How to Increase Focus At the Gym If You're Easily Distracted
Are you an easily-distracted person? Here’s how to manage distractions better when at the gym.
Here’s the truth: I am the most easily distracted person you will find and that can be challenging when it comes to the gym.
I wanted to be honest here, because if you’re someone like me who genuinely gets easily distracted, it can hurt your progress more than you realize. Many people probably wouldn’t expect me to be like this in the gym because training is literally part of my job...
but here’s the truth: IT EVEN HAPPENS TO ME SOMETIMES (and obviously that’s not a good thing).
Most of my days don’t look like this; most of my days are me with my headphones blasting, in the zone, not aware of anything but me and the barbell, but sometimes I’m all over the place, messing around and that’s what happened in this session, as an honest example.
❌ What’s wrong with being distracted in the gym? ❌
1️⃣ This can be rude to other gym-goer’s if the gym is packed and all of the platforms or equipment are taken. If you’re talking for 10 minutes between sets, that’s enough time for someone to get their sets completed. Whether you mean to be or not, it can make you look like an ass.
2️⃣ You’re wasting your time. A typical session normally lasts about 60-90 minutes, but this day I was in the gym for 3 hours doing the same exact training regimen I always do.
3️⃣ Distractions may decrease training performance. If you’re accidentally taking 7-15 minute rests because you’re talking or distracted on your phone, you’re allowing your body to begin post-training recovery, which cools your body down and is inefficient for optimal training performance. In addition, you may feel more exhausted and warn out when this happens.
Here’s my advice on methods to try if you struggle to stay focused at the gym:
✅ Workout alone (aka don’t workout with friends often); when I’m with friends, my brain remembers 5 million things I wanted to tell you about and forgets what I’m actually supposed to be doing. This isn’t a problem with my friends; this is a problem with me.
Many people find motivation through working out with friends, but for me, I am less motivated to train because all I want to do is be social.
I’m taking 15 minute rests between lifts when this happens and its not even something I actually realize I do because I get sidetracked talking about 20 different stories in-between sets, and even seen here, during sets.
Working out by myself, I’m able to focus on the one thing I’m supposed to be doing and there’s not much left to distract me.
✅ Pay attention to rest times.
If your training program has set rest times, be on top of it. Many people at the gym just rest until they ✨feel✨ recovered, but for someone who is easily distracted, you’re probably going to “wait around” and get distracted because your rest times are subjective.
— AKA you’ll forget to pay attention to recovery cues because now you’re distracted on your phone until two cat compilation videos and six memes later when you come back to reality.
For strength exercises 🏋🏻♀️ (AKA you’re lifting heavy), rest times are about 1-3 minutes per set.
For accessory work or hypertrophy movements 💪🏼 (AKA you’re lifting like a bodybuilder), rest time are about 30-90 seconds.
✅ Utilize supersets.
Supersets are beneficial for many reasons, but one way that I utilize them for myself is to prevent distractions.
Instead of doing two separate sets, I eliminate rest time (aka distraction time) and combine two different exercises when applicable.
For example, I may need to do 3 sets of hamstring movements and 3 sets of quad movements. Instead of having 6 rests, I eliminate half of that time by combining the hamstring and quad movements as supersets.
This would be like going from leg press straight into DB RDL’s and then resting after VS. leg press, rest, DB RDL’s, rest.
✅ Create a gym playlist to get you in the zone.
In my experience, once you’re in the zone, it takes a lot to get out of it. I start prepping for “the zone” about 20 minutes before I even get to the gym.
Some of my favorite bands and artists that get me focused are A Day to Remember, Neck Deep, or Eminem.
Now its your turn! What helps you get more focused in the gym? Let us know! 😝
