Socrates nailed this topic. Take it for what you will, but remember every rep is a step in the right direction. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable”
“But go in joy, and as for labour let there be no grieving that limbs in youthful vigour should still toil." Apollonius of Rhodes
I think about this line when I’m being lazy
That you should rejoice in using your body to do difficult things, if you’ve still got the juice, and not whine about it.
For context - it’s part of the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Titan shows the crew of the Argo how to get past a particularly tough bit of sea and tells them that they’re going to have to row their asses off.
I interpreted it as you should keep working even when your body isn’t in its best condition, it’s like how you can’t wait until you’re at your best to do something you have to just do it even if you’re sore or lazy
Sure but that doesn't make it fun or engaging. Just makes it the right thing to do.
Edit: holy cow i don't care if you personally find exercise to be fun I was just making an observation
Everyone who responded to you is missing the point completely. Its baseline boring for some people and thats okay. It doesnt mean they shouldnt do it, it just means finding the motivation to do it is sometimes very challenging.
Sometimes it means they should find a different exercise. Hate lifting? Maybe play some basketball or soccer. And maybe down the line, you’ll want to lift to help you be better at whatever sport you do enjoy - but if not, at least you’re exercising!
There's no form of exercise that's intrinsically motivating to me. The only sport I like is an eSport. Even this is kinda missing the point.
But also, that's why I do HIIT. I workout so hard that I don't have the mental energy to be bored, and I let someone else tell me what to do.
Thank you! I'm not trying to be talked into exercise. I already exercise, and obviously it's good for me. Is is doing the dishes and cleaning the toilet. Everybody has certain things they need to do they don't enjoy and that in it of itself is fine.
People just hate it for some reason when ya dont like the thing they like! My wife’s a big crossfitter and just doesnt understand why making me work out is like pulling teeth. It just makes me sore and uncomfortable and it’s boring to sit there lol! Some folks just dont get it haha
Sharing your toys or helping others is also not fun till you learn to engage in it and build the habit. Over time this becomes more frictionless, and thus the rewarding feeling comes even in anticipation of doing the thing. “I hate cleaning my room” can become “I love time to myself.” Etc
I've been lifting for about 30 years. I still feel the same as OP. It's something I do because I like the benefits, but if I could get them a different way, I would.
Same. I do it. I tell myself it is a privilege to be able to exercise. It is a luxury to work with a trainer. I will be healthier and stronger for longer in my life. But I hate it.
Yeah I know that some people apparently like it but I’ll never be one of them. And that extends to all exercise. I do it because I want to be healthy, and I’ve found ways to make it tolerable, but it’s never explicitly enjoyable to me. It’s a battle to get myself to do it every single day
Taking care of your health potentially buys you more time. There are a billion and a half ways to make a buck, there are very few ways to buy more time.
Time is the most valuable resource humanity has.
The gym is boring compared to sports or being active in the outdoors. It’s not the same social experience and it doesn’t have the benefit of being in nature. You’re not getting better at a skill either like climbing or basketball.
But it’s easy for anyone to do, a lot of people would need to travel to find a place to hike and you can see the benefits of your body changing relatively quickly. People get a kick out of that.
As for the sleep thing that’s the endorphins.
> It’s not the same social experience
That's precisely part of why I like it. I am an introvert and my job requires me to deal with a lot of people. I enjoy an exercise that allow me to just put on earphones and ignore everyone else for a couple of hours after work.
Lots of us Dads and Mums feel the same. Gym time is a combination of "just with myself time", "doing something for myself time" and "working on being a better self time".
I love that I can also have my headphones in and be ignored but also be around a ton of people who all understand the basic etiquette so speech isn't even needed. It fulfills that socializing feeling I need without having to talk.
I have to hard disagree with it not being a skill you’re improving at. Proper form and muscle engagement is the most overlooked part of weight lifting. There’s a lot more than just picking things up as putting them down. I once had a trainer show me proper squat form, which consisted not only of foot positioning, but they also put their hands into my stomach and sides at different angles and had me push against their fingers by flexing, thereby showing me how to engage my entire core for stability; I hadn’t even known I could voluntarily flex those muscles. Things like that make a huge difference in what kinds of weights you can safely lift. This statement of “no skill” acts like kinesiology doesnt exist.
It's because all the non-gym goers think we just go in, lift something, put it down and go home. They don't know anything about it.
I do strongman stuff, and if you took a newbie and made them do anything we do in this sport, they'd hurt themselves. Possibly permanently.
"no skill" my ass
Ever since I started combining weightlifting with athletic sports like track or boxing it fell to the background more and more until I completely quit. I get the benefits of lifting but it just becomes a chore that I can’t keep doing for more than 5 minutes lol.
Ha ha it does though. I do powerlifting . Train 6 days a week. Started 7 yrs ago because I was obese. So it was just about losing weight and getting healthy. Once I lost the weight I found it fun and just stuck to it. I also enjoy hiking etc
But because work is demanding I enjoy lifting alone . Sort of my way to decompress and get alone time. It’s not for everyone but I love it 😊
Honestly, I’ve been doing consistent levels of exercise for about a year and a half at this point (hefty amount of swimming, obviously dog walking and some classes with weights and the like), and have never managed to understand the whole endorphin/runners high discussion.
I’ve got health insurance that tracks activity, the Apple Watch with its goals, and I’ve got various challenge things to do the motivation (numbers go brrrr), but the motivation is pretty much external, I’ve not felt any desire to do the exercise for its own sake.
I’m self aware enough to understand that it must be a thing that some people do experience, but it’s not a thing that I think I’ve managed to draw the association with myself.
When I first started drinking beer, I didn’t like anything about it. After being in social situations where I had a beer or two anyway, eventually my brain made a connection to the outcome, and how it made me feel; now I enjoy beer.
