The strength training hurdle

SKazanow67 · August 2021

I am currently participating in a one-year program intended to improve eating habits and build physical activity as a preventative for Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. I started the program at 284 pounds in mid-March and am now currently at 244 pounds. Each day, I remain aware of what I'm eating and try to get in at least of 30 minutes of medium to high intensity cardio-vascular activity. So far, this is not a problem since I enjoy walking, hiking, biking, etc.

The problem is that I'm also supposed to be adding strength training in tandem with the cardio-vascular activity, and here I have very definitely come up short. In fact, its possible my somewhat rapid weight loss could partially be due to muscle loss in addition to the loss of fat. However, whereas the cardio-vascular activities are fun, strength training feels like nothing more than a mechanical chore and I have no mental motivation to really start.

FWIW, at 53, I don't think I've ever had a "well-defined" muscle structure, and while I'm not looking to be the next Charles Atlas, I would like for once in my life to have something akin to muscle tone. But saying it and doing are two very different things.

Any suggestions for getting past this mental block?

IllustriousBee · August 2021

I'm a small, 38-year-old woman, and weightlifting always terrified me. One day, when the gym was empty I just decided to try it. I ended up getting a personal trainer, and now I enjoy weightlifting more than cardio. For me, it definitely helps to keep track of everything. I log my reps and the weight used (I always do 4 sets so that stays the same). It really motivates me to see that I've gotten stronger. The weight that I can now lift is quite impressive for a tiny (under 5' and 90-some pound) woman. Just today I easily loaded up two 40lb bags of salt for the water softener onto a cart and then into my car, and then the garage, and I would not have been able to do that a few months ago. On another note, I also listen to really inspiring music while I work out. Music taste is all over the place, so only you can figure out what motivates you, but music helps me a lot.

heybales · August 2021

Can you make the cardio a reward for doing some resistance training first?

While in the back of your mind you realize this is very beneficial for many reasons.

I'd look for some programs that are very functional - perhaps that aspect of it will make it more interesting.

What in your mind does the strength training need to consist of?
Perhaps you have a mindset that is too narrow a focus and therefore boring before you start.

littlegreenparrot1 · August 2021

Does your gym do classes that might fit the bill by doing a bit of both? Kettlebells, body pump, even something that just uses bodyweight to start with.
Attending the class gives the discipline of having to do it, it can be fun if you find one you like, and you kind of get carried along with the momentum of the class.

I will happily run for hours along the trails but strength training bores me witless, one or two classes a week help. It might not be quite as good, but it is considerably better than the nothing I would do otherwise!

SnifterPug · August 2021

I used to hate resistance training, too. Found it really boring and un-motivating. Then I hired a PT who introduced me to kettlebells. They ignited a love of the gym and I am now really into weight lifting. Even the slow, grinding stuff that I used to hate so much. Once you start getting results it is a huge incentive, and there are so many different things you could do. If you have the budget for it I'd consider hiring a PT to introduce you to a few different things. And even if you don't enjoy it much, having paid the PT should keep you turning up long enough to see some results, which may just light a spark. Good luck.

steveko89 · August 2021

It took me some time to figure out how I liked to strength train before I really got into it. I half heartedly did stuff like p90x and p90x3 (dumbbells only) for years until I started barbell training and was smitten. Within the context of barbell training it also took me a while to get to where I would enjoy certain training splits and a variety of accessories.

deputy_randolph · August 2021

Same as above...it took me time to figure out how I like to lift. I started with your basic, random machines, no program approach. Well, that WAS a chore.

I worked with a trainer at the gym who used to participate in competitive powerlifting. Yep, that's what I liked. I like big, heavy movements for less reps.

