What is motivation? Motivation is described as the DESIRE to achieve a goal through the commencement or launching of goal oriented behavior. Motivation is said to be developed two of which way, either intrinsically or extrinsically. Intrinsically meaning that the motivation comes from within, it is attributed to their results and the factors that they are able to control. Conversely, extrinsic motivation is derived from an outside force separate from the individual. Examples of this can be money, the threat of punishment, but in the realm of fitness, it is most commonly attributed to how an individual believe others will perceive them.
In addition to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, individuals also respond differently towards positive and negative motivation. Individuals that are positively motivated generally respond because they receive enjoyment or confidence as a result of the task they were a part of. For instance, a person goes to the gym 5 days a week for an hour each day so that he/she can achieve a lean physique that makes them more attractive to the opposite sex so that they can meet their soul mate, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. Conversely, negative motivation is the result of taking on a task in order to avoid some undesirable outcome. For instance, a person goes to the gym 5 days a week for an hour each day so that he/she can avoid becoming obese and develop cardiovascular problems
Importance of Motivation
So, why is motivation important? Just as gasoline is fuel for cars enabling them to move, well motivation is the fuel for human beings. Motivation is the fuel that pushes us to fulfill any wants and needs that we may desire. Motivation enables people to live fulfilling lives. Without motivation nothing would ever get done. Motivation starts by first setting goals for yourself because if you do not have goals you have nothing to aim for. Before beginning a fitness program trainers will constantly reinforce how important it is to set goals, where do you want to be by the end of your program. By doing this, you are able to properly design your program to meet all your expectations. For example, if person A is only able to bench press one hundred pounds and he starts a weight training program without setting a goal, he will not necessarily know what to do or what to work on. On the other hand, if you have a similar individual (person B) who is able to bench press one hundred pounds but unlike the previous person, he set a goal to be able to bench press one hundred forty pounds within a month, chances are that you will see greater advancement in the individual who took the time to plan. By setting a goal of increasing the amount of weight he is able to bench press to one hundred and forty within a month, this individual knows that each week he should be increasing his weight by ten pounds.
It is important to note that goals should be very specific like the one in the example where person B's goal was to improve his bench press by forty pounds over the course of a month. It is best not to set a very large and outrageous goal such as becoming the number one bodybuilder in the world. By making goals that are much more attainable such as getting a gym membership, you are able to keep motivation high. In addition, by setting small attainable goals, the likelihood of being unsuccessful is reduced. Failure is the biggest deterrent when it comes to motivation. Once an individual experiences failure then they begin to lose sight of their overall goal and reasons for motivation.
Fitness & Motivation
When it comes to your fitness sometimes the hardest part is not lifting that 30 Ib. dumbbell, or doing those last 5 pull ups but in actuality it is simply getting off the coach and getting started. No matter whom you are, whether you are an individual that is beginning your fitness training for the first time or an experienced weight trainer, we all need some kind of motivation. Understanding how motivation affects you can determine whether or not you are successful in your fitness program but more importantly LIFE. As mentioned earlier, some people are motivated intrinsically and some are motivated extrinsically. Some people may focus on their past successes if they have digressed and have set new goals to not only reclaim their past glory but also surpass them. A commonality that you will see more often nowadays is that after a few years removed from the military, a soldier may become very out of shape and merely a shadow of their former selves. Since they were no longer required to stay in shape because of active duty, they cease to exercise. Individuals like this may be driven by the desire to be able to do the same activities they used to be able to do. On the other hand, you have individuals that are motivated by the fact that they feel they will appear more attractive to the opposite sex. For instance, a computer geek who has spent countless hours in front of their computer stuffing their face with junk may have become slightly overweight as a result. Furthermore, their overweight physique has left them undesirable to the opposite sex and the cause of ridicule by their peers. Individuals such as this are usually driven by the desire to be accepted by both their peers and the opposite sex. They feel that if they achieve a great physique that they will not only become more attractive to the opposite sex and possibly find their soul mate but that they will no longer be the butt of everyone's jokes.
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