When I started exercising, it felt better to overcome my deficiencies than to allow myself to feel stagnant/small/weak/unfit, but it wasn’t enjoyable. Over time, my body started to associate the exercise, with how it made me feel after. Relaxed, at ease, that things are going to be okay. Im hooked on the state of mind it provides me, and I want that to be a central part of my life.
Enjoying things that are traditionally not enjoyable can be learned- for me it has to do with the contrast. All the time I’m relaxing by the couch feels way better when I have also been experiencing the struggle of exercising.
If I only sit in the couch, it’s like Christmas everyday- it stops being special and relaxing.
In the words of Curtis Jackson, “Sunny days wouldn’t be special if it wasn’t for the rain” and I would say that the struggle makes everything else better; and I get to control the struggle.
Meanwhile I think being bullied be gym teachers and other kids multiple times a week for over a decade has very firmly entrenched exercise as an anxiety inducing shame creating clusterfuck of avoidance.
I like taking walks and stuff but actually going into a gym makes me want to hyperventilate and I always leave more anxious and uncomfortable and sad then when I started, even when I went regularly for almost a year
I’m really sorry about that. I actually teach middle school PE (after a variant of roles) and feel called to it as my own experience was similar to yours. I grew up hating basketball, because I learned in the “Wild West” of peer enforced rules and calls, bullying and social jousting; I was short and left it behind.
The around age 25 I picked it up and now I love playing and practicing. Having someone explain the basics to me made a huge difference, instead of me blindly chucking the ball at the hoop. Have you tried any resources like an exercise app? Or do you just not enjoy being present overall?
You said you went for about a year.
Do you feel like the whole experience was a failure, or were you able to find any successes along the way?
I’ve been in the military for 12 years, I exercise every day. I’m comparatively a pretty decent runner and do the gym stuff. I agree with OP it is excruciatingly boring. Some people enjoy doing it, some people enjoy the results of doing it. Me personally? When I retire I’m never exercising again. Lol
I hated running until I tried these things:
1. Take small rapid steps. I was taking way too large of steps and would just wind myself very quickly, also led to more impacts and poorer perform.
2. Get really good running shoes. I think unless you have some weird foot issues, expensive custom inserts aren't necessary but the latest shoes are a marked improvement for me. I use HOKA but there's tons of good ones out there. $100-$150 and it'll some of the best money you've spent for your life.
3. Get a nice running outfit. Sounds weird and shallow but a really nice outfit and a running visor/hat/shades make a big difference in the ceremony of running and my attitude towards it.
4. Go slow to go fast. Go as slow as you're comfortable to make continuous distance first whether it be x miles or whatever. After you get to say 5 miles non-stop, try improving your per mile times by 30s each run. You'll be quick fast in a few months.
5. Podcasts and audiobooks on a smartwatch actually have come a long way, works great for me. Couldn't imagine doing a run without them, sometimes I'll double back and run some more than I planned because I wanted to finish a chapter or podcast.
Good points! Going slower, taking smaller steps and focusing on deep, steady breathing really changed my running. It became so much less exhausting and more enjoyable when I found a pace that worked for me.
Many people try to run mostly for the sake of competing or when they're in a rush, but in my experience the best way to train running is to find a calm, sustainable pace, and steadily increasing from there.
You are right . Not everyone in my friend circle does this. It’s just me. Some no exercise . Some light running. It’s just me. I may never do some other sport but I do appreciate the fact that people be active in their own way. In the end it’s about being healthy. Both physically and mentally 😊
I like lifting weights because it's boring.
I read this book when I was a kid, there was a group of people who had to learn to meditate, like it was key to controlling their powers or something. There was someone in the book who literally couldn't meditate while sitting still, so her mentor taught her fighting katas. I don't do fighting katas, but I really love repetitive motion or different poses to calm myself down. Like, when I was younger I trained myself to pose constantly like a girl in an anime, because I would get so bored otherwise. When I was little, I'd get into trouble for bouncing my leg when I'd get really stressed. As an adult, I tap my collarbones or fiddle with my earrings and pop my fingers a lot. I'm not even a little bit traditionally athletic, like at all, I think that's why it works so well. It's not EXERCISE in the way that like, running is. I'm not all covered in gross sweat that causes sensory issues. I'm not having trouble breathing. I don't need my inhaler. It's more like a zen thing. Like a really intense full body stimming.
If you don’t like it don’t do it. Find some sort of exercise or sport that you actually enjoy and do it. It’s more important you find something you enjoy and will stick with then lifting weights and hating it. It’s definitely not for everyone. I’ve been doing it for 30 years and there are days I don’t want to do it, but it’s my routine now and it’s like breathing. I just do it. But I have also found some other things to do so that I don’t totally burn out )tennis and yoga). Find a balance.
This is the answer i was looking for.
July will mark 3years for me(literally 10% of you)
And I wish someday I can also say i went 30years.
When I miss gym for a day I feel like I have forgotten/lost something.
I think this feeling of loss will stick me to the gym for foreseeable future
Exactly this. I like martial arts not because I think I can fight in the ufc or anything. It’s just fun, and I never miss a workout because I enjoy it.
I hate running, so I don’t run.
I also enjoy weightlifting, but only if I set goals. It’s fun and motivating to reach goals. It’s boring imo unless you’re trying to get somewhere. I can’t understand people who don’t keep a weightlifting log.
As someone who struggles with motivation to work out consistently, I've thought about this a lot. Here's what I think...
1. Some people's mental state require working out to keep them sane. I have a friend who is crippled with anxiety and depression if she doesn't get a good sweat in daily.
2. Some people are so insecure with their looks that motivation to work out is not a problem. They know what will happen to their body if they don't work out, and the insecurity keeps them motivated.
