[Darius Marsh is a student at ECU and an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab]

Many people today struggle to get focused for the gym or pumped up for the workout ahead planned at the gym. Some feel they might need caffeine, pre-workout, or energy drinks. This is a flaw in the population today; not having multiple ways to get mentally prepared for the gym and having a successful workout. There are many ways to prepare for the gym that can be more cost efficient or less time consuming. Some of these ways to mentally prepare for the gym include music, visualization, and motivational speeches.

The first option of mental preparation can be to create a music playlist specifically for the gym. Also, making sure that the playlist builds up your motivation for the gym and a successful workout. Think outside of the box for your music, ranging from different varieties of your all-tie favorite songs to pump yourself up for the gym. Have different playlist for different days at the gym, such as: strength, cardio or power focused.
The second option for your mental preparation can include visualization of your workout at the gym. Many athletes use this method such as track athletes for pre-race visualization. This method has been proven to increase an athlete’s performance. It only takes up to five minutes to visual your workout or positive vibes for the gym. You want to have silence whenever you take time out of your day for visualization.
Finally, the last option for mental preparation for the gym is motivational speeches. There are many motivational speeches out there on the internet that touch on different topics. These speeches can be used to pick you up on a down day.These speeches can also motivate you for a successful workout when your body feels sore and not up to the challenge of going to the gym. All of these methods can help you get to the gym and have a successful workout.