BE MOTIVATED TO EXERCISE ALL TIMES - "HOW CAN I STAY PUMPED FOR A LATE-NIGHT OR EARLY-MORNING WORKOUT?"

With all the things that come up in a day, evening workouts can sometimes get lost in the mix. Learn how to stay on track and push through any workout, no matter the time of day. 1 - GET MOTIVATED BY YOUR GOAL - Motivation comes from the goal-setting process, so make sure you have a very specific goal with a hard deadline. Stay away from buzzwords and set a detailed goal you can actually picture.

Check out my other articles on goal setting and motivation, by using the "search" tool on my Blog, and type words related to "motivate, energy etc", to gain a better understanding of the importance of this step. 2 - MAKE EXERCISE A PRIORITY - We all have the same number of hours in a day. Use yours wisely. In order to succeed, you have to make training a priority. When you wake up in the morning, make a to-do list. Don't let a lesser priority bump your workout from today to tomorrow. Procrastinators are always about tomorrow. People who create change are all about today. 3 - MAKE A ROUTINE - Create a routine that will help snap you into "workout mode." I have a trigger that tells me when it's time to hit the gym. Before my workout, I walk into the break room and make my pre-workout drink.

Not only does the pre-workout give me additional energy and focus, it also kicks off a little routine that switches my mind into workout mode so I know it's time to leave all else behind and hit the iron—hard. A pre-workout is also my built-in timer because I know that it takes about 15-20 minutes for it to fully kick in. It's that first step in initiating my "workout countdown." 4 - CHANGE YOUR BODY LANGUAGE - Just as your mind influences your body, your body influences your mind. Standing slouched, dragging your feet, and looking down all the time only makes you feel more tired. Practice perfect posture. Stand up straight, lift your chin, take a deep breath, and say to yourself: "Let's do this." If that doesn't psych you up, do whatever it takes! Heck, beat your chest like King Kong if you want.

5 - FLIP THE MENTAL SWITCH - Stop thinking about how tired and unmotivated you are. If my thoughts centered on kicking off my shoes and sinking into the sofa, it'd be hard to feel amped for my workout. Shake away weary thoughts. Instead, think about how good you're going to feel when you've crushed your workout and are one day closer to your goals. 6 - DON'T GET AHEAD OF YOURSELF - Focus on your workout, not all the things that you have to do after your workout. When you jump ahead like that you mentally wear yourself out before you've even begun. Push back thoughts about making dinner, paying bills, helping the kids with their homework, or whatever else you have to do that evening. Instead, shift your attention to the specifics of your workout. Go through your plan of attack in your head, and then execute it with intensity. 7 - KNOW YOUR RHYTHM - Some people are "morning people" and some are the opposite. It's a fact of life. If after employing all these strategies, you still find yourself struggling, consider rearranging your schedule so you train in the morning when you're more energetic.