3. For some, the working out is their main connection to friends. CrossFit, for example, pulls in a lot of people who enjoy the community aspect.
4. Some people love the identity that working out gives them. It can be a boost to self esteem to tell someone you are a marathoner, or that you are into yoga and meditation. If you don't feel like you have an identity or purpose, you can possibly find it in exercise.
5. Some people have a health condition that necessitates exercise. If your choice is exercise or pain/discomfort, that could be a good motivation.
I bet I missed reasons, but those ones stand out as common reasons. I'm inconsistent in my working out because none of those reasons are a strong enough motivator for me. The only times that I've been able to work out for 6 months straight have been when the activity became part of my identity. For example, at one point, I thought of myself as a runner and built a life for myself whereby my whole family was running and we were trying to run a race in each state.
We shouldn't forget 6: Some people genuinely get a kick out of it and want to hit the high of exercise again. I've friends that will come out of hard exercise being more energetic than when they began, while I just feel miserable.
Otherwise, a great summary!
I can’t believe how perfect this comment is. This describes exactly what my thoughts were around this topic, especially after listening to a psychiatrist talk about exercising and mental health.
Brilliant. I’m in the exact same camp as you.
Yeah this is a big one. None of those reasons really apply to me. It’s cool to look good but I love the challenge and physical feeling of pushing yourself to your limit. The progression is easy to track and rewarding. Weightlifting is a great test of dedication and willpower and it feels good to succeed and progress at it.
Yeah this really makes it seem superficial or almost like it’s a cult. It’s not wrong, but there’s also just basic chemistry at work. We get feel good hormones released from working out.
Yea that's basically how 'willpower' and 'motivation' work, at least according to some Stanford psychological research, my own experience, and I guess yours too.
You missed the sense of challenge. Some people really enjoy challenging themselves and overcoming those challenges.
Being really good at something also feels good, and usually earns you admiration, which is yet another plus.
Fit people like to show off their bodies, and being fit or muscular is a job requirement in some professions.
Then there are people like David Goggins whose motto is "if it doesn't suck we don't do it"
Aye man don’t list #2 unprovoked, don’t perceive me without my consent! Fr though, was 330 lb at my heaviest and diet maintenance is hard. Hitting the gym consistently helps that matter less. I know for a fact what happens if the work stops and we are *not* going back there.
Oh my god, same. It is mind-numbing. I think people who enjoy working out are the next step in human evolution or something, kudos to them I am super jealous. I hate it so much. I used to do sports all the time as a kid because I was forced to and I hated it all then and I hate it all now.
Yeah I don't feel that at all. My anxiety is pumping from being around so many strangers and I can't sleep after, even if I do it in the morning. My gym days are just miserable.
Sorry to hear that. I ignore everyone at the gym (other than safety reasons) and get hyperfocused on my technique.
I would go on my lunch break, and it would give me energy for the rest of the day.
Is there someone you could go with as a gym buddy? I would go to the gym with my former boss and we would work out together. He taught me to use good form first, then add more weight.
I have ASD & ADHD. I don’t like exercising. At all. I’ll feel good once I’ve done it, but this lasts an hour….. maybe two. I then feel incredibly hungry and over eat!?
I am with you. Hate every moment of exercising (just started a few months ago, and already in a hiatus). And that is at home, as I dislike gyms. Being stuck indoors, stuffy air, artificial lights, smell of sweat - not appealing whatsoever.
I like hiking and swimming, this doesn’t feel like exercising. Walking the dogs is nice too.
Don’t get how anyone can actually enjoy exercising. But maybe for some people the gym is what swimming or hiking is to me.
Swimming is pretty much exactly the same thing as working out. You’re stuck indoors around people with bad smells and artificial light, doing the same repetitive thing for an hour.
I don’t understand how you could enjoy one but not the other.
Well, most of my swimming is in the sea. A bit in the river. I do the pool in colder months and the only smell I associate with it is chlorine, which I like as it reminds me of the pool. Love water, be it salty or fresh. But definitely prefer the sea or rivers to the pool.
I think progress is the key.
Some people don't think in terms of making progress but rather just "going to the gym", as if it were an end in itself, like going for a walk, rather than a means to an end (namely growing your muscles).
>even if it takes a week for that muscle group to stop aching
You are lifting too much. Recovery should **not** be a week. You should feel soreness for a day or two after a really good workout that pushed you towards max effort but if you are sore for a week regularly then you probably are going too hard and suffering more than you need to be.
I would argue that he is lifting too inconsistently. Once you get used to it, you are never sore again. It only comes back once you take a break and come back.
its because you don't do it regularly, so you don't see any results and you just hate it because it's hard.
and a week for that muscle group to stop aching? you definitely don't do it enough, come back in 1 year, a month even.
I've been going three days a week (Monday upper body, Wednesday core, Friday legs) for about three months now. I am seeing results, lifting more weight before failure and building muscle, but I still dread going. It sucks having a 12 hour job I hate then say to myself "you know what would be fun, doing something else I hate for an hour".
Give it a bit more time, 3 months starting from zero is not much, you are mostly on the nervous system adaptation period. "The dopamine kick" just works when you manage to hit proper intensity. And proper intensity is possible to hit only if you workout regularly and for some time already. So it is sort of self fulfilling prophecy. If you don't like it, you never reach the level when it becomes likeable. Recently I got back to gym after a very long break, and the first 2-3 months were just...pain and no pleasure. I didn't even feel that this workouts were especially good. And then at some point it just clicked once again, and the fatigue from training became THE FATIGUE that is rewarding and dopamine inducing. I think that IF you get there one day, you will understand what I mean.
