If you’ve ever joined a gym, started strong… then slowly stopped going — you’re not alone.
It usually doesn’t happen all at once.
Week one feels good.
You’re motivated. You show up.
Week two gets a bit harder.
Life gets busy.
By week three, something shifts.
You miss a session… then another.
And before you know it, you’re back at square one — thinking:
“Why can’t I just stick to it?”
It’s not a motivation problem
Most people assume they just need more discipline.
But here’s what actually happens.
You walk into a gym and:
- you’re not sure what to do
- you second-guess everything
- you feel like everyone else knows more than you
- you try to piece together a workout
- you hope it’s “right”
- you hope you're not going to injure your joints
That takes energy.
More than people realise.
So when life gets busy, tired, or stressful…
the gym is the first thing to go.
Not because you don’t care.
Because it feels hard to carry that extra mental load and keep up.
Where it might have gone wrong last time...
Most gyms give you access.
Access to equipment.
Access to space.
Access to workouts.
But they expect you to bring:
- the plan
- the structure
- the consistency
And that’s the part most people struggle with.
At Average Joes Gym, we get that you need help to build a plan around your lifestyle, whether you're a busy Mum or a person on a shift or roster work schedule.
Finding the motivation to go can get hard if you don't have habits in place.
You aren't lazy. You're tired. Tired of starting again every Monday and wondering if you're doing it right. People don’t fail because they’re lazy.
They fail because they were left to figure it out alone.
So what actually works?
If you want to get consistent, you need to start with three things:
- a clear plan
- support/coaching
- community
That’s exactly what small group training is built around.
What is small group training?
Small group training is coached training in a smaller group setting.
It sits between:
- one-on-one personal training
- and large group fitness classes
You still train with others — but you’re not lost in a crowd.
At Average Joes Gym, it means:
- you’re shown what to do
- you’re coached through your session
- your training is adjusted to your level - e.g. modified for your injuries
- you’re supported, not left guessing
It’s structured enough to guide you…
but flexible enough to meet you where you’re at.
Why people actually stick with it
This is the part that matters.
Not what it is.
But why it works.
1. You don’t have to think about what to do
You walk in and there’s a plan.
No second-guessing.
No wandering around.
That alone removes a huge mental barrier.
2. You’re not doing it alone
You’re training around familiar faces.
People who are also trying to:
- get stronger
- feel better
- stay consistent
That changes the experience completely. Small groups allow you to build deeper connections. We get new members telling us it's the people and welcoming, non-judgemental community at Average Joes Gym that makes it feel safe, and makes it stick.
3. You build confidence as you go
Confidence doesn’t come before you start.
It comes from:
- being shown what to do
- repeating it
- realising you can do more than you thought
That’s how people go from:
“I don’t know if I belong here”
to:
“This is just what I do now.” "I'm a gym person!"
4. It feels manageable
This is big.
It’s not about smashing yourself every session. (Hard if you are used to feeling absolutely thrashed to feel you've had a work out).
It’s about doing something you can come back to next week…
and the week after that.
That’s what builds results, especially as we get older.
What most people are really trying to achieve
Most people don’t care about training styles.
They want to:
- lose weight
- tone up
- get stronger
- feel better in their body
- have more energy
- stop starting over every Monday.
Small group training works because it helps you actually stay in the game long enough for those things to happen.
How we do it differently at Average Joes
At Average Joes Gym, small group training isn’t just “a class.”
You won't follow a leader at the front of the class and all do the same thing.
It’s coached, structured training designed to help you stay consistent.
That means:
- every session is guided by a PT
- you’re not left to figure things out
- you train at your level/modified movements if you have injuries.. (after 40 we all have an ankle, knee or shoulder niggle!)
- you’re supported from day one, you're not left alone.
It’s friendly.
But it’s still proper training.
And that balance is what helps people stick.
If you’ve struggled to stay consistent before
This part matters.
Because most people wait.
They wait until:
- they feel motivated again
- they “get their head right”
- life calms down
But that moment rarely comes.
Another month passes.
Then another.
Nothing really changes.
If you already know you need support — don’t wait
If you’re reading this and thinking:
“This is so me”
Then the next step isn’t more research.
It’s doing something different this time.
At Average Joes Gym, we’ll help you:
- figure out where you’re at
- understand what you actually need
- and show you a simple way to start
👉 STRESS-FREE WAY TO GET STARTED:
https://calendly.com/averagejoesgym/lets-chat-about-how-to-get-started
Find a time on my calendar to have a stress-free, 10 minute chat with a caring coach.
You can ask us questions, we can see if we are a good fit for you.
No pressure, no uncomfortable hard selling, we'll go over step by step what the next steps might look like.
Ask about our 28 Day Strength Training Program: you'll be stronger, more confident, and supported in a gym you’ll actually want to come back to in just 28 days.
Speak soon!