workout Archives - Women and Muscle

Workout Motivation Tips

Rosalie Bennoto — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:34:38 +0000

How to Move Past Lack of Motivation to Exercise

If it’s one thing I know a lot of women have in common its the lack of motivation to exercise. Even though we know its important for our health, staying in shape keeps us healthy and in shape. In this article, I will some of my favorite working motivation tips that personally help me and my friends stay motivated.

Thinking of a long term fitness plan is hard, that is why so many women give up after just a few weeks. You start the new year’s resolution with a promise to yourself to work out all year but those plans fizzle away fast.

Trying to maintain consistency exercise program is easier said than done, in order to get the best results from working out it is recommended that you workout out at least 4 times a week. My doctor has even told me that there is nothing wrong with walking every day. It’s good for the heart and blood circulation.

I like to train with weights I like the toned feeling it gives me, plus it seems to keep fat away, the problem is trying to find the motivation to exercise.

There are all kinds of excuses for not wanting to working out.

Common excuses for not working out include:

You don’t have time
You feel tired
Too many things to do
The gym will be too crowded
I’m too old to workout
I’m too embarrassed to work out in front of other people
I’m ashamed of how I look (I’m too fat)
I don’t have the right workout clothes
You can’t afford a gym membership

I could go on about excuses about why women don’t work out and I’m sure there are dozens I have missed. The truth is there will always be an excuse but that is why we have to be mentally strong and focused in order to workout.

When I lack the motivation to exercise I have to give myself a pep talk.

I tell myself how much better I will feel afterward and reinforce that with how much better I look from exercising. I realize a lot of women have never worked out before so it’s hard when you don’t see results.

If you have never exercised, today is a good time to get motivated and start.

So how do you stay motivated to exercise?

There are so many things you can do to get started, below are some of the popular methods I have found that keep focused so that I exercise several times a week.

1. Just going to the gym can help get you motivated

A lot of times I feel lethargic and don’t want to workout, I know if I can make it through the doors at my local gym that’s half the battle. Once your inside it’s pretty hard to turn back around and leave.

When I see other people working out it encourages me to work out myself.

Once there I will make a mad dash to a stationary bike or elliptical machine, all it takes is 15 minutes to get me into the grove if I can make it that far I am usually warmed up enough for the weight room.

2. Don’t overdo things

I believe one of the biggest mistakes women make is trying to do too much at one time. If you train to where you are depleted and exhausted that will give you little motivation to return to the gym the next day.

No one is a powerhouse full of energy, depression, daily chores, and work can all take a toll. The best thing to do is to train accordingly. On days when you have a better mindset train harder, when you feel depressed or lack energy train with less intensity just tell yourself you have to do this.

Some days will be easier than others.

Keep things simple, focus on training one body part per day and keep the sets and reps moderate, your goal is to get a good pump, you are not there to win a strength competition.

I like training legs first day of the week its the most challenging for me so I like to get it out of the way.

3. Set aside time for you ( Your health is important)

When it comes to exercising most people can find the time for everything else but that. You are not alone, very few people have a life without commitments. A full-time job, family, and kids all consume time.

How many of us are guilty of finding time to take a lunch break or watch TV for an hour or two. Think twice before you sit in front of your TV and make exercise your priority. (Think of how good you will feel after your workout) Sitting in front of a TV is not as healthy as going to the gym or for a walk.

Even if you have a hectic job schedule think of yourself and your health.

Plan your day right and work around your schedule. Often times I will skip lunch and go to the gym instead.

4. Think of how good you will look

Working out can seem like a waste of time at first, most people want to see physical results immediately. The truth is, visual results take time, remember exercise can have immediate health benefits that can improve muscle tone, blood circulation and help reduce the feelings of depression. Visible results take several weeks.

5. Don’t be ashamed to work out in front of others

I have always been very self-conscience and timid, it was hard for me to work out in front of others when first joined the gym I was embarrassed because I was fat, flabby, and overweight.

Don’t be embarrassed, on the contrary people look up to those trying to better themselves and get into shape.

Remember you are there for you and if you are consistent and exercise every day you will transform your body and have something that you earned and you can be proud of.

6. Workout with a friend

One of the best ways to get motivated is to work out with a friend or relative, when I first started working out I would go with my cousin. We both nagged one another and supported each other, this made it easier to go to the gym once we where there we could push one another.

7. Fake it till you make it

Having the energy to go to exercise is not easy, sometimes you need to fake it till you make it, until you actually begin to see the results of your efforts in the gym it can be hard to stick with it.

I often find myself artificially boosting my energy by having an energy drink now and then or taking supplements that contain caffeine. Even professional fitness models have days when they cheat a little in order to boost their energy.

8. Reward yourself after your workout

I know some may not agree with me but I always try and reward myself after a good workout.

After I exercise I will go home and have a small portion of my favorite treat (within reason). We are only human so it’s only fair that after a grueling workout that you can treat yourself afterward.

The flip side of this is that no workout means no reward.

Final thoughts

Staying motivated for some people is hard, everyone has bad days, those are the ones where you need to tell yourself to just get it done.

I try not to think about it. I get in my car and go, once I have had my workout I am glad I did. I feel better and I know that it helps me both physically and mentally. Over time the changes to your physique and how you look will follow.

