Who else finds the gym boring?

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    marsh5224 wrote: »
    I hate the gym too, from the YMCA to PF. I get bored with the machines and just walk around the weight room not really knowing what to do. However recently I joined a place ran by a couple of personal trainers. It has circuit training type classes that I love. Never same class twice. Boxing, TRX, kettle bells, medicine balls, free weights, jump ropes, steps, and more are all used in different ways depending if the focus is cardio or strength training. I am addicted as it keeps me guessing and my body confused. The best results ever as I have lost a total of 15 inches in the first 3 months. I could never get these results on my own or if I just joined an ordinary gym. Maybe there is something similar in your area.

    This reminded me of when I was in the military and living in the dorms on Okinawa. There were lots of servicemen there who hated it. But these guys weren't getting out and enjoying everything the island had to offer. Gyms can be like that - boring when you don't know how to take advantage of them.

    My opinion of my gym has raised since I've been reading "New Rules of Lifting for Women" and "Strong" and seeing all the new ways I can make use of my gym.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I love the gym, but there are specific things people do in the gym that I find dull, like the elliptical or treadmill. I much prefer outdoor cardio, so I mostly try to do my cardio outdoors. (That said, even the treadmill has its place if the weather is truly awful or for some kinds of interval work, IMO, and I trained for a February biking trip last year in part with a spinning class.)
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I don't get any real enjoyment from lifting, but I do it anyway because it's necessary if I'm going to progress and improve in the things that I do enjoy. Much like I don't enjoy doing dishes, but I like having a clean kitchen.

    Not everything is about having fun all the time.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
    edited January 2016
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    It depends on what I'm doing. If I spend too much time on the treadmill I just want to throw myself off the cardio deck! Get me under a barbell though and I'll stay for a couple of hours if I can get away with it. I love lifting. I joke that when I go to the gym it's my "happy hour at my favorite bar". :smile:

    ETA: If you're a people watcher like I am then it's very entertaining!
  • titianknitter
    titianknitter Posts: 15 Member
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    Another outdoors girl here. Thousands and thousands of miles of roads available, starting at my front door. Trails, hills, lakes, sun, wind, rain, snow. I can take my dog. It's never the same twice. Why work out indoors when I can be outside?
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    The gym is my happy place.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    I love the weights section of the gym. Could care less about the cardio side.
    Absolutely enjoy lifting weights.
    For cardio I'd rather run hill sprints.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    When I get bored, I occupy my mind by watching people. Yes, I'm a creeper.
  • codsterlaing95
    codsterlaing95 Posts: 221 Member
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    For weight lifting, I enjoy the gym. I don't do any cardio in the gym or mindlessly running on a treadmill.
  • parfia
    parfia Posts: 184 Member
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    The gym is also my happy place. I do cardio or lifting and a class each morning and don't know what I would do without it - it keeps me sane!
  • barrski145
    barrski145 Posts: 145 Member
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    I used to love going to the gym. The atmosphere, being surrounded by people pushing themselves, was very inspiring. But then the gyms I went to were not the chain type planet fitness style but a more serious body building type gym. I also had a group of guys I trained with that made the time go by fast and made the training very intense. I think that made all the difference.

    But eversense getting married and starting a family I have not had the time to go to a gym so I built one in my basement. I workout at home 3X's a week and I go to a local Aquatic center where I swim 2 miles a day 3x's a week. Because of the family time my swim time is usually done after work at 9am (I work midnights). Training on my own is nice but I sometimes find it hard to initally get motivated. Not having anyone (training buddies) to answer to makes it easier to blow off the training or not push myself as much as I could.

    I think the key is to get good people to train with and that will push you and make the time spent there fun/inspiring.
  • priscillabecho
    priscillabecho Posts: 6 Member
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    If cardio is all you do...yeah it gets boring :) Try integrating strength training into the mix. Get some solid music to keep you going (I like to listen to Rob Bailey and the Hustle Standard radio on Pandora). Once you keep it consistent and see results; you can't stop :)
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
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    Doing Crossfit has kept me plenty interested. I look forward to going to the gym. If I have to take a break, I feel pretty crappy until I can get back to it.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
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    Sure, yeah, I find it boring. But that doesn't matter, I've been lifting for ~30 years, so what? Tons of things I do are boring. Hygiene, my job, housework, etc. etc. but they're all vital, and so is fitness. So I go to the gym and lift as hard as I can and then it's over. I listen to audiobooks or podcasts so it's not exactly a brain-dead time, but I'd much rather be doing something else if I could. "could".

  • schibsted750
    schibsted750 Posts: 355 Member
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    I have traditionally found the gym extremely boring, but since basing my workouts on circuits instead of doing one exercise the whole time, it's been a lot less monotonous. Cycling through a dozen 3-4 minute chunks isn't so bad.
  • LiveLoveRunFar
    LiveLoveRunFar Posts: 176 Member
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    I thought I would hate it, just started going. But I don't hate it. I kind of like it, but the strength/weights is all new stuff to me so I don't find it routine yet. have trainer showing me how to do it correctly so maybe that breaks up the boring too.... Not crazy about running on the treadmill, but with itunes its ok.... since its too cold to run outside now.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,147 Member
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    I love the gym; it is "my" place and where I really find myself being truly physically active and motivated. I am out of the house, I have the equipment that I need, and I can get variations in my exercise routine. I also like being around people even if I don’t socialize with them. I don’t run, jog or do outside activities other than walking; my main form of exercise is strength training, ARC Trainer, and body weight exercises and calisthenics. I don't like home workouts/DVDs; I find them boring, but maybe because my home is not set-up for that kind of activity. In order to be successful, we need to do what we like and what we find interesting and motivating.
  • Veryana
    Veryana Posts: 122 Member
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    I like some moves but hate others. But compared to swimming I rather go to gym, I feel like I achieve more in gym than swimming back and forth in pool :D
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I love going to the gym, or a studio,or riding my bike, or... :)

    If you don't like the gym, do something else. Or you can join the 90% of Americans whoare sedentary, where you'll be in plentiful, if unhealthy, company.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 650 Member
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    I love the gym. I have memberships at 2 gyms. For my schedule I do cardio at the one closest to my work and lift weights early in the morning at the one closest to my house. It works for me, I put my tunes in and zone out for a while. Plus there is 1 piece of eye candy that is quite enjoyable to admire there ;)

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