Do you work out with your spouse? Happily?

splashangel
splashangel Posts: 494 Member
edited December 22 in Fitness and Exercise
My husband has been threatening.... No, I ment promising, to work out with me forever. I have been at it myself, for close to 2 years now? I have had back surgery. I never want to re-visit the pain I lived in again. My husband needs back surgery. He is tall and big built. Not fat but still carrying around extra poundage. He is very muscled from construction work. I cann't tell him nothing! I studied and made sure I was useing proper form. I will stop and get it right because I want to help my body, not hurt it. My run in with back pain broke me up from sucking eggs, so to speak. I can deal with him working his triceps AGAIN! Or him eating pizza, cake, icecream and soda cause he worked out. I love his cute highschool weight lifting stories. But he's gonna get hurt. He looks like a train wreck doing squats. A sexy train wreck but still..... I can not relax. It's like his testesterone is linked to the smell of iron. I don't want to keep offering advice and him get up tight and not want to workout. I just try not to look at him directly or without squinting. He just tells me he's worked out before when I say something.( This would be high school) I don't know if it is a good idea to keep working out together. Last night I said I was tired. I just can not stand watching him do things that I know can an will hurt him. Gyms are not an option for us and we don't know people who work out. I get my boys to spot me usually but you can see how that could be iffy. I like working out alone to be honest but I think I could love having him in there with me. I increase my weight right away because I knew he could spot me. So, any body out there been here? I'd love to hear from you.
Angel

Replies

  • splashangel
    splashangel Posts: 494 Member
    Gonna bump it this one time just in case it might catch someones eye whos been here.:heart:
  • Sox90716
    Sox90716 Posts: 976 Member
    My wife paces me on the bike for my long runs. It has been amicable so far.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    No. I don't really want to work out with anyone... it's me time. I think it would be fun to go on a bike ride or hike with my boyfriend, though. But I don't really think of that as a work out as much as I think of it as something fun to do.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Nope. But she supports me in my fitness endeavors and that makes her an awesome wife =)
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    Had to re-read that, thought it asked if you work with your spouse, employment-wise. I do work with him, I do not work out with him. We are sometimes both working out at the same time, but it's independent of the other.
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
    I go to the gym without him (we use separate gyms) and do videos at home without him. He takes LONG runs without me and cycles without me. We hike, bike and jog together. He has to slow his pace waaaayyy down to accommodate me, but he has yet to complain. We enjoy our time together and apart. It really depends on our mood (or the day) as to which option we pursue. We make it a point to do something active together at least once each week.
  • Jazzmeeka
    Jazzmeeka Posts: 4
    I would like to workout with my husband but he is more into weight lifting, and I am more into cardio. So we usually end up at the gym together but working out separate. We have been talking about starting crossfit classes together pretty soon, I think taking classes together is the only way we can actually workout together
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Op, have you thought about buying some lifting magazines for him since he's interested in lifting? Maybe if he looks through them he will have a lightbulb moment and think more about form?

    I work out with my hubby. We used to walk together, but now I run, so he rides beside me on his bike for almost every run. We also ride bikes together a couple times per week in the evening. We go to the gym together, too, but while we're at the gym we mostly do separate workouts (if we're doing cardio). If we do weights, we usually do those together. It has been really nice having him support me, and it has gotten him to be more active as well.
  • kimberly_grubbs
    kimberly_grubbs Posts: 70 Member
    Me and my hubbs work out together all the time now. But we didn't start that way. I got more into it before he did just with other things draining his time. At first he didn't really want to listen to what I had to say about form or about pace with certain things when he got more involved. We occasionally went to the gym together but did separate workouts. When we started running outside together, he took some of the things that I had to say into consideration. We then found workouts we both love and currently do a lot of kettlebell workouts together and will check up on each other's form when needed. I think that working out can be a touchy thing for some couples, but it may eventually click for both of you and you'll actually enjoy doing it together - its nicer when you get to that point. It took us 4 or 5 months to figure it out. Good luck!
  • billmac
    billmac Posts: 51 Member
    Absolutely...me time!
  • billmac
    billmac Posts: 51 Member
    No. I don't really want to work out with anyone... it's me time. I think it would be fun to go on a bike ride or hike with my boyfriend, though. But I don't really think of that as a work out as much as I think of it as something fun to do.

    Sorry! Didn't know how to work this reply thing!

    Yes ME time!
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
    i like exercising with my husband. We don't always get to though since we have young kids. So usually have to go one at a time.
  • splashangel
    splashangel Posts: 494 Member
    I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut ( I might explode) and just work out. This way maybe with time he will settle down and trust my advice enough to ask me. Jazmeeka, ya know, maybe your on to something... I wonder if I could find something on the computer for us to work out with? Kinda like a class?
    sidesteal, agreed. He is 110% behind me being healthy, he just doesn't want to heed my advice. An I don't wanna nag.
    hesn92, I know. I work out alone with no radio or anything. Just me. This is new to us. Maybe we just need to do it long enough for the new to ware off. I guess I made it this far with out someone telling me to fix get my form.... Still I worry he's gonna get hurt. The big picture is, he injures himself from being stubborn and he is in pain. I don't want him hurting worse then he already does. Injury also stops further working out, loss of income, and medical bills. Ishallnotwant, WHY DIDN"T I THINK OF THAT!!!! I will pick up some mags monday while out working.
    kagrubbs, so you HAVE been there. Thank you for sharing. We love hiking together.
    billmac,:laugh: :laugh: Yea, I'm with you on the reply thing.
  • MinaAriel
    MinaAriel Posts: 138 Member
    Right now, I rarely work out with hubby. He goes to the gym to do weights. He also woke up one day and decided he would run and then BAM, he can run 3-4 miles without thinking about it. I on the other hand have been struggling for almost 3 months and have only just now managed to run 2.5 miles without stopping. He tried to jog with me once, it was ridiculously slow for him so I told him to go ahead. However, when it comes to the circuit training videos, he can't hang. He sucks at lunges and squats and the interval cardio wears him out.

