Motivation for an "unpleasant" exercise?

debi_f

I need to do a metabolism reset. I'm coming to terms with that and all the things that will mean (like seeing the weight come back on... to a point... and forcing myself to eat more despite the increasing numbers on the scale and the measuring tape).

But how do you motivate yourself to do a form of exercise that you really just don't like (especially when it means giving up something that you actually like)?

Basically, I've been doing too much cardio and have been advised to cut back on it. Okay, I can deal with that. I can cut down the running from 4X a week to 3X a week, and I can drop the 40-minute stationary bike at the gym after my Pilates Class. That leaves me with 3 Pilates classes a week and 3 running days a week.

The part that seems hard to stomach for me is that I have to start lifting. I absolutely HATE lifting. I gave it a try earlier in the year and managed to stick with it for about 6 weeks, but it was torturous! I hated every aspect of it. First of all, there's the vying for space at the gym (I even switched gyms, because I didn't want to have to fight with 20-something buff boys for space). Sure, I can try to go at slower times during the day, because my schedule is somewhat flexible. But then there is the horrible act of actual lifting. OMG! Is there anything more boring? I'd put it right up there with mopping out the garage floor on my list of ways I don't want to send my time.

But, I have to break this stupid cycle I've gotten myself into. How do I make myself go to the gym when I'd rather stick needles into my eyeballs than try to figure out what to do with a weight bench? I'm afraid that I'll just procrastinate until it's too late to go (like I did this morning...), then just sit on my (expanding) bum all day long.

neandermagnon

I find lifting soul-destroyingly boring if the weights are too light. I mean what is lifting with too light weights anyway? It's just moving your body in odd ways for no purpose. And yeah, I'd find that less interesting than mopping out a garage.

Heavy weights though... there's challenge, because the weights are really heavy and you don't know if you're going to be able to lift it for the required reps, plus there's the challenge, and sense of achievement, of lifting a bit more than you did the last time and beating personal bests. And then there's the endorphins... and for the aesthetically minded, there's how it makes your body look as well.

Willbenchforcupcakes

I find lifting soul-destroyingly boring if the weights are too light. I mean what is lifting with too light weights anyway? It's just moving your body in odd ways for no purpose. And yeah, I'd find that less interesting than mopping out a garage.

Heavy weights though... there's challenge, because the weights are really heavy and you don't know if you're going to be able to lift it for the required reps, plus there's the challenge, and sense of achievement, of lifting a bit more than you did the last time and beating personal bests. And then there's the endorphins... and for the aesthetically minded, there's how it makes your body look as well.

This, all of this. And if you are lifting weights heavy enough to be a true challenge and still find it boring, do it anyways. Do it for the increased bone density that will help keep you healthy and moving for longer. Do it for the increased leg strength that will make running easier. Do it for the improved body composition that will help you look better.

action_figure

How about you try a HIIT session with kettlebells instead?

MB_Positif

I don't exactly know how to answer this. I fully agree with neandermagnon's statements. As far as the endorphins go, after a good lifting session I am so amped up I feel like I could run through a city tearing buildings down with my bare hands. Physical strength is extremely empowering.

1princesswarrior

I lift with a trainer two days a week. He not only helps with my form and confidence but he's also quite entertaining. You could try that to get started. Plus with him, I'm usually done in less than 30 min.

cwolfman13

My guess is that you aren't really challenging yourself with your lifting...probably not following any kind of progressive program either. Just willy nilly lifting is pretty boring and pretty much a waste of time. Try throwing some actual weight on a barbell and pushing yourself just like you would with your cardio...set goals and personal bests...and most importantly, follow and actual, structured program that is designed to maximize your potential.

sijomial

I have to find a challenge in everything I do - whether it's speed, endurance, weight lifted or whatever.
Perversely hitting a goal in something you are either bad at or dislike is, in some ways, more satisfying.

