It’s getting into the holidays, and that means guys are going to be extremely tempted to abort the gym routine. That set of six-pack abs revealed at the beach is going to be covered up by a sweater, and the strict diet will be replaced by Halloween candy and holiday goodies. Motivation is certainly lacking during the winter months. Then, on January 1st, the unanimous decision is to kick into high gear and start hitting the gym religiously. That ebb and flow of motivation makes it extremely difficult to maintain the physique you want. Here are some tips to staying motivated, but more importantly, staying consistent over the holidays.

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Find a Buddy

You’ll be much more motivated to hit the gym if you know your friend’s waiting. Find someone that has similar goals and background in lifting, so your workouts will go smoothly and you’ll be able to break PR’s together.

Adjust Your Schedule

It’s the holidays, so assume you’re going to be busy. Don’t set yourself up for failure by assuming you’ll stay on the same four to five day routine. Set realistic expectations. That way, you’ll be more successful when you start getting slammed with vacations, chores, and weekend get-togethers.

Sign-Up For an Event

There’s nothing more motivating than the fear of failure. Signing up for an event surrounding the holidays is a sure-fire way to make sure you don’t slack. If you’re heavy into strength training, look up a powerlifting meet in your area. Running events can do the trick as well. Bonus points if you sign up to do an event with some other buds.

Check Your Progress (or Regress)

Evaluate yourself on a monthly basis to see how much you’re improving or slipping. Pick some standards at the beginning of the season that you would like to improve. Set goals and continually monitor if you’re getting closer or farther away from those goals. Monitoring your weight can be a great motivator for pushing away from the table before seconds are served.

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