    I really like the idea of using youtube videos to get tips on great form. If the advice comes from someone else, he is more likely to listen and not see you as a nag. Whenever I try to correct my husband on his lunges or something, he gets really pissy. Then I get anxious. Then no one has fun. So, have someone else lead the workout and then maybe you'll both learn something. :)
  • ChanniVincent
    ChanniVincent Posts: 188
    Not at the moment because he's away, but as soon as he's back we'll be exercising together, he's a major energy person, like he loves to exercise, and he'd do it 24/7 if he could lol, so it should be fun :)
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I run and gym alone, but cycle often with my partner.

    He's hypercompetive. Given that I'm fitter than he is, this can cause some friction. (He's fond of telling me, for instance, that I'm only faster on the bike than he is because I have a better bike..... Of course, it's nothing to do with the fact that I put in about 10 hours more exercise per week than he does.... ! :-D )

    But apart from that, it works well enough. It's a nice way to spend time together when life is busy and pressured.

    I do find it important to me that I have some time to work out by myself, as well. I like the me time.
  • knwitall
    knwitall Posts: 420 Member
    I workout alone. My bf did workout with me for a few days that he was at my house but other than that, I'm a loner :/ But when he did workout with me. I found that i was able to push myself harder and did better.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    No way. It is one of the few things we cannot do together without arguing. He means well, but he's always trying to give me advice that I just.don't.want. :tongue: I'm sure his way would probably work, but in my opinion until what I'm doing doesn't work any more, I have no interest in changing it!

    This is not in regard to lifting form or anything else detrimental. Just difference in opinion on timing, intensity, and types of workout for the most part. Plus, as stated above, it is very much ME time.
  • MrsRAW712
    MrsRAW712 Posts: 28 Member
    My husband & I try weekly to workout together by taking walks to the park with our daughter, and spend time as a family.

    I would include his interests into the workout so he'll be a bit more motivated (that has worked for me before).
  • kristenlees122
    kristenlees122 Posts: 242
    we do ab workouts together, sometimes legs, never upper body (unless i need him to spot me). i run at a track near the pool he swims at - we both find it motivating knowing the other is working out at the same time, regardless of whether we are actually doing it together or not. i can definitely push myself when running or doing abs when he is there - dont want to disappoint him!
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    My fiance and I go to the gym together, but we do separate workouts when we get there because he's more into the free weights and I prefer the machines that keep my form right since I've never lifted until this year. We do cardio together sometimes (long walks and biking) but you can't really mess that up! I wish I had some advice for you, but my guy is obsessed with doing and right and does a lot of reading on the subject, so I get my advice from him rather than vice versa! Good luck...
  • llamalland
    llamalland Posts: 246 Member
    Along the lines of getting the lifting magazines for him to "maybe" learn from, try to get him to do this with you: watch infomercials on TV for various fitness products. Not because you want to buy that particular expensive program, but to get tips on form, etc. It's another non-confrontational way for you to provide the info, while at the same time letting him think he already knows it.... Good luck. I hate working out with my husband for many of the same reasons! ;-)
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    My husband and I lift weights together on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We're currently doing the same program (Stronglifts 5x5) and get along very well. I'm the one who decided I wanted to do the program and decided he would join me. He's pretty into it now and continued going to the gym even when I had to take a break for medical reasons. He did lower his weights a bit because I wasn't there to spot him and he was typically too shy to ask someone else at the gym. :happy:

    He goes cycling himself (though I will sometimes tag along) and I usually go for walks by myself.
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
    We tried lifting together. I swung a dumbbell at his face. On purpose. We haven't lifted together since. We'll spot each other, just not work out together. Running together is enjoyable though.
  • samra2012
    samra2012 Posts: 715
    nop! its my time... anyway he doesnt want me to lose more weigjht or get more lean :explode: so he is not invite to my workouts:grumble: lol!!!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • ladydars
    ladydars Posts: 4
    My spouse has been promising to work out with me for a week or so - but it hasn't happened yet! I don't think he's ready to give up his precious computer time for anything yet!

    But he is incredibly fit and lean, so the time he takes to decide will give me time to perhaps have a chance at keeping up.

    With regards to giving advice about form, I like the suggestions about magazines and videos. If he won't listen to you, maybe he'll listen to someone who is an "expert".
  • splashangel
    splashangel Posts: 494 Member


    I really like the idea of using youtube videos to get tips on great form. If the advice comes from someone else, he is more likely to listen and not see you as a nag. Whenever I try to correct my husband on his lunges or something, he gets really pissy. Then I get anxious. Then no one has fun. So, have someone else lead the workout and then maybe you'll both learn something. :)
    Yes. You do understand. I plan to take this advice.
    Sabrinajl said , We tried lifting together. I swung a dumbbell at his face. On purpose. We haven't lifted together since. We'll spot each other, just not work out together. Running together is enjoyable though....................:noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    The replys here have been everything I hoped for. And thanks to Sabrina, more. :happy:
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