I'm dreadful at distance running and always have been, now I'm restricted by knee injuries as well so it's harder but I managed to tick off my running target yesterday. That challenge took me a year to work up to and I got more of a buzz out of it achieving it than the many goals I've set where I know it's in my reach or just a matter of time.

Weights are really the easiest thing to keep challenging yourself and see improvement and progress. By the way there are lots of different ways to lift or do strength training generally so give them all a go and one might suddenly click with you.
Best of luck.

Ninkyou

How about you try a HIIT session with kettlebells instead?

I just started Kettlebells this week, and immediately thought of this too. Maybe try this instead.

zyxst

I don't do exercise I hate. Not motivating, but it's the truth. :ohwell:

DopeItUp

If your lifting is boring, you're probably going way too light.

Regardless, you don't HAVE to truly enjoy something, you only have to enjoy the results. I bet you don't love your job. Would you go to work if you didn't get paid? 99% of people would say no. But we all enjoy getting paid and thus we spend 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week at a job we might not particularly enjoy. With lifting you only need to spend an hour a day, three days a week and you get paid back with a great body. I'd call that a pretty good deal.

MB_Positif

If your lifting is boring, you're probably going way too light.

Regardless, you don't HAVE to truly enjoy something, you only have to enjoy the results. I bet you don't love your job. Would you go to work if you didn't get paid? 99% of people would say no. But we all enjoy getting paid and thus we spend 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week at a job we might not particularly enjoy. With lifting you only need to spend an hour a day, three days a week and you get paid back with a great body. I'd call that a pretty good deal.

Truth. And makes me thankful that I do LOVE my job. And lifting. Life is good.

Lleldiranne

I'm trying to think of ways to make lifting more fun, and I don't know what would help, because I LOVE lifting. So, maybe if I tell you what I do (there's different ways of going about it) and my mindset, it will help you?

I left 4 times a week. Day 1 & 3 is upper body (chest, back, arms) and Day 2 & 4 is legs and shoulders. I have one rest or cardio day mixed in as well (usually between 2 & 3, but lately between 1 & 2 because of schedule )

I do 3-4 exercises in a row then repeat. For example: bench press, russian twist, bicep curl (so one-two large/multi muscle and one-two smaller muscle). I go with a weight that I can do 5 reps in a set, but it is not easy (especially in the last set). So it's a set of bench, a set of twist, a set of curl, and 1-2 minutes of rest. You can do five of something, right? I do 5 sets like that, then go to another "circuit" (It's not really circuit training). I do 2-3 "circuits"

Is it the actual movement that is boring for you? Maybe 5 at a time will break it down. Is it the repetitiveness of it? Not a lot different from running or biking, especially on a machine (except there's no little t.v. or variety in the scenery :laugh:) And again, maybe 5 at a time will help. Is it because you feel like there's no challenge? (You know, how you get the sense of accomplishment, the high from completing a run at a faster speed/shorter time). Make sure you're lifting heavy enough stuff that you are challenging yourself, so when you finish the last set the feeling is "I did it!" not "ugh, I'm glad that job is done." I keep a notebook with me and write down my workouts, mostly so that the next time, I remember what weights to start with, but it also helps engender a sense of goal and accomplishments - for me, squatting and deadlifting at 100 lbs each was a target, and when I reached that I felt great, then immediately set the next goal as my own body weight. (I also mark each set completed because I get distracted and forget if I've done 3 or 4…)

I don't use any specific program, but you may want to look into New Rules of Lifting or another program for direction. Sometimes just knowing where to go next may help keep from getting bored.

Also look into some alternatives to lifting - there are body weight exercises, for example, that can help build muscle and add definition. And remember, the more you do these strength training exercises, the more of the added weight will be muscle instead of fat, which will help you feel better and look better.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

debi_f

If your lifting is boring, you're probably going way too light.

Regardless, you don't HAVE to truly enjoy something, you only have to enjoy the results. I bet you don't love your job. Would you go to work if you didn't get paid? 99% of people would say no. But we all enjoy getting paid and thus we spend 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week at a job we might not particularly enjoy. With lifting you only need to spend an hour a day, three days a week and you get paid back with a great body. I'd call that a pretty good deal.

