I HATE strength training.....any non-lifting suggestions?

kellicci

I agree wiht he others that say Body weight exercises like push-up, pull-ups, squats, planks etc.

I do a boot camp class 1-2 times a week I've been doing it along with my cardio for about 4 months and I can truthfully say my arms have never looked this good! Other muscle groyps as well ahve seen imporvement but the arms are what I noticed they used to jiggle all over and now when I look in the mirror to put my hair in a pony tail I can see my bicepts bulging instead of jiggling.

You can doo bootcamp classes at almost any gym or at a Crossfit gym and once you do them for a while you can make up your own workouts and do them at home.

ETA: Don't forget to up your protein...you need lots of protein to build muscle.

amberlykay1014

With rock climbing you will also use your own body weight as resistance. If done often, it's all the exercise you need: cardio/endurance, strengthening, mental challenge...

The variation of routes both indoor and out continually challenge your muscles as you're always moving into new positions, unlike lifting, which can get repetitive.

bpotts44

You might want to try a home workout program like insanity or turbofire that will provide cardio and body weight all in one. You're not going to build muscle that way, but you will maintain. The yoga suggestions are good too. Unless you use weights your probably not going to build muscle, but even with just alittle bit of exercise you will help your weight loss.

Hadabetter

You don't build muscle unless you overload the muscle. (This is not the same as tiring the muscle.) It's quick and easy with weights. Less effective, and tricky to find an appropriate exercise w/o weights.

capnlizard

Thanks all! Some really great suggestions on here; I was looking for alternatives to lifting weights that would help me focus my workouts more than simple cardio, and you guys provided a TON of variety for me to work through! Much appreciated and glad to see what everyone else is up to!

capnlizard

[/quote] I gotta be blunt on this one. I take it from your post that you are basically saying you want to gain muscle but you don't want to strength train and that the other forms of training you have tried do not accomplish what you want (to build muscle mass). That is a bit like saying I want to run a marathon but I don't want to run for long time periods because it is boring, right?

My first recommendation is that you Google "how to build muscle mass". That should help you understand what it takes (how the body works) and will probably give you an appreciation for the dedication and perseverance of some of the folks on here who are muscular.

My second recommendation is that you need to stop thinking about what you want and start thinking about what you are willing to do. I can't tell you how many people have asked me what pill or powder or magic potion I took to lose my weight. Most are very disappointed when I tell them diet and exercise (including cardio and weights). Are you willing to swim, kick box, TRX, etc? If so, great. Understand you will tone up but not gain significant muscle mass. But if you want to put on muscle mass, you have to lift. Plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that. You just have to figure out what you are willing to do and understand where it will take you.
[/quote]

Um, actually, if you READ my original post, I wasn't asking for a "magic pill or potion" or "how to build muscle without doing anything...." I was ACTUALLY looking for ways to strengthen muscle that are less dull to me than simply lifting weights. I DO appreciate your thinly veiled suggestion that I am a) lazy b) incompetent and c) simple-minded. Thanks for sucking!

capnlizard

do you know that you don't have to do it for a long time??? if you do stronglifts, you honestly only lift for 30 minutes...maybe even less at the beginning b/c the weights aren't so heavy that you need much rest time in between. i do strong lifts in the morning 3xs a week...done in 30 minutes, which is LESS time than cardio takes. look up stronglifts if you haven't. i PROMISE it's not boring. you'll be done and be like "wait...i'm already done???? sweet!!!".

hmmmm.....perhaps I will have to give this a try, as well. My problem tends to be that, regardless of how much I am lifting, I really find myself just not wanting to be there at all; I currently actually only do about thirty minutes of lifting at a time, and I spend almost every minute of it wanting to be somewhere else. I don't have the same problem with yoga, pilates, boot camp, etc, since I find it more engaging. But, I am open-minded and will certainly look into this one; maybe it will be a new approach for me!

capnlizard

Battle Ropes
Kettle Bells
Boxing
HIll Running
Biking up hill
HIking with a pack

All will do some level of strength training, its not the same as lifting weights, but it helps

THIS! All of this is definitely my speed....thanks!!!! :flowerforyou:

Andrew_peter

Give music a try when working out maybe?? I used to think it was so lame how my old rommate used to pump his heavy metal during his workouts, but am discovering for myself it helps alot with staying focused and having some fun with it. Doesn't have to be metal, just something with energy!!

rainbowbow

1.) are you listening to music?
2.) why aren't you listening to music?
3.) are you lifting heavy enough that it's challenging?
4.) do you have a routine or an idea of exactly what you are going to be doing that day? (I.E. not aimelessly roaming picking what you want to do)
5.) do you have any friends who want to workout WITH you?


I personally love strength training.


