropped!
Your content was missed🥰
thank you for quality content you put so much energy into them. i have an opinion about gyms, well human bodies are not designed for exercising at the gym, it designed for activities under the sun in the nature , our brain cant get motivated to go and workout with metal under a roof. so we dont have to convince our self anymore all we have to do is to find a sport that bring us joy like swimming like walking or skating or basketball or with a cardio app in our balcony
I do both and enjoy both. :)
Having met my physical activity quota for the day
It frustrates me to no end that I have to do this tomorrow and every day after that to just get a drop of what I'm aiming for in 6 months or even a year
Given how much I know about getting ones first pull up and how close I am
I genuinely deserve to call my self a pull up expert
Incredible informative and well - produced video! I managed to break out of my too - high - expectations - start anew - gym - quitter cycle this year and I noticed all of the changes in my mindset and approach to exercise exactly as you described here. Focused on the immediate benefits and rewards (made me actually want to and enjoy exercise right now and even if i only did it today, I‘d still get the benefits) and adjusted my goals and expectations to what was actually possible and what I was likely to do. Took me 7 years as well but I‘ve learned a lot in the process, mostly that my former approach was quite silly and would not have worked not matter how „disciplined“ I tried to be :) Thank you for the amazing video and the hours of research and work you must have put into this!
You can not go to gym and do Calisthenics to get fit.
My new years resolutions:
• Handstand ✅
• 90⁰ hold
• Planche
A win-win situation 😏
Love it! I am saving the Proximal Positive Outcomes in my vocab. The one I use for going to the gym is thinking about stress relief. My brain feels so much better and I can go back to working on mental tasks with more energy after. Again, thanks for publishing this. I now know more of why I hate planning far into the future.
Wow. The editing in your videos is amazing. Premium content 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾
Would it be possible if u enable the subtitles youtube generates automatically? That would help a lot, great video either way!
If she talked just a little slower, it would be much easier to follow along
Very insightful videos!
@@foxleaf9245 You know, you can slow the video speed down if it's too fast. .75 should do it.
@@brindlebucker4741 good idea!
something crazy that i noticed was that I moved dorms and ended up twice as far from the gym as I had been previously and completely stopped going as a result. it was a 5 minute change, i’d say
I don't know why, but it felt like I was listening to this video sped up and I had to slow it down just a bit.
This is so helpful! My problem is that when I inevitably get the winter flu, I 'fall off the wagon' and stop going to the gym until the following summer. It's a cycle! This is going to help me break that cycle, and it's great to know I need to intentionally enter that maintenance phase after about 6 months. That's the phase I really struggle to get into because I'm too focussed on short-term benefits as my source of motivation.
I find your videos so helpful- the combination of a deep dive into a subject with hard facts and then actionable steps to implement in your life really clicks with me, particularly the way you do it. I have watched/ read lots of selp help type content and have often struggled to find something that works for me even from professionals- being told on more than one occasion that i am too complicated lol, so i want to thank you for making videos and being yourself. ❤
I've always loved training lifting weights, running, hiking, rock climbing. Whatever, if it's exercise I'll do it. I was very underweight as a teenager which had a real negative impact on my self esteem and once I discovered resistance training and began to learn more about nutrition and my body composition began to change I got totally hooked.
The background music fits very well.
I've been working out every day at my apartment's gym for 3 years and I will be the first to say that I don't enjoy it lol. But I get the immediate benefit of burning calories which has a massive effect on my calorie budget for the day. Makes it 1000% worth it.
Planet Fitness is standing room only in January. In February it's busy. In March it's empty except for 6pm when all the OF models line up on the treadmill and their subscribers line up on the squat rack.
Fascinating stuff. The theory of 2nd best is great stuff, and has almost immediately helped my perception around going to the gym.
Hello Elizabeth. I watched this video first and then referred to your previous video regarding the "Science of Enjoying Exercising," and wanted to congratulate you on picking out your path to finding enjoyment in fitness. Exercise is very rewarding, but can feel incredibly burdensome at times, even for those that seem frequent and tireless about it. You deserve credit for striving to find the ways and means to overcome your reservations.
With regard to distal and proximal goal setting, I would also recommend progress tracking, which could be considered as a bridge between the two. Recording weight discrepancies week-by-week and improvements to different exercise metrics is motivational for some. Snapping front-facing and side-facing full-body selfies week-by-week can also serve to show physical changes we may miss giving ourselves our daily once-over in the mirror, or that the weight scale may conceal in the numbers via unexpected water weight or cortisol gains. Why, just referencing between your video 10-months ago and this video, I can clearly see you have made remarkable progress. You should be proud.
