‘The Gym is Cool But Have You Ever Tried Coping Mechanisms That Weren't a Distraction? Me Neither, Let's Hit the Weights’: 17 Gym Memes For The Gigachads Who Need Inspiration to Lock In

Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor

Nov 12, 2026 7:45 AM EST

We're midway through the great Sept-Dec Lock In, but what if we're failing at it?

Every year, around September, the internet decides it's time to get serious about the gym. But some of us were really serious from March to May, and now we've thrown everything off the board. Does this mean we have to get back on track?

The end of the year, and the inevitable coming of the holiday season, at least for me, makes the stakes go up. Work becomes more stressful, life in general gets more chaotic, and I can't help but want more carbs and feel the increasing need to just lie around all day and stop receiving any stimulus.

Now that I think about it, a great lock-in could be the solution to all my problems, and maybe that's what I need to have a sense of control over what's happening over the next two months. It's either that or moving to a cabin in the woods and cutting contact with society.

First and foremost, we have to remember that missing a few workouts doesn't mean we've failed; we won't lose all our progress because of it, and as soon as we hop on that treadmill or lift something heavy, we will be back on track.

Luckily, there is still time to get back on track; we're in November, and if we organize our time well, we can go back to being gym rats in no time.

We have to remember we don't need a new wardrobe or a very strict, complex nutrition plan; we just need to show up three or four times every week to the gym, and maybe go on a walk during the weekend.

Maybe the real lock-in is the friends we made along the way. Just kidding. We need to lock in ASAP. I'm just saying it doesn't have to be the most ambitious lock-in you do in your life; it can definitely be the chill version, and it will be fine just like that.

We don't need a great comeback after we lose momentum; maybe the real lesson is to learn to return to our habit just as naturally as we return to every other thing we will do for the rest of our lives.

We don't need to be an entirely different person by the end of the year. Obsession takes us nowhere. We just have to go back!