ETA: I was frusterated at first as well but that was only when i didn't have a routine. It's boring as hell when i don't know what im going to be doing or should be doing. When i have a clear goal of Okay, this first 3 set, okay than i have this 3 sets, then two other exercises with 3 sets, than a cool down. It keeps me motivated because i can say "WOO! I'm halfway through my workout!"

waskier

I gotta be blunt on this one. I take it from your post that you are basically saying you want to gain muscle but you don't want to strength train and that the other forms of training you have tried do not accomplish what you want (to build muscle mass). That is a bit like saying I want to run a marathon but I don't want to run for long time periods because it is boring, right?

My first recommendation is that you Google "how to build muscle mass". That should help you understand what it takes (how the body works) and will probably give you an appreciation for the dedication and perseverance of some of the folks on here who are muscular.

My second recommendation is that you need to stop thinking about what you want and start thinking about what you are willing to do. I can't tell you how many people have asked me what pill or powder or magic potion I took to lose my weight. Most are very disappointed when I tell them diet and exercise (including cardio and weights). Are you willing to swim, kick box, TRX, etc? If so, great. Understand you will tone up but not gain significant muscle mass. But if you want to put on muscle mass, you have to lift. Plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that. You just have to figure out what you are willing to do and understand where it will take you.

Um, actually, if you READ my original post, I wasn't asking for a "magic pill or potion" or "how to build muscle without doing anything...." I was ACTUALLY looking for ways to strengthen muscle that are less dull to me than simply lifting weights. I DO appreciate your thinly veiled suggestion that I am a) lazy b) incompetent and c) simple-minded. Thanks for sucking!

Having read your post, I was going for lacking knowledge on weight lifting. Having read your replies, however, A, B, or C would seem to do. Cheers! :drinker:

spinnybecky

Pole Dancing!

Seriously...I've been at it for 2 years now and I have gained so much muscle all around. It's incredible. Definitely a full-body workout. Try it!

capnlizard

1.) are you listening to music?
2.) why aren't you listening to music?
3.) are you lifting heavy enough that it's challenging?
4.) do you have a routine or an idea of exactly what you are going to be doing that day? (I.E. not aimelessly roaming picking what you want to do)
5.) do you have any friends who want to workout WITH you?


I personally love strength training.




ETA: I was frusterated at first as well but that was only when i didn't have a routine. It's boring as hell when i don't know what im going to be doing or should be doing. When i have a clear goal of Okay, this first 3 set, okay than i have this 3 sets, then two other exercises with 3 sets, than a cool down. It keeps me motivated because i can say "WOO! I'm halfway through my workout!"

Hiya! I have tried doing strength training both with and without music, with friends, by myself, and with a trainer, even; just doesn't seem to be my thing. I am starting to think that, how some people prefer their cardio to be running, others prefer elliptical, others hiking, etc, I just haven't found my preferred resistance/strength training. I am just looking for some variety other than weights, since that's where I seem to get bored. When I do things like boot camp, kettlebells, medicine balls, and other more dynamic workouts, I seem to have more success in staying engaged with what I am doing. I appreciate the suggested modifications, though; I am just looking to see if there are others out there who a) get bored with weights (even with music, buddies, program, etc) and b) what other people do instead of weight training programs.

Thank you :happy:

capnlizard

Pole Dancing!

Seriously...I've been at it for 2 years now and I have gained so much muscle all around. It's incredible. Definitely a full-body workout. Try it!

Lol! This is definitely thinking outside the box (and I would assume FAR from boring!). I have heard that this is a fantastic workout!!!!

sandradev1

Yes, Stronglifts 5 x 5 is the best ever thing.

I work out for 30/40 minutes on Mon, Wed and Fri and that's it. I love that I HAVE to rest on alternate days mostly, other than a bit of light cardio on the treadmill.

I cannot understand your view. This is working on my reduction in body fat, loss of inches and scale number far quicker than hours and hours of cardio ever did in the past and its healthier for my muscles. What's not to like.

Oh well, each to their own

LorinaLynn

do you know that you don't have to do it for a long time??? if you do stronglifts, you honestly only lift for 30 minutes...maybe even less at the beginning b/c the weights aren't so heavy that you need much rest time in between. i do strong lifts in the morning 3xs a week...done in 30 minutes, which is LESS time than cardio takes. look up stronglifts if you haven't. i PROMISE it's not boring. you'll be done and be like "wait...i'm already done???? sweet!!!".

This.

I don't LOVE strength training, but I love what it's done for my health, mind and body. 90 minutes a week is more than worth the benefits.

I just rank it as one of those "things I do because I'm an adult and realize that as an adult, there's going to be a lot of things I don't particularly enjoy that I still have to do," along with dishes, laundry, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, shaving my legs, paying bills.

Rhonnie

I love body weight exercises - squats, lunges, planks, pushups. Try Jillian Michaels yoga meltdown, it's a killer work out as well as Bob Harper's warrior yoga....lot's of body weight exercises incorporated in these DVD's, very challenging!!