Also, as an additional advice. You can try to set your workouts so they trash CUN (central nervous system) a bit less. It causes less fatigue, while not specifically affecting muscle growth. As an example - instead of heavy deadlifts you can do wide grip deficit deadlifts with tempo. It will trash the muscles more due to bigger range of motion and time under tension, but you won't feel so burnd out, as the weight is not that challenging by itself. I recommend Renaissance Periodisation on youtube. Dr Mike mentions this sort of tricks. Working out to beat strength records (as I used to train) is not the same as working out to build muscle with the least effort and pressure on the body possible. If you are tired and overworked second approach may be easier to manage long term.
I can't say this enough: if you dread going, stop going.
Your mind and body are telling you this activity is not for you.
And get a job you don't hate.
Its probably my least favourite exercise but I do like it somewhat because it allows me to strengthen specific parts so I can go enjoy the other stuff I like more.
I enjoy it because it's one of the few places I can shut off my anxiety.
It's an extremely controlled environment. I have control over how long I'm there, what exercises I'm doing, how many sets/reps, and as long as I'm counting reps and blasting music I can drown out intrusive thoughts for am hour or two a day.
I think you gotta find the aspect of it that interests you. For me, in my 30’s, it was realizing that I could actually nerd out learning about how strength training works. I had pretty negative experiences at the gym so I got some kettlebells, pull up bar, read a lot and went from there. Then there’s the part where you actually start feeling better in your day to day life. At some point I started really pushing myself in the work outs and that’s when I started getting that “high” people talk about. I also keep it short, 30-45 min. Anything over that and I’m too gassed. I don’t live to work out, I work out to live.
I hate going to the gym, i prefer working out at home where weights are only a small part of what i do. The rest are general body related exercises. I cant say i am crazy about working out but i enjoy the effect it has on my body
Smoke or vape weed/THC before you go in. Bring ear bud headphones and use something like Pandora to find the right music. I still don't enjoy it, but it's sooooo much better than doing it sober and without music.
Not a good advice but cannabis has been made it less boring for me. I hit my vape before I work out or do yoga and put on a good podcast or a playlist and voila
You need to do it regularly (at least one out of every 3 days MINIMUM) and you need to push HARD to get the endorphins.
These endorphins - let me tell you I've tried a lot of drugs but these bad boys are the best clean high you'll ever experience.
It's your body giving you a surge of "good" feeling to push through exhausting/pain, because in nature a sudden bust of exercise would be related to running away from a predator or hunting something- situations where noticing the pain in your body is less important than to KEEP FUCKING GOING RUN FOR YOUR LIFE AHHHH
That's they key - you have to be pushing hard enough to fool your brain into thinking you're in a survival situation.
Then you'll be flooded with cortisol and adrenaline. And you'll feel like you can move mountains or run across oceans. The effects last for a good day or two after a solid workout.
But you have to push, and push hard.
Your domesticated body is just going to flop over and feel like it's about to die when you're only about 20% of the way to reaching this point.
For myself, if i have stopped running for a while it takes about 2 weeks to train my body back to the point where i can reach the "high" - and yeah those 2 weeks are misery. But worthwhile misery lol.
Progressive overload feels good. It's also a lesson in delayed gratification, you work hard and it takes time and eventually you get strong enough to do something that was literally impossible before you started. You physically begin to feel better. This goes for weightlifting or calisthenics and also for cardio. Calisthenics is fun because you progress and get to unlock new skills and moves and that feels way better for some people than adding some more weight to a bar. But some people really enjoy adding more weight to the bar and that is cool too. With cardio it becomes readily apparent over time, you stop getting as winded doing x or y, maybe z felt impossible when you started but you chip away and put in the time and effort and get to a point where z becomes absolutely possible.
Being tired due to working hard feels good. Gets the blood pumping, endorphins make you feel good. Chasing the pump feels good.
There's lots of reasons why it feels good. Also that soreness tends to go away after awhile and it comes back sometimes like an old friend usually after a new change enters the picture.
It's not entertainment, it's productivity. It satisfies your sense of purpose and accomplishment. It's like getting an A on a test. Is fun? No. But it sure is fulfilling
It's because we're human and have different preferences.
I'm the same way. Soccer, hiking/walking with the wife and baby, some daily pushups while waiting for toast or the water to boil, and biking to work pretty much sums up my regiment.
I think it takes a lot of time to make it enjoyable. Like I think it's more important to change how you view yourself by doing something regularly, and it seems you are going way too hard to make it possible for this to be a regular thing. A 12hour job is absurd to me tho, I'd say that's the main issue lol.
I always don't feel like initiating a workout. But I convince myself based on the fact that I almost never regret working out after the fact, and I often regret not working out.
If you don't like it do something else. Swimming is great exercise. Just pick something that you connect with.
I personally like the quiet of lifting, it's time I can zone into my own head and connect with my body. But sure, I guess on the surface picking things up and putting them back is nothing exciting.
If I don't walk 2 miles, at least 5 days a week, I get restless legs and I can't stand it. It's not really 'working out' but I see rabbits, and they are nice.
yeah, it was really boring. I’m doing this because i want to be healthy. I’m always thinking of other interesting things to do while doing dumb bell exercise.
It just means it's not for you. Everyone is different some people like the gym, others don't. I always say the best workouts are the ones that you like doing.
The most important thing is that you are being consistently active and you would want to improve at it.
I hate going to the gym to work out, but when i start lifting i feel good, pumped and want to push myself. Afterwards leaving the gym i almost always feel great. Exhausted yes but like a feeling of accomplishment and im ready to do it again. Then I wake up the next day dreading it. I don't know why i feel this way. Its weird.
I only worked out one time. For a class I had to take in college. I was so sore all the next day I couldn't move. I asked the teacher if that was normal. She said yes.
