Strength training tips please

jasmine_belle
jasmine_belle Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have any tips for strength training for someone who doesn't really enjoy it?

I've just about reached maintenance and have done this mostly through monitoring my diet.

Exercise wise, I struggle to stick to anything for more than a week. I wanted to make this a lifestyle change that I'll stick to long term so this time round I haven't made myself do any exercise I can't see myself carrying on long term.

I've used ways to up my NEAT and also enjoy walking my dog daily. It's worked to lose weight and seems sustainable.

However, a little voice in my head keeps saying I should be doing strength training! I've got some kettlebells and dumbbells and have followed the odd YouTube workout in the past (e.g. fitness blender).

But I do a couple, then it tails off!

I know I won't enjoy a regular gym routine, I've tried it in the past.

I enjoy cardio and have done jogging in the past, but think I get enough from an active job, busy home life and dog walking.

Any tips please?

Replies

  • Justin_7272
    Justin_7272 Posts: 341 Member
    I'd recommend finding a good progressive overload program you like (Strong Curves, Strong Lifts, All Pros) then tracking your progress. For some visually seeing the numbers increase (i.e. the amount of weight you can lift) can be very rewarding.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
    jasmine_belle wrote: »
    Does anyone have any tips for strength training for someone who doesn't really enjoy it?

    You don't really need to enjoy it - you just need to want the results. That said, a good way to build the habit is to start with only 1 set per muscle group the first month. That only takes a few minutes, and with good music playing, it's relatively fun. A simple workout is goblet squats, bent-over rows, pushups or hand-elevated pushups, and shoulder presses, about 8-10 reps per set, every 2 days. After a month, once you've built the habit, bump it up to 2 sets per muscle group, and maybe a 3rd set after another month, once you start seeing/feeling results. :+1:
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
    It also depends on your personality. What about classes? Do you have any available at your gym?

    Or, how about body weight exercises that you can do at home? They are very challenging but effective.
  • jasmine_belle
    jasmine_belle Posts: 40 Member
    Thanks for your replies. I forgot to ask about frequency. Would twice a week be enough? I've tried to tell myself every other day before but that doesn't seem to happen.

    Home workouts seem the most appealing, I'll look into body weight exercises, thanks for that suggestion.

    You're right about building the habit, I think I just need to get a routine going until it seems the norm.

    I've read recently that weight loss/ maintenance isn't about motivation but habit. I brush my teeth twice a day so I just need to apply the same approach to this! (But not twice a day!)
  • PennywiseTheFrown
    PennywiseTheFrown Posts: 9 Member
    I was JUST about to make a thread about helping to make weight lifting fun. I hate it. It's so boring but I really want to do it and stick with it. Progressing and lifting heavier weights isn't fun to me. The activity is still the exact same. Lift a weight. Put it back down.

    I don't like listening to music when I workout but I listen to audiobooks. Although they are hard to pay attention to when doing simple cardio on a stationary bike or something. But at least it's something that keeps my mind off of the monotony.

    I can't think of anything I could possibly do to make weigh lifting fun. I'm guessing the only advice I can get is "just do it anyway." That's disheartening.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,257 Member
    I may not have the most effective strength training approach, but I had a trainer work with me to figure out a lifting program that I could do for full body, twice a week. It was all I could commit to. I felt like I should be lifting 3x/week, but just couldn't fit that extra day in. My trainer gave me a plan and I went in and did it. Almost every Monday and Thursday, I went to the gym and lifted. For a year. By that time, it was habit, and I was ready to add in another day. It took me that long. I realize that you can't get the same rate of progress as a 4-5 day, lifting heavy program, but he worked within the parameters I gave him, and I got the results I wanted (stronger knees for hiking without pain, stronger swims and stronger runs, plus a lifting routine for a perimenopausal woman).

    I really think if you figure out what your goals are, you can find someone who can work with you. I've never tried Crossfit, but one of my kids absolutely loves it. She loves the community and the workout. The best workout is the one you'll show up and do.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
    jasmine_belle wrote: »
    I forgot to ask about frequency. Would twice a week be enough?

    Yes, but you seem more likely to blow that off, especially if you start with longer workouts. Habits develop best when they're done very frequently. I'd actually consider lifting daily, alternating between legs, pushing, or pulling each day. That shortens each workout to like 4 minutes, or 1½ songs. :+1:
  • jasmine_belle
    jasmine_belle Posts: 40 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    jasmine_belle wrote: »
    I forgot to ask about frequency. Would twice a week be enough?

    Yes, but you seem more likely to blow that off, especially if you start with longer workouts. Habits develop best when they're done very frequently. I'd actually consider lifting daily, alternating between legs, pushing, or pulling each day. That shortens each workout to like 4 minutes, or 1½ songs. :+1:

    Sounds doable! I'll give it a try, thank you.

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