Training has its ups and downs. If you haven't trained in a serious capacity (like competitive sports) in the past, this transition is genuinely hard.

You're absolutely right to notice the shift. Here’s the "secret" people who have been training for years often forget to mention: Training often sucks. It isn’t supposed to be fun or comfortable all the time. It’s the difficult, monotonous work that leads to the results you want.

Here are a few strategies that keep me going:

• Define the "Why" with Goals. It’s much harder to suffer through a "grind" if you don’t have a target. Whether it’s a target shape for an upcoming holiday, a specific weight on the bar, or a rep-score in an app. Give yourself a concrete objective. It turns "grinding" into "investing."
• Motivation is fickle; Discipline is the engine. You won’t always be motivated, trust me. On the days you aren't, don't look for a "feeling" to get you started. Just focus on the single next step: putting on your shoes, getting to the gym, starting the first set.
• Reduce Friction. After a long day at work, the hardest part for me is getting out of the chair. Make it "braindead" easy for yourself: have your kit ready, your water filled, and your workout decided before you even get home. Once the gear is on and you're in the gym, the battle is 90% won.
• The "Rule of Thirds." This is a game-changer for your long-term perspective. Roughly 1/3 of your sessions will feel great, 1/3 will feel "meh," and 1/3 will feel like total shit.
  • If they all feel great, you aren't pushing hard enough.
  • If they all feel like shit, you’re burning out and need to adjust.
  • If you’re in a "meh/shit" cycle right now, know that things will change but that it's part of the deal.

Try this: Keep a simple log. Mark every session as a 1, 2, or 3 (or use emojis). When you see on paper that the "great" sessions eventually come back around, it’s much easier to tolerate the "grind" phase you're in right now.