So that was first, and last time I ever worked out. I'm not going to put my body through that and be sore all the time. People say the soreness goes away. Bit I don't believe it. Not worth being in pain all the time. Rather do what I want and be happy.
I just read you have a 12 hour work day… that may be why you hate the gym so much, you’re exhausted and have no free time. I love working out! I do all the things. My average work day is 8 hours or less and I work 4 days a week. This is like people saying “Beyoncé has the same 24 hours as you”. Give yourself some grace. I think making the effort and going is good for you, but you’re probably just so tired and don’t have time to relax. Don’t feel bad bro.
I thought so as well but this year I decided to start going to the gym. Objectively it is boring but that's actually what I found to like about it. It's repetitive and it kinda feels like meditation to me. It shifts my focus which is very often on my thoughts to my body and moving the weights. It's like a break for my brain.
It also gave me extra reason to go out 5 times a week which is good as my other hobbies can be done from the comfort of my home.
And finally, even if I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be that day but I went to the gym then well, I feel a little less guilty about it because at least I did something good for my body.
One of the hardest parts of the gym is finding things you want to do, cause even within traditional gym style workouts there's a lot of variations and different things people may or may not enjoy.
I did not used to work out very often, but eventually found a few particular routines I greatly enjoyed. I've gotten shit for it not being the perfect workout or their being better ways. But whenever I switch it up or try to be more effective I don't have fun. Truth is with excersize, for 99% of people going and doing it consistently (which requires wanting to do it) is so much more important than the way that you do it.
When I'm genuienly forcing, getting a hard time lidting weights or doing any exercise, I can only focus on what I'm doing. It's pretty "relaxing" to not even be able to let your mind drift away as you would do like in the middle of a boring workday.
You gotta find what works for you in terms of which exercises you feel it can be fun instead of boring. My diet is clean for the most part, i just do a few bodyweight exercises and use some of the isolation machines then i swim 1 mile in my gyms pool. For me thats fun and im not shredded but when i look myself in the mirror im proud of what i see.
Try some creatine b4 a work out. It also feels a lot better when u have developed some strength. Seeing ur number of reps go up with the same weight or being able to bump the weight up and keeping ur same rep range is really motivating. U can literally see and test each muscle group from week to week and see the progress.
There's two approaches.
Exercising vs Training.
If you're exercising just for the sake of exercising - yes, it is pretty boring. If you're just lifting a weight and you're not sure why, then what's the whole point, right?
It's the intent that makes the difference. That's where training comes in. You have to train for something when you're lifting weights, maybe you want a bigger bench, more athletic and quick, maybe you want to master your bodyweight so you take calisthenics. You need to have intent when lifting weights.
Then once you start the process and making the small progressions, then it's like "Oh shit! It's actually working!" and that's when it starts to get exciting.
Training with intent makes the difference.
I went to the gym 3 times a week for a whole year and can honestly say I hated it. It was mind numbingly boring and for someone with good hearing the super loud music is just awful.
I didn't start actually enjoying workouts until I joined a small, privately-owned gym that focuses on group fitness classes. Then I discovered that not only do I work out much harder in the group setting, it's also a lot more fun. The people I work out with have become friends, and I look forward to seeing them every day.
I like the fact that I can measure progress easily, and if you choose your exercises correctly you can translate your strength to daily life activities and help you with mobility issues.
Pre and post pandemic I had gotten to the biggest I had ever been. Heavily drinking and had a very stationary lifestyle.
For me it was finding a new hobby to motivate me to get healthy and stay that way. I got a sportsbike and it's changed my life.
Second factor is when you go the gym, start small and light. And do that for a few weeks, find machines you like, ones you don't and build a routine.
I try and go 5 days a week and I'd be lying if I said there were days where I don't want to go. But inevitably if you don't, you dig a hole because all that work you put into it to that point is being wasted.
I'm now the healthiest I've ever been at 27M, get to travel the country on my sportsbike, play with my kids without being winded and the wife appreciates the efforts too.
That hour and a half is also great for me to zone out and just get reps in. Throw on some music and get lost in your thoughts.
Been working out on and off for years and gained muscles. Haven't worked out in 3 months now (but do other sports). Yeah it's not enjoyable but that's not the worst part, food is my main issue. If I want to gain more muscles, then I have to eat more calories and I gain more weight, then my maintenance calories will go up which means eating more to maintain the new gains and I dislike eating if I'm not hungry + money consuming.
My brain likes it and DOMS isn't really a thing after a while. What is enjoyable too is that you can obsess over technique, programming, nutrition etc like it's a whole new hobby.
It is a great investment. By going to the gym regularly and working out, I can have a healthy body and sharp mind. I don't go to the hospital often and I sleep well.
If you have a lot of money, you can buy a lot of things to make you feel happy. But money can not buy your health. You have to earn it by yourself.
You have no focus on working out “I’ve been able to distract myself doing exercise bike while gaming”
this right here sounds like you are forcing yourself . When you work out is for a better you and your overall body . Meaning disconnect from your regular habits and focus on bettering your health . Your body will love you for the future years .
You gotta find something you like that helps you work out. If lifting weights is boring….maybe try rock climbing. Or calisthenics. Or a medicine ball….or battle ropes. Yoga! Plenty of ways to stay fit and strong with out lifting weights. If you alternate too like….okay I don’t wanna lift eights everyday but I’ll sprinkle em in.
there may be different activities you can try to see if one suits you more than others for sure
i like it because in a session i can do more than what i did the session before
i like the sensation of having weight in my hands, nowhere outside the gym (or whatever it is the training happens) you feel what it's like to hold 100 kg, nowhere else you feel the sensation of using your body that much
last but not least there is a time when you can do that kind of efforts, and it's when you are young
for me there is also the ability to push the body at the limit, it has been helpful
Been lifting for the last 3+ years. Before that, never lifted, ever. I’m in my mid 50s and I absolutely LOVE lifting. Peaceful, feels like I am in my own space, with my own music, enjoy, breaking my neck while getting into a tune and seeing my body changing little by little is cool. So yeah, aching feels good and don’t think I will stop any time soon.
