Sneaking in strength training?

Spiegelchan
Spiegelchan Posts: 78 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So there are plenty of ways to make cardio fun. Hiking, soccer, dance classes, ice skating; I love cardio. The problem is that it does a lot for my legs and not much else, so my arms are weak and I can’t even open my own oil cap (and forget about jars of pasta sauce).

I want to work on strengthening the rest of my body - back, abs, arms, everything - but I really don’t enjoy “exercising”. It’s a mental block, I know. For example, I can physically hold a plank for three minutes at least, but after twenty seconds my brain is all “this is miserable, why are we doing this, stop, I hate you” the whole way home. And so it goes. For literally everything. Squats, weight lifting, lunges, even yoga. I mean, sure, I feel good afterwards, but the complete misery of the “during” is a huge block to me ever actually starting.

So, I wanted to ask our community if they have any ideas for sneaking in strength training in ways other than “exercise for the sake of exercise.” I don’t even know what would be an example. Basically strength training without realising that that’s what you’re doing. For example the best ab workout I ever had was fifteen minutes holding myself suspended at some weird angle while stuck in traffic on a massively overcrowded sardine can of a bus. I wasn’t thinking about exercising but about not falling on the seven people directly on every side of me. Sore for literal days, fantastic.

I don’t know, any sports that work your abs? Games?

Replies

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    If you have the money, sign up for a class or personal training. With a class, you're hiring someone else to keep you engaged and motivated (as well as the other benefits of a class). I will absolutely not spend an hour doing yoga at home by myself, since I'll be bored after the first five minutes, but I have no problem going to yoga class twice a week.
  • msheepy00
    msheepy00 Posts: 17 Member
    I've found the App Sworkit super great for bodyweight, dumbell, and kettlebell workouts. They are in 30 second increments so it goes pretty quickly, you can make custom workouts, and once you get the hang of the moves, you can turn the sound down and watch something on Netflix while you do it. Of all the things I've tried for getting into strength training, which I find very boring, it's the only thing that has stuck.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,267 Member
    Rowing (boats when I can, machine when I must) gained me a little muscle, just much more slowly (and with more time investment) than weight training.

    Anything that progressively challenges muscles helps. But weight training is more efficient.

    How about canoeing/kayaking, if you need upper body work? Martial arts weapons (saber, staff, spear, that sort of thing) are heavy. Rock climbing?
  • Spiegelchan
    Spiegelchan Posts: 78 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Rowing (boats when I can, machine when I must) gained me a little muscle, just much more slowly (and with more time investment) than weight training.

    Anything that progressively challenges muscles helps. But weight training is more efficient.

    How about canoeing/kayaking, if you need upper body work? Martial arts weapons (saber, staff, spear, that sort of thing) are heavy. Rock climbing?

    Those are great ideas!!! I’ll definitely try them, thanks!
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    I hate thinking about strength training, but once I start, I feel so good - strong, sexy, capable, more tone, better in my clothes. My base is 3 exercises per upper body muscle group (shoulders, biceps, triceps, back, chest). I couple arms, back and chest, and shoulders with lower body. That leads to 3 times a week in the gym for about 30 minutes at a time. I do three sets of 12 and start with a warm up set progressing heavier - for example, a bicep curl with 12.5 weight, then 15, then 17.5. To progress, you can up the weight amount and lower the amount of reps you do in a set (6-8). You can also do compound movements instead using body weight if you don't want to deal with weights- burpees, mountain climbers, push ups, bear crawls, side planks, planks with alternating arm to shoulder taps or with weights, turning into a side plank with the weight lifted up in the air - 15 minutes in intervals of 2 - 3 minutes per exercise 3 times a week.

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