I believe you touched on this point, so I will just echo, for others who are struggling to get started: kindness and patience with oneself is paramount to long-term commitment to physical fitness. Train hard, but do not punish your body. Treat your body respectfully. More than half of the battle of being healthy is diet, so eat intelligently. And get plenty of rest! Most gains are made via recovery, so don't skimp!
Cheers, Elizabeth. Well done.
For me it is important that I stop and go home whenever I want to. My workout should never feel really bad, because then I don't want to come back. At the moment I have very little motivation. So I only go to the gym once a week. If I don't feel like working out, I will just put a minimum of weight on, so it doesn't feel too bad, but I keep my habit alive.
On another note. Elizabeth, please make a video on your teeth journey 🤗 My teeth need to get corrected at some point, because I'm starting to have jaw pain. But I'm really scared about them having to file between my teeth.
The problem is that many people dont understand that quitting is actually part of the process but dont utilize it effectively. Quitting indefinitely vs taking short one/two week breaks, deloading weeks or pyramid training are tools to not only allow the body to heal but also the mind/cns...
When I bring new people, they usually start strong then they take a random lift day off when we were supposed to go after an month or few then they stop completely. I think the strength gains slow down a lot and its a lot more work and time to get anywhere than they realize
beautiful breakdown of this phenomena, thanks
I'm finally going to start physical therapy (soon) and I'm grateful for this video. Thanks Elizabeth🖤
For me the first few weeks of going to the gym were very easy because I’ve always wanted to go and have been waiting forever to finally be old enough. The hardest part were 2-4 months. Now I’m in my 6th month and it’s just a part of my life and I need it to stay sane
I really only workout at a gym Dec-April... rest of the year I'm working construction from sunrise to sunset 😂 when I got to the gym it's a 3-4 hour experience or I'll throw a heavy pack on and go hiking for hours!.... people need to learn to push themselves harder, people are getting more and more weak minded... the "it's too hard" shit... don't come at me not everyone can do it, I was off work injured for years having to rebuild myself up... no one will hold you accountable but you..
So glad you are back! Amazing video as always. Please keep them coming. Thanks!!
I love the advice in this video! Looking at the benefits of the future is certainly more motivating than looking at the current benefits. I loved hearing you mention music-I love exercise music! I use the songs I listen to as a guide-first, exercise for one song, then two, then 5, then 10, etc. Add a few a day until you've reached your goal.
Your video editing skills are on top level. Please make videos to teach us
Great vid, thanks! I'm 57, and working out is an integral part of my life because my job demands that I be fit. Also, I was married to a medical student. We were together since her first year in anatomy. So, first of all, I know from witnessing it exactly how hard you're working and how much time you must put into studying. I, myself, edit videos and have a channel. So, I also know how much time making videos like this must take. I mean, you have to think the high quality content up, write it, shoot it, edit it... It takes a lot of time and you're shoe-horning it in there with your medical studies. AND you're exercising regularly... And I'm just guessing you've got some other stuff going on too. You set a good example for not wasting your life.
I love your passion and "expressivity", you must be very enjoyable to talk to in person.
As a fellow introvert, my solution was to build up a home gym in the basement, so I don't have to deal with the silly posturing and sizing each other up (probably a bit different amongst us males 😊).
Earlier, my motivation came from being a competitive athlete, these days it's all about being strong and healthy, i.e. physically capable, so I can also be of good service to the people around me, and if that can make me a positive role model I'll take it 😊
This was such a well-put-together video. I feel like this goes beyond the gym as well into general life goals/ habits. A lot to think about for sure.
i love that my gym is emptying up. i can finally start using the manual machines again
The editing is lovely. BG music fits
I started with the gym end of January. Only to swim half an our before work. Until today I nearly managed it too. I only paused because of a week of vacation in London where I only managed to go to a pool two times. A day when I had a bad muscle ache and two days I had a cold and decided it’s maybe not a good idea to have a swim. - I also started to use some machines too lately just because they are there and as I pay each month using everything makes my membership more efficient. I haven’t found the motivation to go to one of those lessons.