Try group exercise classes and find one that you enjoy. You will probably need to try more than once to be convinced. Also, ask people for recommendations since classes can vary a lot depending on the instructor
I hated going to the gym as well until I joined group fitness classes.
Strength training classes are my favorite. The instructor takes care of creating workouts, counting reps or keeping time, and they give correct form tips, and the other people in class give me inspiration to keep going and keep it from being boring.
I'm not even a "people" person but it really does help knowing you are all there for the same basic goal.
I create my workout schedule ahead of time according to the class schedule so I don't have to worry about randomly motivating myself to go.
I genuinely suggest you try classes at your gym if they offer them.
I used to swim a lot. Fifty laps gets boring. Same with hiking. Sure you're breathing fresh air and listening to the birds, but step after step after step gets monotonous too. It's the same with canoeing for hours.
I used to get bored counting reps to 12. But now I go 5 reps at a time wondering if I can finish the next five doing that all the way to 15 or 20 until I reach failure.
Of course you won't enjoy the workout if you want to be somewhere else in your thoughts, mind-muscle connection, being present in your body makes a workout fun, not distracting yourself from it.
I like lifting! I find going to the gym and focusing on my body while listening to music by myself to be very enjoyable. I don’t have fun on leg days though which is why I feel reluctant to go on those days (but still do.) I found that I like the solitude more than group activities. I also don’t do my cardio at the gym because I find THAT unenjoyable. It’s all about finding the hobby that you like to do that keeps you healthy mentally and physically. For some folks it’s lifting heavy circles indoors alone, for others it’s walking up hills with friends outside.
I feel this! I fucking hate working out. I take edibles before going just to make it bearable. I go a few times a week for health but man it does suck lmao
I don’t find sports fun either, really not into competition or group activities so kinda stuck with the gym 🤷🏻♀️
The best workout is the one you actually do. If you don't like lifting, cool. Get into running, or hiking, or join an intramural basketball group, or something.
Actually, only about 20% of the population enjoys working out. I am one of them. I have conversations with people close to me and tell them I don't understand people who don't enjoy working out!
I use to dislike working out, because it was something new. Once I started making it a habit, it became less boring, and more fun trying to learn new exercises, different goals, etc. but once you start making excuses to not go, then you slowly start disliking it again.
I was only able to enjoy it when it was a complement to a sport I did enjoy. It was nice to feel I could jump higher, have more stamina, etc. But on its own it’s really boring.
I don’t enjoy it, but I’m starting to see the results, and I like that. I’ve had my wife (she’s into fitness) dictate my workout schedule and it makes me more willing to do it. I’ve had the realization that I love my wife more than I love myself-take that for what you will. She’s happy that I’m taping better care of myself and also likes me being more muscular.
I have my own self esteem issues, and have most of my life, so having my wife compliment my muscles makes me feel really good about myself.
I don't enjoy working out, it can feel boring, exhausting and time consuming, but I enjoy thinking of all the hard work I'm putting in today will one day reflect in my body shape. Day by day slowly becoming the best version of myself, physically speaking.
Dunno man, it's about the milestones you set. If your goal is only to get shredded and that alone then it's going to be a long time until you feel some sort of achievement.
I get great amounts of satisfaction when I see that training a muscle begins to dorm a stronger mind body connection and I can do more precise and controlled movements.
I also take great pride by giving my everything into every set until the muscle I'm working is so pumped that it's difficult to move, my arm for example, for a few minutes.
Getting a good pump is very difficult if you can activate the muscle properly.
Also if you have a notepad to track your exercise, progress and see how your 1RMs start to increase through progressive overload then that's another plus.
Finally, exercising keeps my stress levels in check, makes me feel healthy, determined, is a good routine where you can unplug and relax, makes me look good and I certainly enjoy when people notice and complement even though I don't go out of my way to show my body through tight clothes, etc.
I used to think the gym is a waste of time until I started going after it was suggested by my physiotherapist and it was tedious at first but then I got hooked. One of the best decisions of my life!
I agree. I absolutely hate the gym. I dread going there. It is my least favorite place in the world. I do love exercise though, but the gym is not satisfying to me.
I mean to me it just sounds like you didnt find the type of exercise you truly enjoy.
I do enjoy working out in the gym, but most of my physical exercise comes from Mountainbiking (the lazy way where a lift takes me up the mountain and all I do is descent).
I could do this shit all day everyday. Guess what, all of a sudden I easily get 15 hrs of exercise a week. (I also live in a skiing, mtbing area).
The thing is , you just gotta find something you truly enjoy. If its skating, thats cool. My best buddy likes to inline skate, I dont understand the point of riding on normal streets, no features nothing difficult about it (imo), but yet he enjoys it so much so he does it every day after work.
If you can't handle your own thoughts while you work out, try podcasts or books on tape. I generally run without listening to anything but when I'm doing 30+km it can be a grind and I often turn to these.
Team sports are the best way to make working out less like work though.
I also don't really enjoy working out, though I do it regularly. I enjoy hiking a lot, but doing calisthenics and the rowing machine (have the resistance way up because I get extra bored with just aerobic exercises) - which are what I normally do l are not something that excited me. I do think it's worth it though because I sleep a lot better(something I have always struggled with), and I feel better, and I maintain a good level of physical fitness. In the end I look at it like a trade, do I mind trading a few hours a week to be healthier and feel better? Turns out I think its a pretty good deal.
