Can someone please help me make lifting "fun"?

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ladyofivy
ladyofivy Posts: 648
in Fitness and Exercise
...Or at least less hateful? lol

I must admit that I'm having a very difficult time with lifting. I hate it so much!

I've tried:

-watching TV while I do it
-listening to pumping music while I do it
-watching myself in the mirror while I do it
-competing with myself to see how many more reps I can do
-competing with myself to see how much more weight I can do
-switching up what I do on different days
-taking a week off to refocus

And I'm sure there are other things that I've tried. But it's boring. And hard. And I know that I'm being a whiner right now. LOL But the fact is that I just find no fun or pleasure in lifting weights.

To be perfectly fair, I don't like doing *any* exercise. But I push through and do them anyway, because I know that it's the only way to ge to where I want to be. But lifting takes the hate to a whole new level.

My next option is going to be finding yet more time during the day to lift, rather than lifting at night (although it's the most "convenient" time to do it, it's certainly not the most motivating time right before I go to bed). So hopefully that will make me hate it less.

My husband seems to think that if we get some sort of fancy lifting equipment that I won't hate it as much, but I'm being realistic; we don't have the money to buy new equipment, and going to the gym is just not feasible in regards to time for me. So I use the dumbbells that we have for all of my lifting purposes.

I'd genuinely love some other help on this matter, though. Maybe someone else (especially women, because I think our motivation ends up being different than men's a lot of the time) has a more 'fun' or at least less boring lol perspective or "way" to share their ideas with me.

TIA, all!

Replies

  • Amber030583
    Amber030583 Posts: 490 Member
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    Turbo Jam has a workout that is lifting weights. It is called Turbo Sculpt. It is a great one. Also, you could try Chalean Extreme. Cause straight out lifting can be boring. At least with these programs you will have some music and someone talking you through it.
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
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    I wish I knew exactly what to tell you, hon ... my only suggestion is have you tried kettlebells? I find them way more interesting than standard weights, and yes, even FUN! Their design creates a whole different dynamic than dumb bells, and KB workouts are much less static (what I mean, is they work lots of muscle groups simultaneously as opposed to "okay, now I'm doing bicep curls, and next I'll do tricep curls", etc.). It's an all-over workout, really get your heart racing and you develop tone FAST.

    Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
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    Weight lifting isn't fun. :flowerforyou:

    It sounds like your husband lifts too? Maybe? If he does, have you tried doing it together?
  • stringcheeze
    stringcheeze Posts: 286
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    Do you have a Netflix account? Look up "Integrated Strength Training with Jeffery Scott", "10 Minute Solutions: Target Toning", and/or "Crunch: Total Resculpt". If you have space near your computer (or better yet, some means to play Netflix through your TV like via Wii, XBox 360, or a Roku player), bring up those and work out with them. Having guidance through a program will make it a lot more fun. I like all three of those that I mentioned (although I don't think the Crunch one does enough reps).

    I hate exercising myself, but between cardio and strength training, I'll pick strength every time.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    Weight lifting isn't fun. :flowerforyou:

    It sounds like your husband lifts too? Maybe? If he does, have you tried doing it together?

    Yep. Find a partner.

    I hate lifting, and will only do it in a class or with a trainer. Having someone to talk with helps, as does the motivation of a class. The other things that have helped me are the JM shred video (where lifting is snuck in with bouts of cardio).

    But, I love kettlebells (they're more "fun"...you're swinging stuff around, and that's fun for me). The other thing I like are body weight workouts (where you're still building muscles, but using yourself as resistance) Pushups, planks, tricep dips and the like...

    HTH.
  • kristinlough
    kristinlough Posts: 828 Member
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    I personally prefer to work out in the morning, and it helps with energy levels, etc.

    I also LOVE to lift. It makes my body so. freakin. sexy. Look at Jennifer Garner in Alias. Seriously. And muscle helps burn calories (or something ... I try to listen to all the science talked about here, but then stick to what works for me). What helps me keep coming back to lifting is things like my triceps or how fab my thighs look in short shorts.

