{"id":588479,"date":"2026-08-10T01:48:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T01:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/588479\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T01:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T01:48:11","slug":"why-your-gym-crush-is-the-secret-key-to-keeping-consistent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/588479\/","title":{"rendered":"Why your \u2018gym crush\u2019 is the secret key to keeping consistent"},"content":{"rendered":"

I may have finally unearthed the elusive formula for staying consistent in the gym<\/a> \u2013 and although unconventional, it\u2019s become a hack I secretly swear by: the gym crush.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s indisputable that most gymgoers are guilty of this, so I\u2019m here to convince you that it\u2019s not only healthy<\/a> \u2013 but also a criminally under-utilised, professionally endorsed hack to achieving your goals.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I believe I\u2019ve unearthed the secret formula for staying consistent at the gym.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

This is a safe space to admit that maybe \u2013 just maybe \u2013 you haven\u2019t been as set in your exercise regimen<\/a> as you\u2019d like to be.<\/p>\n

In a moment (or several moments) of weakness, perhaps you\u2019ve forgone the frosty 5am start for that extra two hours in bed.<\/p>\n

Once upon a pull-up, I was in that same boat \u2013 with every effort to cultivate discipline crumbling before my very eyes. <\/p>\n

The surprising culprit? Having a well-meaning, loving boyfriend<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bless his heart, but all the encouragement in the world on his part did absolutely nothing to inspire consistency on mine. <\/p>\n

Because in dating him, I\u2019d lost a far more potent form of external motivation: romantic delusion.<\/p>\n

The last time my fitness was at a level I was proud of was when a gym crush \u2013 who we\u2019ll refer to as Chad \u2013 was in the picture.<\/p>\n

Chad was a tall, dark, Swanndri-clad individual who always happened to be at the machine next to mine. <\/p>\n

And from the moment we first locked eyes across the multi gym, I saw potential. But not romantic potential, oh no \u2013 the potential to use him shamelessly (but harmlessly) as a means to an end.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Chad served a greater purpose than that of a romantic interest. I showed up around four to five days per week, engaged in this strange, silent orbit, then left to go out and enjoy the spoils of being in the best shape of my life.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a staunch believer in the fact that you shouldn\u2019t just have a gym crush. You should be intentionally utilising one (while keeping gym etiquette, respect and boundaries front-of-mind, of course. Don\u2019t be a creep).<\/p>\n

Give them a name, give them a backstory \u2013 project a wildly inaccurate character read onto them if you must.<\/p>\n

The point is to be as absurdly parasocial as you like, but never \u2013 I repeat, never \u2013 engage in conversation with them. The illusion you\u2019re building is fragile, and can be shattered in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n

The second this grown man approached to ask for my Snapchat, the gym crush, far better as a concept than a reality, was no more.<\/p>\n

\"Gym<\/p>\n

According to Sam Wood, whatever gets you to the gym can only be a good thing.\u00a0Charlotte Thieme<\/p>\n

One might also consider the subcategory of gym crush that best suits your schedule. There are, in my experience, three main categories:<\/p>\n

A fellow regular gym goer with a similar schedule to youA member of your group class or clubA staff member or trainer at the gym<\/p>\n

One could argue that relying on external motivators in this manner is not the way to go \u2013 particularly if your goal is building consistency. After all, crushes come and go, and can\u2019t always be relied upon long-term.<\/p>\n

But according to health and fitness expert Sam Wood, the method you use to get to the gym doesn\u2019t matter. The only thing that matters is showing up.<\/p>\n

Speaking to nine.com.au<\/a>, Sam cited a common phrase within the fitness industry: \u201cDo whatever makes the medicine taste better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot many people love exercise, not many people bounce out of bed. It\u2019s a bit of an internal struggle, if not daily, at least weekly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, anything you can do \u2013 if it\u2019s a crush on your trainer, a crush in the gym\u2026 if it helps you go left instead of going right, it\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a personal trainer with over 20 years\u2019 experience in the industry, Sam assured me that I\u2019m not alone in swearing by this formula.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t be on your own. I love that you\u2019re brave enough to admit to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if a gym crush then turns into a motivating factor that gets you in the best shape you\u2019ve been in ages, well, that\u2019s a beautiful cycle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Below<\/p>\n

It may be unconventional, but it\u2019s certainly effective.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

He pointed out that this approach has recently seen a spike in popularity through run clubs and group workout classes alike, wherein hundreds of aspiring fitness enthusiasts rely on the rush of seeing a crush to get them back on track.<\/p>\n

But despite agreeing that what gets you there, gets you there \u2013 Sam warned against going as far as shadowing their pace or workout routines if they\u2019re not catered to you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely think you can use them to get you there, but don\u2019t follow them or copy them,\u201d he advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally, I\u2019d be choosing the workout style or type that you enjoy the most because that\u2019ll help you keep going. And that is in line with what you\u2019re trying to achieve from a goal perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

But at the end of the day, he agreed that gym crushes are a great way to lay the foundation for a good routine \u2013 and can work to build internal motivation that will keep you coming back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to fall in love with a part of the training and that might not be the workout, it might be the result. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut if you can develop that love affair as well as the crush, then you\u2019re well on your way to good consistent results in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

So as I emerge from my initial post-crush plateau, I\u2019ve now set my sights on a new motivator to help re-establish routine. <\/p>\n

Will I ever talk to him? Probably not. Will I continue to use him as an unwitting pawn to get results? Absolutely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I may have finally unearthed the elusive formula for staying consistent in the gym \u2013 and although unconventional,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":588480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[499,103,61,60],"class_list":["post-588479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=588479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/588480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=588479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=588479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=588479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}