GYM is getting dull

This post needs a bit more info. Are you bored with your weight/core days or your cardio days? Or both? Are you using free weights or machines, steady state cardio or HIIT? Alone or with a partner? It's hard to tell you where to go if we don't know where you're at.

If it's the cardio days, I feel your pain. I can get thru an occasional spin class, but just sitting a bike or treadmill or elliptical bores the bejeezus out of me. But that's no excuse, because there are a million things you can do.

I do HIIT now and don't do steady state cardio anymore, but just in the last 8 days I've jumped rope, sprinted on the beach, sprinted on the elliptical, did a Spinning class,did 2 different variations of Spartacus workouts, Walked 3x up a steep .35 mile hill near my home, power yoga, walked 8 miles, and this grueling concoction I made up where I alternate jumping rope, burpees, and wall ball for 1 minute each for 20 mins. Lap swimming is part of it too, but I didn't do it in the last week.

Your workouts are whatever you choose to make them to be. Make them fun.

LOL! Who doesn't love Tony? Yeah, around the 50th time watching the same video I could strangle the guy.

HIIT can literally be anything you want it to be. I'm going to suggest you buy a jump rope. It's dirt cheap, you don't need to go to the gym (but they probably have a great floor for it), it'll travel with you on vacations, and it burns a TON of calories in a very, very short time period.

My plan when I started was to do 45 secs of work and 15 mins of rest for 12 mins total. Turns out all I could do is 30 secs with 30 rest....for like 8 mins total. But I built up to 40/20, then 45/15, and now I do 60/15 for 24 mins. You could do less and benefit, I just do more because I really, really enjoy the hell out of it.

I don't like to spend money either, so for a timer, I just got an HIIT app for my phone. You'll find that they already have different timer settings to choose from, and you can find the right one for you.

I say it often and I will say it again. Go to your local state park (or your country-speciific equivalent) and find a fun trail to hike on. Scramble over rocks, hurry up the hills, play in the streams, walk on fallen logs. After you get familiar with the trails try some trail running. Enjoy the outdoors!

-V-

That is excellent advice, Venturin. Most trails have different routes you can run or walk so even going the same location has the ability to stay fresh. One time doing this and your gym's treadmill will feel like a prison.

On machines at the gym, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts to help from getting bored. Doesn't work if I'm doing intervals, though--but I suppose intervals are actually another way to beat the boredom because you're so focused on the time and intensity.