    Now if only someone could inspire me to wail on my abs like I do my limbs ...

    Good luck!! And just do it :wink:
  • blh_1010
    blh_1010 Posts: 284 Member
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    So I do strength training for 15 min interverals. I just do the exercises I know how to do correctly and after 15 min I stop. I switch up the exercises throughout the 15 min though. Then I move on to something else for the day and, hopefully go back to it. While I am doing my strength training, though, I watch TV (I know you have said you have done that, but this is what works for me) and I watch either a show I REALLY love and won't even notice that I am working out because I am so enthralled in the show, OR I will pick a show that I don't particularly like and watach it for 15 min and the only way that I can turn the show off is to finish my 15 min (so turning the show off and turning on something I enjoy is my gift to myself for working out). I'm also all about not doing anything that I don't like to do, so I have to make these workouts fun. I give myself those little rewards each day if I do what I am suppose to do, and if I don't do what I am suppose to do, I don't get those rewards. At first I HATED lifting my hand weights, but now since I am seeing the results and I have made myself find the little things that help me stick with it, I LOVE IT. My arms are looking great, my bum is looking firmer, and my stomach is even benefiting from the lifting I think. I don't have any friends to do the lifting with, my bf doesn't lift hand weights, and my only motivators for that are the results and those little rewards I get. (For the little rewards for me to get through lifting, maybe my snack for the evening, or an hour of doign nothing but watch TV, or talking on the phone with my friends...I have to earn those) (for the little rewards for walking and jogging that I do, I get to drink water after I get through a mile - like I take a drink if I have too, but I get a good dose of water after I get through my mile. It gives me motivation to push through those last few minutes of walk/jogging to get to that water). ALSO lifting weights has gotten easier since I have started doing them, it just takes time. PLUS I love that I don't have to have a video to do it and I can watch something I want to watch or I can talk to other people around me while I do them (where as with jogging and walking I can not). Good luck, and keep it up! :)
  • Connie48
    Connie48 Posts: 190 Member
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    Have you tried some bootcamp style training? Circuit training with cardio and wts?

    www.crossfit.com
    http://shop.cathe.com/category_s/59.htm

    if you prefer short, intese workouts
    http://www.coffeyfit.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=25
  • Dremelius
    Dremelius Posts: 23
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    Hey!

    I agree with the idea of either getting a partner to weight lift with or try som of the dvd's out there. The Firm, Jillian Michaels, Cathy Fredreich, The Biggest Loser dvd's. As someone else suggested try one of the circuit training or bootcamp style dvd's. I guess the type of dvd would depend on whether you want to lifty heavy or lighter with cardio thrown in. I think you just need to find what works for you and what you enjoy. If lifting isn't it, try something else. Good luck!
  • ladyofivy
    ladyofivy Posts: 648
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    Hey all! Thanks to everyone for your varied and helpful responses. It's much appreciated!

    My husband does know his way around the weights pretty well, but he's kind of unreliable. :grumble: I've been hoping that he'd get into it like I am, but he's not. I can't make him change, though.

    I'm not sure how to find a workout partner that would be able to work out with me during the middle of the day... but I'll consider what my options are. :smile:

    Kettleball sounds interesting, and I'm willing to give it a go. Thanks for that suggestion!

    I'm going to think about all of these suggestions. Today I decided to do my arms workout during the day when I'm usually having my (only) relaxation time during the day. It seemed a lot better than trying to fit it in before bed at night, so that's a drastic difference right there.

    Anyway, thanks again everyone!! :flowerforyou:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I just started Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones and it's mostly mat work and lifting weights and honestly, I have a lot of fun doing it and when I feel like I'm going to die, I just check out her *kitten*, abs, legs, arms, and think, "I CAN DO THIS!!! I WANT THAT!" :bigsmile:

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