If you always say that you enjoy training and you are looking forward to your next training session, then either your training is too weak, or you are deceiving yourself.
Does training have to be fun?
No. Satisfaction comes after a well-done workout, rather than during it. Let's face it, what is nice about muscle pain and exertion that doesn’t even let you catch your breath. The pleasure comes from the feeling that we did the training as planned, that we did not give up, essentially, that we overcame the challenge. Therefore, don’t fool yourself and don’t convince yourself that you love all your training, because sooner or later you will get that insidious thought " why bother so much?" And you must be prepared for this crisis.
Ways to overcome a training motivation crisis
Someday, you will probably find yourself making up all sorts of excuses for avoiding the training, instead of packing your training bag and getting into the gym. Quitting for no apparent reason is a bad idea, as it can often start a bad habit. One or two missed workouts is not a problem, but five or six are. After that, it is difficult to get back the motivation and attitude and can lead to remorse and anger at oneself. Therefore, when a crisis hits, try any of the following:
Lighter training
Temporarily, drop the most complex and exhausting exercises. Make ones that engage specific muscle groups, but not 100 percent. A lighter workout can be a reduction in weights (roughly to 80 percent of the usual load), the number of reps, or the number of sets. Choose one of these facilities, but rather not all of them at once. You can do a reasonably planned lighter workout for up to a week or two without much damage to your form. Although it will not bring any visible effects, it will allow you to keep the existing ones and, at the same time, reset before full mobilization occurs again.
Choose a different training option
Combined series dominate your training plan, or maybe you do circuit training or intervals? If you don't feel up to it, train differently. Single exercises instead of combined, easy, even pace instead of intervals or circuits. And vice versa. You don't have the strength for one hour of strength training? Make an interval or a circuit. Such an unexpected change can bring many benefits, because the body usually responds well to a new form of exercise.
Shorter at the gym
Until now, let’s say you had a steady rhythm - warm-up, strength exercises and some cardio/aerobics. This resulted in quite a long time at the gym. You don't have the strength and energy? Give up the cardio for a few days. You'll be done faster. You can go home at a leisurely pace if you wish. This will also benefit you.
Longer breaks between sets
This is also a good way to catch your breath. Instead of a killer pace, take leisurely breaks to recover. The training will take a bit longer, but it will not be as tiring.
Training with another person
When you feel like you really don't want to, find a training companion. If you go to the gym with someone who is at your skill level, you will partner and exchange experiences. A more experienced person will help to mobilize and can even show you some tips. In turn, going with someone less experienced will make you feel like a mentor, and it can motivate you tremendously. As you can see, each option has its own advantages.
In conclusion: don't punish yourself by turning up the pace
Ambitious people get angry at the mere thought of their weakness and discouragement from training. They believe that the best way to deal with a temporary lack of motivation is to "punish" yourself with hard, exhausting training. Under the slogan "blood, sweat and tears." But is this always a good idea? Everyone will have a different answer. However, it is worth being aware that discouragement to train is often a signal from our body that something is wrong, that the effort or load is disproportionate to recovery and we should definitely listen to such signals.