My gym's still crowded(and A MESS), still waiting for people to quit 🙃
The best thing for my gym life was getting an expensive powerlifting coach. He's so expensive I had to quit my therapy. But I haven't missed a single training in the last 2 years 😂
it is amazing how the quality of your content has improved within time, congratulations! i am impressed how good you are getting at producing content ( good and entertaining ) for youtube. I have been watching your channel about 3 years. i am very impressed by this video , the shift you have made since the first video ( which was already very good ) , it is good to see youtubers to have effort to produce good, entertaining and relevant content 👏
Love love love the editing style of your videos!! And as always, great video!
Going to the gym is similar to how you build up other habits. It's so easy to forget about what you are doing, because the likelihood that something will distract you is so high. Also, sometimes you temporarily have to postpone your goals, if you're going on vacation or maybe have to move.
So how do you keep your gym goals? Just as Elizabeth said that she obsessed over her medical career to reach her doctoral goals, so you too must obsess over the gym (or whatever other goal that you have, it doesn't have to be the gym, I don't go to the gym, but think they're great and maybe someday I'll use one) and just think on that goal constantly. You have to. It's what will make it so that even if you are not doing it, it is on your mind constantly.
Then, take action and make sure to go through the awkward and unusual stage of doing the activity, which will feel embarrassing and you're probably not going to find the right gym right away or you'll do the wrong moves or feel like you don't belong. You might fall flat on your face. You might not get any recognition and feel like you are the worst performer of your type. It might even be true. Zero. Zero. Zeros. But, you know, you can still get up and figure it out, just like you've figured other things out in your life. And when your actions on the outside finally begin to match the inputs that have been going on for years inside of you, everyone will bask in your glory and be able to benefit from your great efforts. Thanks Elizabeth for showing the way and teaching us, too.
This was helpful thank you. I am joining the gym when I turn 16 in 4 days, on 4 day split. Luckily I notice I have more proximal positive outcomes when I view exercise benefits.
I see it like this: going to gym is like reading a self-help book. Doing something like BJJ or Capoeira (or any other fun sport) is like reading a fantasy or SF book 😃.
Loved seeing your videos after a long time ❤
Been working out for over 20 years. Had bumps along the road. Shoulder surgery, and other injuries and I am still going. I am sure that I am the exception and not the rule.
Yay you’re back! 😊
I enjoy watching your videos 🫶🏼
👽Your choice in artwork... is beautiful
i cant imagine not working out ,like seriously i have been working out for 2 years now
❤ A book narrator Elizabeth.
Succesful bodybuilder of almost 20 years. AMA
i love this woman
Firstly I absolutely love your content, some of it being especially precious! Please enlighten me as to the quick pace of your speaking- I would guess that it's at the speed that your mind works and you wish to communicate a lot of information however it is a good deal to take in and the speed makes it even a little more challenging...🙏
@rml54 you may want to try decreasing the playback speed (0.5x, 0.75x, etc.)
@@enbykenz ty!
If you can't stick to it that probably means the training modality isn't something you enjoy and look forward to in your day. Better to find a sport or physical activity that doesn't regularly demands you overcome demotivation, because if you constantly have to psyche yourself up to go, that means eventually you won't.
The cardio machines at my gym are a great way to watch youtube.
The weight machines make me feel accomplishment.
Nothing beats power walking good hiking trails, boot camping coastlines & ocean swimming.
I’ve gone to the gym for a decade and all together I’ve shed I would guess like 70 pounds going on bulks and cuts. The thing that keeps me going is the progress and the fear to lose it all after all the work I’ve put in.
Thats why I joined gym on June
i added all the cost of working out including my hourly rate vs the cost of hospitalization and long term care. It's waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy cheaper. that's how I changed my behavior
I enjoy your videos so much!! Stay as you are (dont let your profession drain you)
For me it was realizing discipline always beats motivation
Your music and aesthetics are fire!!
I think if you're focusing on the proximal you can also enjoy thinking about the distal. I'm going to the gym now since 2018 and I have lost some substantial amount of weight. During covid I gained it all back and for a long time I really didn't enjoy the gym as I felt guilty for lack of self control. But I still did go and when I got back on track I liked seeing my progress again but I also think about my progress in the future which motivates me to keep going. I tried to convince some friends to also go to the gym put they either just say they try it or quit relatively soon. You have to have some intrinsic motivation and realistic expectations as well and sitting on the couch eating snacks is easier.
Idk if you take book suggestions but man search for meaning by Victor Frankle was a very interesting read, sorta similar to the AA summary but it’s a take on the mindsets of being in the holocaust but still having a reason to live and keep showing up. From a survivors POV