Ha ha! I actually had to give up a job I loved to follow my husband to Europe. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to work here (being just a dependent on his work permit). So my "job" now is writing novels. That, I actually LOVE doing! Who else gets to sit around and make stuff up all day long? ;-) I don't get paid for it, but then, I don't get paid for anything at the moment.

When I did the lifting before, I'd been set up by one of the trainers at my gym. I had a routine, and we were supposed to evaluate progress after 8 weeks. Of course, having only managed to keep up the lifting for 6 of those 8 weeks, we never got to that point. It was all on the machines, too, which made the most challenging part of the time spent there trying to make it to an open machine that was on my list before someone else beat me to it.

socioseguro

I lift with a trainer two days a week. He not only helps with my form and confidence but he's also quite entertaining. You could try that to get started. Plus with him, I'm usually done in less than 30 min.

this

I have a personal training session once a week. I rest from lifting the day after (I do cardio lol). and I tried to follow the last personal training session on my own the third day. My trainer gives me a copy of the session with the weight and number of reps.

Good luck in your journey

jonnythan

What is/was your lifting routine? Be thorough.

I see you mentioned machines. Machines are boring as anything in the world. Machines suck, machines are terrible, never touch another machine again.

Lifting freeweight is a completely different experience than "lifting" on a machine.

debi_f

Thanks all! I know I just need to go and get it done. Maybe it won't be so bad once I get into a groove, but.... ahhh! Just the thought of it... AHHH!

Now, to get myself motivated by tomorrow morning... (the gyms around here close by 1:00 on the weekends, so it's too late to go now. Oh, darn!).

Mr_Knight

Basically, I've been doing too much cardio and have been advised to cut back on it. Okay, I can deal with that. I can cut down the running from 4X a week to 3X a week, and I can drop the 40-minute stationary bike at the gym after my Pilates Class. That leaves me with 3 Pilates classes a week and 3 running days a week.

Who told you running 4x a week is "too much cardio"?

And why?

juliemouse83

I'm coming from the opposite end of the spectrum in that I can't imagine not loving lifting, but I dread cardio, lol...lifting is the only form of exercise I have ever really looked forward to doing.

Maybe start with a simple compound program, initially. I started on StrongLifts 5x5 because there are only five lifts, and the videos on how-to and form were great. When I initially started, I used low weights because I sucked at heavy things across the board, so my first week or two, I was in and out and done, boom. That quick.

The more weight I added to the bar, the more challenging the lifts became, and because I have a thing about not giving up, I kept at it, and the PRs kind of became addicting.

I crank the music up and get to it, and when I am done, I feel like I could throw small cars around the neighborhood, lol. (I love endorphins!)

Of course, there are other forms of resistance training, too, that have been mentioned, and I'm kind of eyeballing kettle bells, myself, simply because it looks fun!

crazybookworm

You mentioned you take a Pilates Class, do you have access to a weight class, like Body Pump? Doing something with others, great music and a great instructor can make that hour long of Lifting go by really fast. Plus, you are having a blast doing it!

Duck_Puddle

I loathe lifting, every single second that I'm doing it-and even more when I'm resting between sets. I lift heavy (to failure in 5-8 reps), I follow an established program (strong lifts 5x5), work to progressively add weight, but that doesn't make it any less boring. I love running, hate lifting. But I do it anyway (every loathesome minute). Lifting just isn't my cup of tea.

I don't believe that you have to lift weights. I think the idea is to incorporate some form of resistance training. There are lots of ways to do that. I choose lifting because I work out at home and we already have a weight set. If we didn't, I would look into alternatives-like playing with kettle balls or body weight stuff (you are your own gym) or something else.

But a general note - just because I don't like lifting doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong. It just means it's not my cup of tea. Lots of people don't like running. Doesn't mean they are doing it wrong, it just means that's not their thing.