2-  Listen to music or watch videos

Fill your iPod with heart-thumping motivational music or download videos and movies to watch on your phone. Listening to feel-good music as you exercise is extremely uplifting and will make you feel euphoric after your workout. Chances are you will look forward to a gym session if you know you can listen to your favorite tunes or catch up on a TV program.

3-  Wear stylish gym clothes

You might have noticed that most sports brands produce some really comfortable, colorful, stylish and sexy gym clothes. You can hardly walk past Nike or Reebok without seeing a stunning collection of gym wear. Wearing a trendy gym outfit will make you look good and feel good as you work out. Research has proven that training in baggy t-shirts and sweatpants can actually backfire and demotivate you.

4-  Exercise at a time of day that suits you

If you are a morning person then train as soon as you wake up. If you are an evening person, keep to afternoon workouts. There’s no point in trying to exercise at an hour of the day that you hate.

5-  Get enough sleep

You would be surprised to learn how much sleep affects your productivity. Little or no sleep means you will feel tired, lethargic and de-energized. You are hardly going to be able to lift heavy weights or perform high intensity cardio if you don’t sleep properly. If building a fit body is important to you, make sure you get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

6-  Fuel your body with nutrition

You should always fuel your body properly with high-quality nutrition. A low-carb diet or a low-calorie diet will not support high intensity exercise. Make sure your diet consists of wholegrain carbs, protein and healthy fats. If you feel weak as you train, you might not be eating enough to begin with. Eat properly and accordingly to your goals.

7-  Include a rest day and avoid overtraining

Regardless of whether your train three times a week or six times a week, make sure you do not over train and allow yourself at least one day off to rest. Overtraining will lead to exhaustion and might even result in injury. Allowing your body to recuperate and repair itself after weight training sessions will give you the energy to keep moving forward.

8-  Train with your significant other or pick up a date

Exercise is a fantastic activity to enjoy your a significant other. It keeps both of you fit and encourages you to stay motivated to workout. If you are single, then the gym makes a great place to meet a potential new date. It’ll be a bonus that working out will be a common interest between you both.

9-  Try on a tight pair of jeans

Trying on a tight pair of jeans might give you the drive to keep going to the gym and get into better shape. Seeing where you are now and where you would like to be might just be the most powerful tactic you can try. Three years ago, I tried on an old pair of jeans that stopped at my knees. This was my incentive to start going to the gym and helped me drop a total of five jean sizes.

10-  Look at your body naked in the mirror

Looking at yourself unclothed in the mirror on a daily basis can help you stay focused on your fitness goals. Seeing a shrinking belly or tighter legs will encourage you to keep moving forward. At the same time, seeing bits of wobbly fat might inspire you to keep exercising until you burn it all off.

11-  Monitor your progress

Building strength or noticing visible changes in your body will subconsciously make you carry on with your fitness journey. This will indicate that you are on the path towards success. Becoming stronger, being able to lift heavier or simply noticing that your jeans are looser are all signs of progress. Click here to learn how to monitor your fat loss progress.

12-   Think about your results

When you feel like skipping a workout, think about the results you are working towards. Picture the body you will have in a couple of months if you really work hard for it. If you want to build a lean physique, you need to spend the majority of your time exercising and following a healthy diet. Skipped gym sessions will only slow down your progress.

13-  Reward your hard work

Allow yourself a cheat meal every week, buy a new pair of jeans if you have lost weight or head to the spa for a massage. Treating yourself as you progress towards your fitness goal will help you stay positive and focused on your goal. This will allow you to see exercise as a reward and not a punishment.

14-  Have a clear goal and a set time period

Training without following a proper workout program or a nutrition plan for a set period of time will only leave you moving around in circles. Have a goal with a clearly defined time frame to achieve it. This will help you move forward and work towards success. Click here to learn more about what a body transformation program should consist of.

15-  Make time for exercise

See exercise as a priority and something that is part of your daily routine, like going to work. If you see exercise as something important in your daily schedule, it will stop feeling like a hassle. Plan activities around your exercise and not the other way round.