Every day someone starts a new fitness program, only to slack off and quit just a few weeks later.
People who don’t succeed in reaching their fitness goals usually have one distinguishing trait in common…
They make excuses.
They know all the reasons for failure, but they still have one airtight excuse that explains why they haven’t succeeded. We’re all guilty of this at one point or another, I know I am. How many times have you seen someone get in great shape and then all of their friends start to reel off excuses why they can’t do the same thing? It happens ALL the time.
Excuses won’t get you anywhere though. All the world cares about is what you’ve actually done (not what you “could” do).
Inspired by Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich, here are some of the most popular excuses that people spew to rationalize why they can’t get in shape…
Workout Excuses
- If I only had the time to workout, I would do it
- I don’t have a gym membership
- No matter how hard I “try” I can’t do it
- Well she’s got a personal trainer, so it’s easy for her
- I don’t have the energy
- What are good shoulder workouts
- I’m too old to get a body like that
- I don’t have the genetics to look good
- I’d be in shape if I could just stay motivated
- I’ve tried everything to lose weight but it doesn’t “work for me”
- I could look like her too if I didn’t have kids and a house to take care of (from mom’s everywhere)
- I don’t have the money for exercise equipment
- If working out wasn’t so boring, I would do it
- I don’t like people looking at me at the gym
- Do squats really work?
- I don’t know what to do at the gym
- Well I could look like that too if I had a personal chef…
- I don’t have the money to eat all the healthy foods
- I don’t have the time to cook healthy food
I could go on and on with this list ad nauseum. BUT the most important thing you need to realize is this… if you’re not seeing the results you want you’re using an “excuse” to cover up the real problem.
And what’s the real problem? You lack persistence.
People who are persistent are usually misunderstood and seen as ruthless or cold blooded. But what they really have is a strong willpower to do anything it takes to achieve their goals.
Napoleon Hill says “The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on despite all the opposition until they attain their goals”. The few that push through are the superstars, the people that get noticed.
Put your ego aside for a moment and think about the excuses you’re making to cover up the real problems in your fitness routine. Are you ready to dedicate yourself to being persistent and doing whatever it takes to reach your goals?
Or did another excuse just come to mind?
– Vic
P.S. – If you want to up your training and get in the best shape of your life, you MUST check out Terry’s Ashers TNT Manual.
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Think and Grow Rich is a good read once a year or so.
Good stuff!
Try this one Vic…”I don’t need to exercise. I watch Celebrity Fit Club and it’s my favourite TV show” 🙂
@ Yavor – Totally agree man. It should be mandatory reading for everyone in highschool/college
@ Tom – LOL, never heard that one yet, but Im sure someone thinks like that…
It’s true, excuses just stack up until they choke the person with fear. What I have found is that there seems to be a fear of success for people. They fear the responsibility of maintaining whatever gains they have made.
All the Best,
Andrew R
there are no valid excuses…
I use to make excuses all the time for it. I found out my problem was knowledge. I was willing to workout but I didn’t know what to do to get results. I started doing P90X and it has kept me on track and motivated to stay healthy. Nice website.
Tbh my main excuse for not going to the gym is that I’ve never been to a gym which isn’t full of poseurs, those guys who give you strange looks for actually sweating and breathing hard during training. The same guys who have put off any female friends of mine that I tried to introduce to the joy of free weights.
But then I’ve got a good set of free weights at home, so I don’t really have any excuses not to do a couple of hours a week.
@John M: Working out at home is great! I know the “poseurs” you speak of in the big commercial gyms. If you like the gym atmosphere other than “those guys” consider trying to find a serious power lifting gym or even an independently owned gym that has lots of free weights and few televisions. Good luck!
I always seem to have an excuse, it’s just talking myself out of it and getting my workouts in. Good Post!
Thanks, Rob. Now go train!