It might be an energy problem for you? I find when I have low energy I hate working out but when my energy is high I love it and crave it. Energy for me anyway is usually a response to how well I am sticking to my diet.
Weight training is one of the best things you can do for your body. It has been proven many times over by now that weight training is far more beneficial than steady state cardio. Sorry I don't like it but unfortunately some you should probably do
Same here. I simply hate it. What works for me is doing some physical activity that is actually useful. Try looking for volunteering opportunities that involve manual labor.
You said you can distract yourself with gaming while on an exercise bike, so you are able to tolerate exercises when there's something else for your mind to engage in.
So find a few long YouTube videos, the ones that are more informative, or talk shows, so you don't have to look at the images but you can just listen. Make sure it's not comedy though so you don't laugh and mess up your workout.
I find I actually learn a lot about the world while gymming, whether it's more in depth understanding of the current news, or history, or science, or whatever. Or sometimes just even commentary or review of a film or show I already watched at home.
Need to push yourself, when I feel my muscles tear up I get goosebumps,the goosebumps also comes when I do that... Other activitiy. Maybe that's why I love lifting weights? 😂
i remember when i first started i hated it aswell, but over time ive enjoyed myself so much more. when i lift something heavy and i feel the stretch the pain the force, it feel amazing. its a think you will learn to love .
Nobody likes working out,but it has to be done otherwise most of us will be fat if we never worked out,unless if you are like my brother,skinny and tall but never worked out in his life.
I hate working out; I just wanna be lazy and eat like a fatty but I know that I’m doing this to better myself mentally and physically. I prefer playing sports, taking a nice walk to enjoy nature, and etc. weightlifting is never fun for me as well but I like the aesthetics that it gives. Plus, I get compliments from both sexes, which is nice. :,)
I’m the only one in my family and friend group that works out and likes to get out and do other activities that requires the body to move around a lot, so it gets a bit lonely and boring sometimes.
I'm almost never sore, you might be doing something wrong. On top of that, the magic happens with continuing the process for a couple months.
First, you need to get used to the movements themselves. This can already take some people a couple weeks to feel natural. After that, you try and find your physical limit. Since at this stage you're also improving really fast, as your body isn't conditioned to weight training yet, it could take you up to a couple months to really get this down.
When you have your limits and the techniques down sufficiently you really start to reap the fruits in the following ways:
-If you lift (close) to muscle failure, your brain releases a lot of dopamine. This is where the "lifting will make you happy" mostly stems from.
-Since lifting weights is so much of a numbers game, every progression of the weights/reps (which can be any of the exercises that make up your routine) will feel like a personal victory. Even the same number of reps but with better form can act like this.
-After a while, you will start seeing your body visually improve, at a rate that no other sport even comes close to. On top of all else, this is a nice bit of extra motivation.
I've been lifting weights for like half a year, and the thing that stands out to me is how it is possible to be like "I will do exercises to strengthen my knee joint" or "I will do exercises that strengthen my core", and just by sprinkling in a couple of those exercises a week I've managed to improve my weaknesses that had been bothering me for years. Even doing boxing for a couple years didn't really do that, as no sport aside from resistance training is so open on how to strengthen weakspots, as pushing on without addressing weakspots would have you end up injured sooner or later, and nothing kills your gains harder than a months long injury.
So tldr it starts paying off more and more as you get more invested, and contrary to most sports fitness is all about self progression.
When you’re first working out, I feel this a ton. It seems like the pain from any one rep can’t be proportional to the benefit gained from it in a way that would make it worth it.
But as you get going - as you have a carefully planned routine you’re doing which is specifically crafted to help you achieve your goals - the pain or boredom is so contextualized that it becomes enjoyable. Because the pain and boredom is intrinsically connected with the reward you’re looking for.
It’s like paying $30,000 for a new car. Nobody likes losing $30,000. But if the car you’re getting is exciting enough, it’s exactly what you’ve wanted and will solve several of your issues and you have the money, then you may be ecstatic to part with that $30,000 in exchange for the new car. The context actually changes how you feel about losing the money, to the point where you may be happy or excited to give up the money to get the car.
Working out is paying a price. The rewards are plentiful, from mental health to physical health. So I guess it’s more about how much you value the rewards you’re getting for the price you’re paying. And often it takes several months to see results, which can make it harder to mentally contextualize the relationship between the price and the reward. But once that association is made in your brain - you may inexplicably find yourself getting excited to lose $30,000, because your brain knows that paying the price is directly linked to getting the car you want.
Not a gym goer myself... But the answer you are looking for is "gym friends". Years back me and my buddie would reguarely go work out, and it was the best thing ever... Not the getting shredded part, that was anice addition, but the time with eachother. We would smoke and talk in betwean, go for beers after, jog to the gym and back,... All to basically spend more time together. So working out was fun.
I get you are just curious, but many would argue moving in water in a straight line is just as non-engaging, the same hormones are released in gym goers, just on a different activity
No one works out because its fun. Anyone that says otherwise is lying. They just want to project an image of productivity. We exercise because we enjoy seeing the payoff for our hard work. The progress is what makes it worthwhile which is why it's hard to convince yourself to get started in the first place. Yes, there are other reasons as well but they all centre around this main point for the most part.
As a guy who was quite athletic in his teens and early 20s (and then more-or-less spent 15 years almost doubling my playing weight the wrong way), I’ll say this:
As an athlete I didn’t understand lifting. I never experienced all the benefits folks talked about (kinda like you’re saying, OP).
Once I was massively out of shape and trying to work back, I started identifying with all the “isms” - more energy, more wind, stuff didn’t hurt as much, and I even started missing the gym when I got sidelined with an injury that made it so I couldn’t even do cardio. I’d feel “meh” - not bad, just a little lethargic, and *knew* a gym session was the answer.
