Bored at the gym
mhwitt74
Posts: 159 Member
Seems like I have hit a wall at the gym. I have been going for about 4 months now consistently. I think I have just gotten bored especially on the treadmill. I did change up my routine lifting routine yesterday and that seemed to help. Other than the treadmill what other types of fat burning cardio can you guys suggest?
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Replies
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Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
- join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
- skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
- join a dance studio
- try martial arts
- join the pool
- go hiking
- look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
- see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common4 -
Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
- join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
- skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
- join a dance studio
- try martial arts
- join the pool
- go hiking
- look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
- see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common
We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?
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"Let us have a moment of silence for all those who are stuck in traffic on the way to the gym to ride a stationary bike."
If you are going to the gym to do something that you can do outside then you are doing it wrong. Do your running and cycling outside and it is fun instead of boring.11 -
Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
- join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
- skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
- join a dance studio
- try martial arts
- join the pool
- go hiking
- look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
- see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common
We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?
Sure ... probably.
I like to mix it up with cycling outside, hiking outside, and going to the gym for a spin class or to run/walk on the treadmill or to row.2 -
TimothyFish wrote: »"Let us have a moment of silence for all those who are stuck in traffic on the way to the gym to ride a stationary bike."
If you are going to the gym to do something that you can do outside then you are doing it wrong. Do your running and cycling outside and it is fun instead of boring.
Or you just have a preference. I know radical idea. :noway:5 -
I can't stand cardio machines! Like I'm literally bored out of my brains after 30 seconds! Is it possible for you to take the cardio outside? Or, if you're able to, how about some HIIT style training with some moves such as skipping, box jumps and burpees to get the heart rate up?
We all have our different preferences, so I can't tell you what is going to work for you. Sure, you can choose a certain exercise that'll burn the most calories, but if you hate every minute of it, it's not worth it to me and it's so much harder to keep going. Find something you enjoy and it'll be so much easier to stick to!
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megan_elizabeth8 wrote: »I can't stand cardio machines! Like I'm literally bored out of my brains after 30 seconds! Is it possible for you to take the cardio outside? Or, if you're able to, how about some HIIT style training with some moves such as skipping, box jumps and burpees to get the heart rate up?
We all have our different preferences, so I can't tell you what is going to work for you. Sure, you can choose a certain exercise that'll burn the most calories, but if you hate every minute of it, it's not worth it to me and it's so much harder to keep going. Find something you enjoy and it'll be so much easier to stick to!
This is pretty much what I was going to say.
Something like: 20 min AMRAP of 10 box jumps, 10 burpees, 10 wall balls, 10 cleans, and a 200m sprint.0 -
Seems like I have hit a wall at the gym. I have been going for about 4 months now consistently. I think I have just gotten bored especially on the treadmill. I did change up my routine lifting routine yesterday and that seemed to help. Other than the treadmill what other types of fat burning cardio can you guys suggest?
You don't need "fat burning cardio".
You should be following a basic strength program, and doing some cardio/conditioning that isn't boring to you. That could be literally hundreds of different activities.5 -
Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
- join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
- skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
- join a dance studio
- try martial arts
- join the pool
- go hiking
- look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
- see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common
We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?
If you can actually run for an hour on the treadmill, (1) you are an incredibly patient person and (2) it is time to skip the gym and start training for a half marathon.
When it comes to calories burned, it depends on what you are comparing: an hour of walking on the treadmill vs an intense basketball game? An hour of running on the treadmill vs a very leisurely swim?0 -
Cardio in the gym is sacrilege (unless the weather outside prevents it).1
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Really, anything that gets you out moving will help you burn calories. Higher intensity activities will burn more calories .1
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I would suggest training for a goal rather than exercising for calorie burns.
Enter an event, do something challenging.
That's something that will work when you get to goal weight too.
Or even (radical idea...) do something enjoyable!
I love cycling outdoors but it's having a definite training goal and purpose that gets me through the necessary evil of indoor work on those days when it would be too easy to slump in front of the TV.1 -
Stairs master is my fav0
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »Or you just have a preference. I know radical idea. :noway:
I'm pretty sure that's not what's going on here; @mhwitt74 probably doesn't have a preference for the gym over outside, considering the thread title ("bored at the gym").
Taking it outside is often a way to add some interest or at least some enjoyment to a stale workout. Sunshine, other people, etc, can improve a boring workout for many people, and the sidewalk is a lot like a treadmill except that the scenery keeps changing.1 -
Try ParkRun on a Saturday - fun and free and everybody is really supportive. I'm looking forward to going back after avoiding outside exercise all winter....
