Exercises You Hated But Now Love

getfitmanuel

Story time

I remember when I first started working out, I was the guy that always skipped leg day. I'd occasionally do some leg extensions and leg curls, but that's it. Maybe once every two months, I'd try squatting and deadlifting when I knew the gym would be nearly empty. I didn't want anyone seeing my pathetic form (half squatting) or the weight I was doing (225 felt like 600) lol.

I can't remember exactly what changed but I think I was watching a fitness youtube channel and the person was like "you gotta squat if you wanna make some real gainz" or something along those lines. I decided it was time to put my ego aside and learn this damn lift.

I started with just the bar and making sure I was going "*kitten* to grass" with good form. Slowly adding weight over time, and to make a long story short...Leg day is something I look forward to now.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been through this and I'm also curious to hear about some other exercises people might've hated but now love. Post your story down below!

seltzermint555

I don't think this is quite the same, but I hated yoga twenty years ago. I started out with "A.M." and "P.M." videos on a dvd but they were the same routine every time and became so boring very quickly. Then I went to an in-person class once, and they shamed me about having weak wrists (which was more about my larger body but I didn't realize it then) so I never returned and quit doing yoga.

Now, with all of the YouTube options for varied & different yoga routines, in-depth explanations, etc...I am in love with it!

getfitmanuel

seltzermint555 wrote: »

I don't think this is quite the same, but I hated yoga twenty years ago. I started out with "A.M." and "P.M." videos on a dvd but they were the same routine every time and became so boring very quickly. Then I went to an in-person class once, and they shamed me about having weak wrists (which was more about my larger body but I didn't realize it then) so I never returned and quit doing yoga.

Now, with all of the YouTube options for varied & different yoga routines, in-depth explanations, etc...I am in love with it!

I'd say that qualifies!

I tried yoga the other day and it killed me lol. I'm going to keep with it at least once a week but hopefully a few more times a week. My balance is so bad and my hamstrings are too damn tight.

LoveyChar

Dumbbell Arm Curls!

getfitmanuel

LoveyChar wrote: »

Dumbbell Arm Curls!

I've loved those since day 1 haha

RunsWithBees

I didn’t hate running but I only got into it because I needed a maximum calorie burn in as little amount of time as possible without requiring any equipment. Trail running has become my true passion and I can’t imagine my life without it! 8 years ago I lived a 100% sedentary lifestyle, now I crave running, I want it, I need it! As long as I’m able to, I want to run for the rest of my lifetime!

serapel

I hated squatting bc it hurt my knees and I was quad dominant.

Heavy hip thrusts woke up my glutes and now I can almost do a parallel squat. Still working on it but don’t hate it anymore.

WandRsmom

Bulgarian split squats. It's. Love hate relationship. I loved squats from day one. Hip thursts, too. Deadlifts 😍😍😍😍 but split squats i hated. Until I noticed my hamstringS I. A photo shoot I did and I swear it musta have been the split squats that brought on thG definii. And ever since, I have loved them.

They are still hard, though.

ClaireBri74

I hated spin classes but I liked the calorie burn and sweat so tried to do them. Last year when i'll and stuck at home with corona restrictions I bought a spin bike - I stumbled across a class style I LOVED and now spin most mornings and love it

SnifterPug

Honestly - all of it. If you had told me 10 years ago I would develop an exercise habit I would have had you certified. But the slow, boring stuff like planks are the things I have taken longest to appreciate.

getfitmanuel

RunsWithBees wrote: »

I didn’t hate running but I only got into it because I needed a maximum calorie burn in as little amount of time as possible without requiring any equipment. Trail running has become my true passion and I can’t imagine my life without it! 8 years ago I lived a 100% sedentary lifestyle, now I crave running, I want it, I need it! As long as I’m able to, I want to run for the rest of my lifetime!

That's amazing, thanks for sharing. It's crazy how we are capable of going from one side of the spectrum to the other, with you going from completely sedentary lifestyle to Forrest Gump mode. I can't say I love running very much now but when I was in the Air Force, I loved it! I'd usually run like 5 miles a day and like you said, it felt like a craving, had to have it!

getfitmanuel

serapel wrote: »

I hated squatting bc it hurt my knees and I was quad dominant.

Heavy hip thrusts woke up my glutes and now I can almost do a parallel squat. Still working on it but don’t hate it anymore.

I can definitely relate. When I first started squatting, it definitely felt uncomfortable in the knees and it was probably due to that same reason. Glad to hear you aren't hating it anymore!

getfitmanuel

WandRsmom wrote: »

Bulgarian split squats. It's. Love hate relationship. I loved squats from day one. Hip thursts, too. Deadlifts 😍😍😍😍 but split squats i hated. Until I noticed my hamstringS I. A photo shoot I did and I swear it musta have been the split squats that brought on thG definii. And ever since, I have loved them.

They are still hard, though.

I'm glad you mentioned this because I haven't done those in forever! I'm definitely doing them for my next leg workout, thanks!

getfitmanuel

ClaireBri74 wrote: »

I hated spin classes but I liked the calorie burn and sweat so tried to do them. Last year when i'll and stuck at home with corona restrictions I bought a spin bike - I stumbled across a class style I LOVED and now spin most mornings and love it

That's awesome! Glad you were able to find a bike and be able to still put in the work at home. I'm lucky that the gym I go to isn't ever crowded and everyone does a great job of wiping down equipment.

getfitmanuel

SnifterPug wrote: »

Honestly - all of it. If you had told me 10 years ago I would develop an exercise habit I would have had you certified. But the slow, boring stuff like planks are the things I have taken longest to appreciate.

