should you love it or just do it?

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moran1917
moran1917 Posts: 1,133 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I love my treadmill. I love to run, i love to do hill intervals. I always feel good at the end of a run. So there is a part of me that says just stick to the treadmill. But we all know that some strength training is good for a person so i have been trying to add in other things. I tried 6 weeks to 100 push-ups, six weeks to 200 sit-ups and i am on day 10 of the 30 day shred. Thing is i hate them. I do not enjoy doing them, they make me feel stressed out, the movements are not enjoyable. When workout time comes i race to the treadmill....then i linger about online trying to avoid the 30 day shred or whatever other exercise is planned.

so how about you? what do you love? what do you hate? would you just stick to what you love? or force yourself to do the things you hate?
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Replies

  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
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    I'm the opposite, I hate cardio and I love strength training. I find cardio so mindless and boring, but I am changing it up when I do strength training. I do both anyway because they are both good for your body in different ways.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    It's all about do you do what you love, or do what you want to reach your fitness goals vs fitness goals. It completely depends on what you want to do imo.

    Like I want a large upper body and powerful legs so I put a lot of effort into heavy lifting, I don't always feel like lifting but I do it to reach my goals. I love the elliptical a lot, so I do some cardio on it as well.

    I try to find a balance, but it's up to you and your goals.
  • stacymay13
    stacymay13 Posts: 95 Member
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    I love weight lifting. I don't really do situps or pushups though. They make me sad lol.
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,901 Member
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    I love weight training now and hate my treadmill, I have always loved the stationary bike.
    I improvise, instead of walking on the treadmill I go for walks/jogs. There are some days I really don't feel like working out at all and if there is nothing wrong with me and I am just being lazy I force myself to do it. I have scheduled rest days that I like to keep :flowerforyou:
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    It's more like a masochistic relationship.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Stick with what you love.
  • moran1917
    moran1917 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    It's more like a masochistic relationship.

    this is definitely how it feels some days
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    I love being active but I am not a fan of the treadmill or elliptical. I rarely use them except as a warm up.
    I think that as long as you are getting off your butt and MOVING, it doesn't matter whether or not it's outside, inside, on a treadmill, on a bike, or anything else.
    If you can find a kind of exercise you love, you're less likely to find an excuse not to do it.
    Personally, I'd rather go hiking or jump on the trampoline or (not that I'm not scared to wear a bathing suit) swimming or take a Zumba class for my cardio.
    ETA: I actually don't do much cardio anymore.
  • jackpotclown
    jackpotclown Posts: 3,291 Member
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    eh, I thought this was a different topic for a sec there........
    but you should like what you do, or at least like the results of what it is you're doing, how it makes you feel, etc
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    I love my treadmill. I love to run, i love to do hill intervals. I always feel good at the end of a run. So there is a part of me that says just stick to the treadmill. But we all know that some strength training is good for a person so i have been trying to add in other things. I tried 6 weeks to 100 push-ups, six weeks to 200 sit-ups and i am on day 10 of the 30 day shred. Thing is i hate them. I do not enjoy doing them, they make me feel stressed out, the movements are not enjoyable. When workout time comes i race to the treadmill....then i linger about online trying to avoid the 30 day shred or whatever other exercise is planned.

    so how about you? what do you love? what do you hate? would you just stick to what you love? or force yourself to do the things you hate?

    I don't love exercise. I love sports and competition, which as an adult I'm not doing as much. I do it to stay healthy, and there are things I do enjoy.

    I suggest sticking with the weights and trying to be more positive. Do you save special playlists / music for weights (vs. cardio? Am I the only weirdo who does that?) Try watching a guilty pleasure show while lifting, try pushups / calisthenics instead of machines, try free weights instead of machines, go with a pal... all of those things might change your mind or make you feel less like it is a chore.

    GL!
  • jamiem1102
    jamiem1102 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I hate HATE certain exercise videos. So I don't do them. Maybe 30 Day Shred isn't for you? Maybe you can try some other ones that you enjoy more. You can't keep doing what you hate.
  • tangal88
    tangal88 Posts: 689
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    treadmill - hate it, but I do it, because I need it to accomplish my goals.

    So I have a TV set up, that allows me to watch Netflix and or DVDs - this makes it much more do-able.

    "6 weeks to 100 push-ups, six weeks to 200 sit-ups and 30 day shred, Biggest Loser DVD, and many others"

    Hated all of the above. so don't do them.

    BUT I love strength training with Tony Horton and P90X, P90x2, and Chalene Johnson, though not a favorite, is an easy second. All those make strength training enjoyable for me.

    I am also close to my goal size range, so am seeing dramatic results, and every week see improvement in my strength, lifts, reps - this all really encourages me to keep going.

    I also have the Rushfit DVD series, which I also use on occasion. Like that also. but not as an everyday routine.

    Very few DVD series I can stick with because there are few trainers I can tolerate for long.

