171113 - Motivation Monday - It's Science!

3 Scientifically Proven Ways to Stay Motivated to Get to the Gym:
 
#1) Reward System
In the book titled, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, he describes a neurological cycle called a "habit loop." This begins with a cue such as setting out your gym clothes the night before or changing into your workout clothes at work. Then, the routine of getting to the gym and getting through the WOD. Finally, the extrinsic reward that only follows if all of the previous actions were completed. This reward could be simple like special creamer in your coffee, a dollar in a jar to save for something good, or watching an episode of your favorite show. The extrinsic reward will solidify your brain's connection to the more difficult behavior and promote it in the future to make it a real habit! 

#2) Positive Thinking
Happy thoughts alone won't kick your butt into gear. According to Gabriele Oettingen, PhD, psychologist at New York University and author of Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation, we need to attach realistic problem solving to our positive thinking in order to produce the outcome we are wanting. This is called "mental contrasting." So, imagine how much you love going to the gym but imagine also what might keep you from going. Combine those two thoughts to create a plan for how to make the positivity possible! 

#3) Cost Analysis
Let's talk dollars and cents! A recent study from the Bureau of Economic Research found that even when a gym paid their members with gift card incentives for coming in to workout, the members claim to have no further motivation and did not increase their attendance. GymPact is an app where the users are the ones that promise money as a consequence for not meeting fitness or health goals. The app was created by two Harvard grads who used their knowledge from their studies in behavioral economics to build fitness motivation. It claims a success rate of 92 percent, because apparently it's easier to eat a giant plate of unwanted broccoli than to fork over $5! 

STRENGTH
3 position clean and jerk (below the knee, above the knee, mid thigh)
1, 1, 1, 1, 1
Clean and front squat (one clean, 5 front squats and yes you can squat clean rep #1)
5, 5, 5

WOD
AMRAP 15:
1 heavy DL (75-85% 1RM)
10 toes to bars
20 double-unders
30 Russian KB swings 55/35