I've always really liked going to the gym but I know some people who just forced themselves to go and now a few years later, they are super passionate about it.

I haven't done planks in forever but I know I should probably put in some core work.

dragon_girl26

SnifterPug wrote: »

Honestly - all of it. If you had told me 10 years ago I would develop an exercise habit I would have had you certified. But the slow, boring stuff like planks are the things I have taken longest to appreciate.

Same here. I had such poor performance markers and low self esteem from gym classes as a kid that the aversion carried over into my adult life for quite awhile. I hated the idea of any physical activity because I was overweight and self conscious, and it was hard. I thought of "exercise" only as treadmills, stationery equipment, and weight lifting. I also thought it was only for jocks and athletic types, which I was not. Once I started doing yoga classes at work, though, and branching out from there, it got better. Now I can't imagine my life without exercise and physical activity.

BahstenB10

Burpees.

Used to hate them - then fell in love with them. Unfortunately, I had a brain hemorrhage and I am currently partially disabled. One day we will meet again burpees. Until then, I miss you.

thatburpeesgirl_82

Burpees for the win.....though now I do them daily and can't imagine not doing them as part of my regular daily routine! I also run..though not as much as I used to.

gunderw59

Lunges are my nemesis especially with weight and overhead squats are hard. But I try to make those days, they say train your weaknesses so i'm up with that.

youarepigsss

I used to hate weight training and yin yoga as they are quite boring when comparing with cardio and the higher intensity training. But after following Heather Roberston's dumbbells workouts in youtube and did the yoga teacher training in my home country last year (tho it turned online), I fall in love with them! Both physically and mentally feel good.

jdbly3373

getfitmanuel wrote: »

Story time

I remember when I first started working out, I was the guy that always skipped leg day. I'd occasionally do some leg extensions and leg curls, but that's it. Maybe once every two months, I'd try squatting and deadlifting when I knew the gym would be nearly empty. I didn't want anyone seeing my pathetic form (half squatting) or the weight I was doing (225 felt like 600) lol.

I can't remember exactly what changed but I think I was watching a fitness youtube channel and the person was like "you gotta squat if you wanna make some real gainz" or something along those lines. I decided it was time to put my ego aside and learn this damn lift.

I started with just the bar and making sure I was going "*kitten* to grass" with good form. Slowly adding weight over time, and to make a long story short...Leg day is something I look forward to now.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been through this and I'm also curious to hear about some other exercises people might've hated but now love. Post your story down below!

Never realized I love sprinting. Its great. I always had a hard time with just running but 30 seconds of sprinting I can do and enjoy!

deminimis

Bench Press. Bothered my back and shoulders. Finally bought a Super Bench (Precor). I raise it to 15 degrees. Back and shoulders are happy.

nataliepate25

I hate the dumbbell exercise for my arms. I don't know why, but I am not interested in that. That’s why I started doing arm workouts without any gym equipment.

Onedaywriter

Running! When I weighed 110 lbs more than now it was awful. I’d get shin splints and be winded almost immediately. But now I find I really enjoy the simplicity and have no pain. I also feel proud of myself almost every time I get out. I’m slow and working out bad form but I can run for an hour and a half without dying!!

JGT001

Using the elliptical is probably the top of my list... the first time I tried it, I made it about 2 or 3 minutes & threw in the towel. One of the trainers kept encouraging me, telling me to "just go one minute longer" until I was up to 30-45 minutes with no problem. I've added more variety to workouts, but still get on the elliptical just about every trip to the gym. Might just be a few minutes to warm up or maybe 30 minutes of cardio... but it's become a staple.

MikePfirrman

Just all cardio in general for me. Other than bike riding all over the city when I was a kid to get to friends, I hated cardio as a kid and teen (even playing sports). Detested it. Just didn't realize that cardio, like other things, takes a lot of hard work. It seemed to me that anyone should be able to run a mile or two miles, but I couldn't and just figured it was asthma or allergies. No, it was I was never in decent cardio shape.

I ran for 7 years until I couldn't when I lost the weight (right knee chronic runner's knee) but now I bike and do indoor rowing (as well as Assault Bike and Stairmaster machines). I love cardio now. Do it at least five or six hours a week.

Just getting back to decent lifting after battling a back injury for two years.

33gail33

I used to hate running, I was not at all athletic as a kid and didn't become a "runner" until my late 30's. Even then I didn't really like it because I always thought I wasn't doing it right, needed to do intervals, needed to get faster, or train for a race, and was constantly beating myself up. Once I let go of all that noise and realized that I just love a nice steady run at my own pace (and of course it was still healthier than not running and I didn't have to be "perfect") I enjoyed it so much more. I can't do it anymore because of tri-compartmental knee osteoarthritis - but I am holding out hope that if I lose enough weight I might be able to run again someday.

thisvickyruns

Running... I used to hate it because it was so hard....

6 years later it's still hard, but I love it, and I cant imagine not running.

vanmep

I started doing Fitness Blender videos about 3 months ago and haaaattttteeeeddd the push ups. I wouldn't say I exactly love them now, but there is something so very delightful about persisting and overcoming and feeling the building strength in those muscles. I am now a person who joyfully does pushups!!