kmbrooks15 · August 2021

Another vote here for the personal trainer! I know it's a financial sacrifice (it is for me, but so worth it!), but the benefits are amazing. I started with a trainer a month ago, and we've worked out several times. I meet with her twice a week and then she sends me another workout to do at home on my own (my apartment complex has a gym). When school starts next week, we're dropping back to once a week with two "homework" workouts. The benefit is that she knows when to step things up for me and she varies the workouts enough that I never get bored! Some exercises have been repeated but no two workouts have been the same. She helps me target what needs to be targeted. A good trainer will push you but not to the point of injury. She encourages me and makes sure I'm working hard enough but not so hard that I risk injury. I had a back injury that included surgery about 15 years ago, and I am almost 51 (in about 6 weeks!), so I understand your reluctance. But my goodness, you will see results so quickly! I already see muscle definition in my arms and thighs. And by the way, building muscle also helps your body to burn more fat! The scale has only moved about 7 and a half pounds in a month, but my clothes are fitting so differently already. The attached photo is a picture my trainer took just about 2 and a half weeks into my training. You can already see muscle definition in my arms that I've never seen before! In this move, I had to lift the weights off the ground one at a time. Very difficult, and I could only do about 4 at a time during the first two circuits, but the last circuit I managed 6 times before having to rest. I told her I want to repeat this move because I want to conquer it! I highly recommend you jump into it, even if you are reluctant. You won't regret it!

Onedaywriter · August 2021

Lots of body weight movements are strength training and can be easily combined with what you are already doing.
Walk for a few minutes, then do 5 pushups, walk another few minutes and do 10 air squats another few and lunges etc. I walk or run to a park that has a swing set where I do some pull-ups etc. This may keep the boredom down
I do CrossFit type workouts fairly regularly and I’m never bored with it. Maybe give that a try.

steveko89 · August 2021

kmbrooks15 wrote: »

Another vote here for the personal trainer! I know it's a financial sacrifice (it is for me, but so worth it!), but the benefits are amazing.

If one is at all interested in a personal trainer I would encourage that money spent to be viewed as an investment in one's health and/or growth and not simply an inconvenient expense.

Cherimoose · August 2021

SKazanow67 wrote: »

The problem is that I'm also supposed to be adding strength training

Perhaps consider a shift in mindset from viewing it as a something you're "supposed to be doing" to thinking only of the benefits you want - looking better, stronger for daily life, improved insulin sensitivity, etc.

A few "tricks" that may help build the habit:
- Start with only one set per body part per workout the first month, so it's over in a few minutes. For example, 1 set using a moderate weight for: squats, pushup, rows and shoulder presses (plus a warm-up set). Once it's a habit, increase the sets + weight.
- Listen to music, or a podcast or audiobook
- Plan a reward after each workout (a show, a meal, etc)

DD265 · August 2021

I'm another personal trainer fan.

Hated running. PT taught me how to run effectively. I love running.
Never really successfully lifted. PT taught me Olympic lifting. I love the technicality of lifting.

I think being taught to do something correctly, with the right base (core strength, t-spine mobility etc) in place makes a huge difference in whether you enjoy something or not.

Deviette · August 2021

You could consider taking up a sport or class where you will naturally do strength training integrated in the training. I also dislike dedicated strength training however I don't think of dragging someone down the mat as strength training (for example) but the way my muscles hurt this morning would suggest otherwise. In the context of my sport it's fun and relevant, but stepping back and looking at it, I can see exactly which muscle groups those exercises are building. I could be lifting weights in the gym that work those same muscles, but honestly, doing squats with someone in a kata garuma lift is much more fun than doing it with a bar and weights.

SKazanow67 · August 2021

Thank you for the suggestions everyone. I wish I could even consider a personal trainer but financially, even small additions to our monthly budget are out of reach at the moment. I do wish health savings plans would allow expenses for preventive medicine, like gym memberships/personal trainer expenses, but as of yet, the only acceptable expenses are for responsive care. That said, I can truly understand how doing something wrong can easily lead to avoiding doing it again. Having that kind of guidance would be invaluable; plus it would give me the accountability I currently lack.

In the meantime, I have asked my son to keep reminding me to do the strength training. So far, my lack of motivation is still winning that fight but I appreciate his efforts.