    So trying to find a way to enjoy what you want to do, is a big plus.
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
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    My opinion... You need to do BOTH cardio and strength training... not for weight loss reasons, but for health reasons. Cardio is for your heart/lungs. Strength training is for your muscles/bones. As a woman, you really should incorporate strength training, unless you like the bent-over-old-lady look :wink:. BUT, you do what you like - or at least not hate - to do. There are many, many choices in cardio and strength training. The main thing about cardio is that it needs to get your heart rate up and you need to be breathing hard (not enough to pass out, but you know what I mean :). The main thing about strength training is that it needs to be weight-bearing (that's what increases bone density and improves muscle tone). The weight can be your own body weight, if done in an appropriate manner... like push ups and sit ups... or you can hit a machine, use free weights. I personally think a combo is best for all around health.

    Best of luck!
  • CharityEaton
    CharityEaton Posts: 508
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    mix it up! Make it work for you! If you can only do 10 situps a day then do ten...at the end of the day who knows how many you did???? Only you! You are not in a competition with anyone so do what works for you! I bet in time when you start to see results from what you do you will change your mind.
    To reach your goals you need some balance. Most of us don't want to lose a bunch of weight just to have lose floppy skin everywhere. We want to be a bit firm too so strength training helps with that but doing 200 push ups a day is just going to make you miserable!
    Find something that you really like and something that is so-so. Do the so-so activity FIRST and then go get on the treadmill.
    I love my workouts but I have got to have something fast paced or I go crazy! I hate slow easy stuff. If it is a slow paced workout then it better be hard and full of variety or I will never do it again!
  • TheYankeeBelle
    TheYankeeBelle Posts: 37
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    Well, I used to loathe cardio, but now that I'm in the habit and have gotten fitter, I don't hate it as much. And I do love strength training.

    You didn't mention how long you did the 6 Weeks to 100 Push-ups and stuff....and you're on Day 10 of the 30 DS....so maybe it's a matter of enjoying these things when you're stronger.
    I know on day 10 of pretty much anything, I wasn't a fan...but by day 30, it was a lot less frustrating and boring.

    Hope that helps.
  • mukamom
    mukamom Posts: 207 Member
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    I started with cardio, and l loved it...until strength training came into the picture. I am only 6 weeks into the strength training and I can feel a difference in my body, more so than the cardio.

    I do not run, nor will I ever run. If running was the only cardio that was allowed, I wouldn't do cardio. I like the arc trainer, so that's what I do. And did I mention I love strength training??

    I will do the things that motivate me, because if I start to dread working out, that will be the beginning of the end.
  • moran1917
    moran1917 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    I know on day 10 of pretty much anything, I wasn't a fan...but by day 30, it was a lot less frustrating and boring.

    Maybe that's it, i just need to get stronger so it doesn't hurt as much.
  • bademasi
    bademasi Posts: 180 Member
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    I love cardio exercise. I have a recumbent exercise bike at home. At the gym I use the treadmill and ellipical machine and the bikes there. I dislike the treadmill of the three.

    I really enjoy strength training. I use the strive equipment that focuses on all the various muscles. I also take a yoga class.

    I commend you on the sit ups as they are a form of strength exercise for the abdominals and hip flexors. I, personally, wouldn't enjoy doing them. I would do them~ if didn't have any access to a gym. I enjoy walking and power walking around my neighborhood. You should enjoy what you do. Find new things to do. And with results after time you will feel great! Don't be afraid of trying things you have never done before.

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  • KPainter70
    KPainter70 Posts: 152
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    Hate cardio, except HIIT, which I do 3 x a week. Love lifting heavy so much that if it made sense to lift more, I would, but I know the body needs rest.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    You could just do it but why force yoursef? Better to find something else that you'll enjoy more and will stick with.
    It's kind of like what I tell people who say they hate vegetables - you probably don't like them because you've only had mushy overcooked beans from a can - try them fresh/frozen and lightly cooked or sauteed and you might be amazed at the difference!

    There are so many other options out there! Google at home workouts and/or bodyweight exercises. Check out fitness magazines for ideas too. You don't even have to buy free weights, just rinse out a couple of milk jugs and fill them with water.

    Some bodyweight exercises:
    squats
    lunges
    crunches/sit-ups
    jumping jacks
    jump rope
    butt kicks
    plank twists
    chair dips (tricep)

    Have fun!

    ETA: Here's another way of thinking about it -because I realized my list includes some of the exercise from 30DS. If you hate 30DS, maybe it's just that you don't like the pace, you don't like trying to keep up with them or you don't like someone telling you what to do. So take inspiraton from what she does but make it your own. Instead of trying to keep up with her, make a list (in your head or on paper) of the moves then do them on your own but maybe just do a set of 12 each the first day, then work up to 2 or 3 sets. That way you're going at your own pace instead of someone elses.

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