If you can (and if your gym offers it) book a trial Personal Trainer session - you can then copy some/all of their routine0 -
Jump rope and burpees are two things that come to mind....I hate them both I go to classes to get my cardio in for the most part. 0
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Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
- join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
- skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
- join a dance studio
- try martial arts
- join the pool
- go hiking
- look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
- see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common
We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?
Cardio classes definitely burn more for me---keeps me from wondering what to do next and keeps me motivated. It also helps me stick to routine, because I know I will have the class to go to.0 -
I think I have decided to upgrade my membership and join the aquatic center. I can swim several times a week for cardio.6
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Try cardio kickboxing.0
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The problem is: there is no "fat burning cardio".Seems like I have hit a wall at the gym. I have been going for about 4 months now consistently. I think I have just gotten bored especially on the treadmill. I did change up my routine lifting routine yesterday and that seemed to help. Other than the treadmill what other types of fat burning cardio can you guys suggest?
Cardio burns calories and improves your cardiovascular system.
Fat loss happens when there's a deficit and when you're NOT EXERCISING.
If you eat up to TDEE after doing all the "fat burning cardio" you want, you WON'T burn any fat.
There are so many other options at the gym to do cardio. Rowing, elliptical, box jumping, rope jumping, boxing, etc.
If you're bored, then it's too easy for you to do. Have you tried intervals on the treadmill? Nothing like a sprint to kick your *kitten* in interval training.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I do my actual regular running outside- at the gym on the treadmill I run in reverse "backwards" then I skip and do side lunge movements it may look silly but keeps me from feeling like a rat in a wheel going in only one direction0
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You can use other cardio machines...elliptical, bike. Rower, stairstepper, etc. In addition To the suggestions above.0
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The closing scene with Tina Fey in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is her driving away with her bike strapped to the back of her jeep.
An early scene has her staring at the worn spot in her carpet that her stationary bike has worn through.
That imagery I'll never forget.
Living happens out there in life.0 -
I started doing Boot Camp classes last year and love it. You do a variety of moves, use all the toys in the gym and it's never the same two weeks in a row. Except the burpees. I hate burpees ( yes, I know they're good for me, but I still have to pout while I do them)0
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Personally I HATE riding a bike outside. I liked it as a teenager but won't touch it now. On the other hand I LOVE using the recumbent bike at the gym. I throw on some up beat music and can switch up the resistance throughout the workout and it just feels great to me.
^As for burpees. Ugh. I did so many at military camp (not workout boot camp, actual military camp in the summer as a teenager) over the years that I never want to do them ever again. But yeah, they're so good for you. So definitely try to work them into your new routine.0 -
I love group fitness classes (Zumba, Body Pump, etc), WAYYYY more interesting than the treadmill and seems like the time passes twice as fast. I do walk on our treadmill if the weather is bad or I am staying at a hotel in an area I am not familiar with (I travel for business), I like to watch Netflix on my iPad while walking to help pass the time.0
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TimothyFish wrote: »"Let us have a moment of silence for all those who are stuck in traffic on the way to the gym to ride a stationary bike."
If you are going to the gym to do something that you can do outside then you are doing it wrong. Do your running and cycling outside and it is fun instead of boring.
A million times this!!!!
I can barely stand the 3-4 minutes on the hampster wheel to warm-up before lifting.0 -
Get into some of the free fitness classes at your gym: Aqua Aerobics, Body Pump, Cycling, Zumba, etc. Try some of the other cardio equipment (they all have Quick Start buttons): Bikes, Ellipticals, Rowers & Steppers.
If you enjoy hiking, check and see if there are any Disc Golf courses close to you. You throw discs towards a basket; there are 18, just like regular golf. However, you walk from basket to basket. It's a fun game! My wife and I are always inviting others to play. You can either rent discs or pick up a few at a Second Time Around sports store. Most Disc Golf Choosers Courses are free to play and some have a some have a small cost to play. Otherwise, you're outside and playing a game for exercise!!0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »"Let us have a moment of silence for all those who are stuck in traffic on the way to the gym to ride a stationary bike."
If you are going to the gym to do something that you can do outside then you are doing it wrong. Do your running and cycling outside and it is fun instead of boring.
If I'm going to 'run' at the gym... I'll do it on the elliptical... easier on my joints
If I'm going to 'bike' at the gym I'll do it on the recumbent... easier to read a book...
BUT YEAH. If you're going to the gym to run... and it's not blizzard, or lightning, or ozone alert. You're doing it wrong.
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