What kills me about this is that for just about everything else, I have no problem putting in the work. When I needed to show improvement over the course of a semester of a life fitness class, I put in the time 3xs a week to work through the school gym's fitness rotation. I finished that class being able run a mile without stopping for the first time in my life; was able to do pullups for the first time since I was in elementary school; and built to doing series of pushups vs 1 or 2 before getting worn out. But then I had a classmate who did the routine alongside of me and the incentive to get a good grade. When its just me with no reward/punishment dynamic though... <sigh>

Maybe what I need for now is to find someone to work out with me...that at least would give me some degree of accountability and some incentive. Because waiting for myself to just start has been a non-starter.

juliafromrf · August 2021

If there is any way you can afford it, you could invest in a pair of dumbbells (5kg, for example) and do Youtube workouts with them. I would especially recommend Caroline Girvan's programs: She combines strength training with cardio, her workouts are super rich in variety and at the beginning of every video she explains how to perfom the exercises correctly. Except for the dumbbells and a mat, you don't need any equipment whatsoever (I even train barefoot) and the program is completely free. This would be her beginner program:

Since you said that you are motivated if someone else joins you, maybe you could ask a friend to do the program with you?

springlering62 · August 2021

SKazanow67 wrote: »

In the meantime, I have asked my son to keep reminding me to do the strength training.

When I asked family to “remind me” to exercise or to not eat certain foods, I became unreasonably angry with them for the reminder, for moving the food etc. I guess I was projecting ny own failures on them.

Making others responsible for your own decisions can be a very ugly path to go down.

I don’t mean to sound harsh, because I’ve done exactly this, but you and I are grown women and should take the responsibility ourselves.

Family can support, but should not carry our burden for us. In my case, an extra hundred pound burden I was trying to whiningly foist off on anyone I could dump it on.

springlering62 · August 2021

And, to add, I started at 56. I liked yoga, because the stretching helped my joint pain, but the only other exercise I got was arm lifting a daily pound or two or three of M&Ms to my mouth.

I thought I hated exercise. Was unathletic. Uncompetitive. Boy, was I wrong.

Once I determined (motivation is short lived, determination is a longer equation) to start exercising, I tried several things. I hated, absolutely hated mat Pilates the first two or three months. Then one day, when I had to miss a class and was crazy disappointed, I realized enjoyment had snuck up on me. Now, I do my classes with my eyes closed, and they’re like a meditation.

Yoga- I began to compete with myself. I wanted to do some of the things besides basic lunges and Warrior poses. Like the other gals, ya know. It also helped me become very aware that, TBH, my fat *kitten* was holding me back. It’s a hella lot easier to get a bind when you’re not shifting many inches of belly.

Because I wanted so badly to improve my yoga skills, I began lifting weights to build upper body strength for arm balances, and it worked.

I did my own version of the C25K app. I now run 5k a couple times a week, usually at least a mile a day. I am slow as hell. But, I am so overjoyed to be out there moving myself, waving to the other regulars on the path, listening to podcasts…..

I’m not “athletic”. I’ll never compete with anyone for any reason. But I try to improve myself each and every day. Each of the last two years I’ve set myself a goal. 5k. Check. Headstand. Check. Chin stand. Working on it.

If you make the commitment at “our” age, the benefits are beyond anything you can expect.

I’m not Charles Atlas, either. At 59, why in the world should I ever expect to be? But I’m in the best physical and mental shape I’ve been in since my early 20’s.

That should be our motivation.

springlering62 · August 2021

Nonsense. Your metabolism isn’t broken. Abused, misused, probably.

It’s all about CICO. The others are just techniques that some find helpful to get in the swing of CICO. You don’t have to do keto or IF, unless you find that either helps create and stabilize your eating habits.

“Weight loss is made in the kitchen”. True enough, but health involves adding exercise.

So many here have regretted not adding exercise from the beginning. It doesn’t have to be earth shaking stuff. Walk. Mini-trampoline. Jump rope. Just move, for heavens sake.

Even small changes can rock your world:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

nossmf · August 2021

Have you actually TRIED strength training, or are you stopping at the THOUGHT of it? I ask because before I started lifting I only ever considered cardio, had no interest in lifting. Then one day I actually tried it, and was immediately hooked. Just like how some of my favorite foods today I used to avoid strenuously because I KNEW I wouldn't like them, despite never actually trying them.

I2k4 · August 2021

Nice to read a reference to Charles Atlas, answer to getting sand kicked by beach bullies:

https://archive.org/details/CharlesAtlas_201601/page/n23/mode/2up

Some of the Atlas rhetoric is over the top but "dynamic tension" has its merits. Beyond, I'd agree with advice to get some professional coaching in resistance training modalities you like to do and can afford. (I had lifelong benefit of four years of college weight training courses and in retirement have settled on dumbbells, resistance bands and bodyweight.)

The strength training hurdle

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