Rosalie Bennoto

Hi My name is Rosalie and the author of Womenandmuscle.com I started this blog to help women understand a little about the side effects of anabolic steroids and share some of my favorite alternatives that have helped me stay in shape and improve my performance in the gym.

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Working Out During Your Menstrual Cycle

Rosalie Bennoto — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:09:06 +0000

Tips for Training During Your Period

Just because its that time of the month is no excuse to skip the gym, I used to, I wanted to avoid the hassle but found out that I did not have to miss those days, on the contrary, I found that working out during your menstrual cycle s not the end of the world.

Some women will skip the gym because during their period you may feel less motivated, you train with less intensity, and recovery time takes longer.

During your period your hormones are all over the place and they can affect the way your train, but there are things you can do to train strong and use your menstrual cycle to your advantage.

During your period your metabolic rate and strength levels may be affected.

Understanding How the Menstrual Cycle Works

In order to make sure your training is effective during your period, it’s important that you understand the three phases of the menstrual cycle.

The Follicular Phase

This is the phase that begins on the first day your period starts and ends when you ovulate. During this time the follicles in the ovaries have matured.

The first few days of your period are considered the menstrual period, this tends to last around five days, this is the phase your body discharges blood and tissue from the inside lining of the uterus, the first day is when your estrogen is at its lowest levels,

After day one estrogen levels begin to increase in order to stimulate new follicular growth.

During this time the pituitary gland releases follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones.

FSH promotes follicular growth and luteinizing hormone for ovulation and the secretion of progesterone. The follicular phases last about 14 days.

Ovulating Phase

This is when a mature egg is released and the ovaries are ready to allow the egg to be fertilized by sperm.

This is also a time when estrogen and LH are at their highest levels.

During ovulation progesterone and body temperature increases.

The Luteal Phase

This phase begins the day after you ovulate and until you start your period. During this time the lining of the uterus begins to thicken to prepare for a possible pregnancy.

Estrogen, progesterone, and body temperature begin to increase and then decrease if the egg is not fertilized, the luteal phase lasts around 14 days.

Training during the three phases can affect your mood, energy levels, and how you feel.

I used to think that it would be best to avoid training during menstruation, what I found out is that during menstruation you can train normally because insulin levels, body temperature, and metabolic rates are normal.

Some women may feel uncomfortable during this time and may choose to hold back on training intensity but you don’t have to unless you feel uncomfortable.

Train With Intensity During the Follicular Phase

During the follicular phase, testosterone levels are at an all-time high, this is when you should take advantage and train hard, this is when you will have more strength and will be able to gain muscle.

Some women may want to take advantage of this phase and train major muscle groups where more strength and energy are required.

The downside to the follicular phases is that your metabolic rate tends to slow down so you may burn fewer calories while resting.

During the follicular phase you may be more prone to injury, this is due to having more strength because of hormone fluctuations, so, make sure you warm up properly before working out.

Rest During the Luteal Phase

In theory, during the luteal phase, the time for you to reach fatigue may be shorter and this could be due to increased body temperature.

The luteal phase may lead to decreased athletic performance, so, this is the time to make the workouts shorter with less intensity.

Some women may feel depressed during the luteal phase because they tire easily but the positive benefit may be that your metabolic rate can increase so you may be burning more calories during this phase.

During the luteal phase, there may be an issue with higher insulin sensitivity so you should lower your carb intake and consume foods higher in quality proteins and healthy fats. Your body will tend to use fat better during this phase.

How to Identify What Phase You Are In

A normal cycle is 28 days, women who have regular periods should not have a hard time tracking what part of the cycle they are in, if not you could always measure your basal body temperature, this should be lower during the follicular phase.

Your body temperature should peak after ovulation and remain high during the luteal phase.

If you still have an issue there are many apps you can download to your smartphone that can help with tracking.

Birth Control Can Interfere with Tracking

Women taking oral birth control pills or patches that have hormones like progestin and estrogen may not experience all of the hormonal changes and fluctuations mentioned here, this could include dips in estrogen that cause menstruation.

Birth control pills may contribute to steady hormone production and may prevent you from having the hormonal highs and lows which may make fat loss more difficult or cause weight gain.

Final thoughts

Not all women will experience noticeable changes during their menstrual cycles, every woman is different, the important thing is not to be hard on yourself when you are feeling less energetic or feel weak.

On days when you feel you have more energy and can train hard go with it, the days you don’t are the days you want to take it easy.

Like my doctor always tells me “listen to your body”, I find that consistency is your best friend so regardless of how I feel I try to train at least 4 days a week and go by feel.

Solomon SJ, Kurzer MS, Calloway DH. Menstrual cycle and basal metabolic rate in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;36(4):611-616. doi:10.1093/ajcn/36.4.611

Yeung EH, Zhang C, Mumford SL, et al. Longitudinal study of insulin resistance and sex hormones over the menstrual cycle: the BioCycle Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.

Ekenros L, Hirschberg AL, Heijne A, Fridén C. Oral contraceptives do not affect muscle strength and hop performance in active women. Clin J Sport Med. 2013;23(3):202-207.

Rosalie Bennoto

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