I haven't done Yoga but I am a fan of body weight workouts so these sound like a good combo.

firstsip

I gotta be blunt on this one. I take it from your post that you are basically saying you want to gain muscle but you don't want to strength train and that the other forms of training you have tried do not accomplish what you want (to build muscle mass). That is a bit like saying I want to run a marathon but I don't want to run for long time periods because it is boring, right?

My first recommendation is that you Google "how to build muscle mass". That should help you understand what it takes (how the body works) and will probably give you an appreciation for the dedication and perseverance of some of the folks on here who are muscular.

My second recommendation is that you need to stop thinking about what you want and start thinking about what you are willing to do. I can't tell you how many people have asked me what pill or powder or magic potion I took to lose my weight. Most are very disappointed when I tell them diet and exercise (including cardio and weights). Are you willing to swim, kick box, TRX, etc? If so, great. Understand you will tone up but not gain significant muscle mass. But if you want to put on muscle mass, you have to lift. Plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that. You just have to figure out what you are willing to do and understand where it will take you.

Um, actually, if you READ my original post, I wasn't asking for a "magic pill or potion" or "how to build muscle without doing anything...." I was ACTUALLY looking for ways to strengthen muscle that are less dull to me than simply lifting weights. I DO appreciate your thinly veiled suggestion that I am a) lazy b) incompetent and c) simple-minded. Thanks for sucking!

This is a really unnecessarily aggressive post. He knows you didn't say that; he was using an analogy to compare what you were asking for with what is reality. You won't gain the same benefits from weighted gloves with pilates (though of course you'll get benefits) as you would with just doing plain old heavy lifting (following a good program, as others have suggested). It IS a dull process; even the other things people suggested, and things that have helped millenia of human beings build and retain muscle strength and bone density are dull (farmwork, lifting boulders, etc... is that more interesting to you?).

Don't read into things that aren't there or create antagonism that's not there. He was giving you some pretty real advice, and comparing it to something that got you riled to show you what your question is essentially asking.

HeidiMightyRawr

What kind of strength training are you doing? Are you just aimlessly picking up weights and lifting or are you following a program? Do you set goals for yourself...i.e. last week I was lifting this much...this week I"m going to add 5 Lbs to that exercise, etc.

Also, you don't actually have to spend a ton of time in the weight room...lift heavy, full body compound lifts. My routine basically consists of 3 exercises done 3x weekly, 3x5 times (with warmup on squats and a set or two warm up on OH press and bench. I'll add more later on, but as a beginner this is great for me and I'm in and out in about 30 minutes.

I've found that really pushing myself, following a program, and making progressive goals has really helped me learn to love weight lifting. I'm also starting to feel and see some results, so gravy.

This! Fantastic advice!

Lifting heavy, with a goal and a purpose (improve somewhat each time) has for me made lifting the best thing ever! I never thought much about it when I used machines, 3 sets of 15, along with cardio - the prescribed routine my old gym put me on when I first started working out. Now, love it!

If you still hate it, maybe try some bodyweight exercises (bodyrock.tv is quite good, from what I remember) or you could try out weights-based workout dvds such as P90X or Chalean Extreme.

geebusuk

hmmmm.....perhaps I will have to give this a try, as well. My problem tends to be that, regardless of how much I am lifting, I really find myself just not wanting to be there at all; I currently actually only do about thirty minutes of lifting at a time, and I spend almost every minute of it wanting to be somewhere else. I don't have the same problem with yoga, pilates, boot camp, etc, since I find it more engaging. But, I am open-minded and will certainly look into this one; maybe it will be a new approach for me!

Thirty minutes, as above, is about ok.

I don't particularly 'enjoy' lifting weights, but nor do I enjoy running or cycling on a machine to be fair - however, having started 'heavy lifting' in the middle of December I've found it IS the magic pancea for me to some degree! - Through most of January I've been eating pretty badly and not doing much other exercise (we're talking 3500-4000 calories often, I reckon), yet my body weight has stayed constant - but I've gone up from squatting 66kg to 102kg deadlift and still raising steadily.
I'd been meaning to start before and certainly regretting I didn't now.

I've taken to audio books recently - so stick the headphones in and listen to that. As I'm back to an overall calorie deficit I've gone to doing just 'the big three' - I'm doing two warms ups and three 'heavy' sets for squats and bench press, then two warm ups and one heavy set for deadlifts - so really not that much, but so far seems to be working!
Never liked the idea as opposed to 'real reading' before, but being pretty busy it means I get to both take in a book as well be at the gym etc.

And yes, do all sorts - including rock climbing 3x a week usually (which is certainly more fun than weights), but so far doing heavy compound lifts does seem to be working for me.