Motivation for an "unpleasant" exercise?

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  • debi_f
    debi_f Posts: 330 Member
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    Thing is, having read this thread, I don't think you've given actual proper heavy lifting a chance. you've done machines, found them boring, and written the whole thing off already. You can't say you hate something if you've never actually done it. You don't have to lift heavy, and i'm sure not everyone likes it, but the point is you've never done it, so how do you know?

    You're completely right. I haven't tried free weights and shouldn't write them off without at least trying. It's just that at my gym, the trainers point you to the machines and set you on your merry way. My husband lifts weights (and has for years), but he belongs to a different gym, so he can't help me learn what to do with them. I can't afford a personal trainer, and I don't know who else to ask to show me the ropes in the weight room.

    Not to mention, that's where all those buff 20-somethings hang out, and this old woman feels foolish even going over to that side of the room. ;-)

    I did buy the book "The New Rules of Heavy Lifting for Women," though, and I've started reading it. So far, it's okay (boring reading, though. I mean, where are the sparkly vampires or zombies? ha ha). I hope I'm able to make sense of the exercises once I get that far. I have no idea what a 5X5 or a 3/2/1 or a DW is. Is there an English to Lifting dictionary somewhere?

    But that's probably what YouTube is for, right? I also have to go look up pistol squats and human flags...

    One thing I think is funny, is that my Pilates class is in Dutch, so I know the names of those movements in Dutch. When I've tried to do a YouTube Pilates workout, I had no idea what the instructor was talking about until she'd started doing them. Then I recognized the moves right away! I have a feeling some of the same type of thing will happen with body-weight movements and my silly English/Dutch vocabulary!
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Nothing to add except empathy. I don't like strength training either. I primarily use free weights, with machines or stations like the lat machine, the cable pulley, the cable row, and the preacher bench machine because the gym doesn't have a preacher bench. I also like the assisted pull up and dip machines although they're not part of my core workout.

    I do it because it's good for me but I'm forever trying to be consistent. I try to be meditative about it or having fun recording my sets on my smart phone app and it's not awful every minute, but more often than not it's boring. It doesn't help that my gym is inconvenient. I occasionally try to work out at home, but it's not the same.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    I did buy the book "The New Rules of Heavy Lifting for Women," though, and I've started reading it. So far, it's okay (boring reading, though. I mean, where are the sparkly vampires or zombies? ha ha). I hope I'm able to make sense of the exercises once I get that far. I have no idea what a 5X5 or a 3/2/1 or a DW is. Is there an English to Lifting dictionary somewhere?

    But that's probably what YouTube is for, right? I also have to go look up pistol squats and human flags...


    Stick with one thing. Bring the book, or print out the pertinent pages or record the instructions on your phone and wear head phones if that helps. Or look up the form for the exercises on a site like bodybuilding.com. I sometimes do that on between sets at the gym.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    I did buy the book "The New Rules of Heavy Lifting for Women," though, and I've started reading it. So far, it's okay (boring reading, though. I mean, where are the sparkly vampires or zombies? ha ha). I hope I'm able to make sense of the exercises once I get that far. I have no idea what a 5X5 or a 3/2/1 or a DW is. Is there an English to Lifting dictionary somewhere?

    I'm not familiar with that particular book, but what you need to do is find the bit that tells you what to do in terms of how much weight (i.e. starting weight and how much to increase the weight by each time), what actual lifts, how many reps and sets. 5x5 means 5 sets of 5 reps. I don't know what 3/2/1 means to be honest, I haven't got that far, I'm just doing a basic 5x5 beginner's programme right now. Then, you also need to learn the correct form for each lift you have to do, that's more tricky, but there are some good videos on you tube. Look up anything by Mark Rippetoe on you tube for form. That's all you need to do to start off.... i.e. 1. find out what lifts are in the programme, 2. find out how many reps and how many sets, 3. learn the form for each lift.............. then you follow the programme, i.e. how much to increase the weight each time. Get the form right before adding weights. You don't need a personal trainer to teach you form, although it's helpful to get experienced lifters to check your form. You can even post videos on here and have people check your form, if you can't find anyone at the gym who knows what they're doing, or you don't know if they know what they're doing or not.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,630 Member
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    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.

    To be honest I never do exercise that I dislike, ever. Exercise should be enjoyed, if you do not enjoy it, steer clear.

    Who told you to cut back the running, who said to reset your metabolism, has your weightloss stopped? There is absolutely nothing wrong with running four times per week. You enjoy running, why should you stop doing what you enjoy?
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    This morning, I ran 5K then went to my Pilates class. Know what? I feel GREAT!

    Running and Pilates make me feel strong, healthy, flexible and ... well, just so good!

    Maybe it's best to just stick with what makes you happy. I know I'll do these things, and I'm healthier for being active. Yes, I know lifting would be good for me, but it won't do anything at all if I procrastinate, then end up doing nothing, right?

    I have to admit, though, that the body-weight training is a bit more interesting than straight weight lifting. If I add some body-weight to the mix, would that have the same (or similar) effect as working in the weight room?

    For upper body work, if you can do handstand push ups, you're pretty much shoulder pressing your own weight. You just have to figure out how to make any exercise increasingly difficult to continually increase your strength. Look at any Olympic male gymnast - they get big through using the body as weight and understanding the principles of levers to make the weight they are moving "heavy".

    And yes, gymnastics/calisthenics/street work/bar work is a lot of fun.

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