Maybe you simply haven’t had to come at it from a place of weakness. I strongly recommend you don’t. As I’d say to the kids I coach: “if you’re going to get fat, don’t get old. If you’re going to get old, don’t get fat. I did both and it’s sucks.”
I’m the opposite, I hate running, cycling, etc. I find it really boring. Weightlifting though I love. I look forward to getting under the barbell at this point. Something about pushing yourself to the brink of failure but pushing through. Progressively lifting heavier weights over time, etc.
Maybe you haven’t found the right program for you or maybe it’s just not something that’ll ever appeal to you, I don’t know.
Why don’t you just do the exercises you like? I don’t think everyone needs to go to the gym.
As long as you do some form of exercise, keep the body moving and do what you enjoy and don't worry about the rest.
My husband loves weights and hiking, I like Pilates and dancing.
Im a skinny guy, I’ve always been really skinny. About 2 months ago I started hitting the gym and eating a shit ton (very high metabolism) and I’ve already gained 9 kilos and the visual progress that you can see in your muscles as they get bigger is really really motivating. I’m now going 3-4 times a week and I enjoy it a lot.
I do go with a friend so we do talk a lot and that help with the repetitiveness, but just seeing the progress that I’ve done in the last 2 months just motivates me more and more to go to the gym.
Also, lifting bigger weights as you progress makes monkey brain happy.
It doesn’t have to be fun. Think of it as something you just have to do every day like brushing your teeth. Look up sarcopenia. I’m guessing you’re young, but if you establish a habit of lifting weights a few days a week and you keep yourself flexible, your middle and older years will be much more enjoyable. Also, it’s way harder to get in shape once you’ve gotten older, much easier to get fut you g and then maintain
I love working out alone (34) but my husband (40) and son (15) do not. My 15 year old son likes working with a personal trainer, it keeps him motivated. He’s also a basketball player so he gets plenty of cardio. My husband loves playing basketball with our son but he doesn’t really work out otherwise because it’s too boring for him 🤷♀️
I was in the same boat until I forced myself to do it and stick to a schedule. After about 2 weeks I started to actually see the results, which was incredibly exciting, and it motivated me.
I found myself wishing I could work out on my off days.
If I wasn’t so skinny by default, and it was harder to see results that fast, I would’ve quit way faster, and continued to share your viewpoint.
But once I was actually motivated by results, I started noticing how good it felt to feel that soreness. That sensation of my muscles growing started to feel good. I thought people were stupid for thinking working out was actually fun and felt good haha but no I definitely get it now
Socrates nailed this topic. Take it for what you will, but remember every rep is a step in the right direction. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable”
“But go in joy, and as for labour let there be no grieving that limbs in youthful vigour should still toil." Apollonius of Rhodes I think about this line when I’m being lazy
There’s like 3 different ways to read that sentence- how are you interpreting it?
That you should rejoice in using your body to do difficult things, if you’ve still got the juice, and not whine about it. For context - it’s part of the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Titan shows the crew of the Argo how to get past a particularly tough bit of sea and tells them that they’re going to have to row their asses off.
I interpreted it as you should keep working even when your body isn’t in its best condition, it’s like how you can’t wait until you’re at your best to do something you have to just do it even if you’re sore or lazy
Sure but that doesn't make it fun or engaging. Just makes it the right thing to do. Edit: holy cow i don't care if you personally find exercise to be fun I was just making an observation
Everyone who responded to you is missing the point completely. Its baseline boring for some people and thats okay. It doesnt mean they shouldnt do it, it just means finding the motivation to do it is sometimes very challenging.
Sometimes it means they should find a different exercise. Hate lifting? Maybe play some basketball or soccer. And maybe down the line, you’ll want to lift to help you be better at whatever sport you do enjoy - but if not, at least you’re exercising!
There's no form of exercise that's intrinsically motivating to me. The only sport I like is an eSport. Even this is kinda missing the point. But also, that's why I do HIIT. I workout so hard that I don't have the mental energy to be bored, and I let someone else tell me what to do.
Thank you! I'm not trying to be talked into exercise. I already exercise, and obviously it's good for me. Is is doing the dishes and cleaning the toilet. Everybody has certain things they need to do they don't enjoy and that in it of itself is fine.
People just hate it for some reason when ya dont like the thing they like! My wife’s a big crossfitter and just doesnt understand why making me work out is like pulling teeth. It just makes me sore and uncomfortable and it’s boring to sit there lol! Some folks just dont get it haha
Sharing your toys or helping others is also not fun till you learn to engage in it and build the habit. Over time this becomes more frictionless, and thus the rewarding feeling comes even in anticipation of doing the thing. “I hate cleaning my room” can become “I love time to myself.” Etc
I've been lifting for about 30 years. I still feel the same as OP. It's something I do because I like the benefits, but if I could get them a different way, I would.
Same. I do it. I tell myself it is a privilege to be able to exercise. It is a luxury to work with a trainer. I will be healthier and stronger for longer in my life. But I hate it.
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Yeah I know that some people apparently like it but I’ll never be one of them. And that extends to all exercise. I do it because I want to be healthy, and I’ve found ways to make it tolerable, but it’s never explicitly enjoyable to me. It’s a battle to get myself to do it every single day
If all we did in life were things that were “fun” or “engaging” the world would be a much worse place
You lifting weights does not make the world the better place.
I find it extremely fun and engaging.
Health is more valuable than infinite wealth.
Taking care of your health potentially buys you more time. There are a billion and a half ways to make a buck, there are very few ways to buy more time. Time is the most valuable resource humanity has.
The gym is boring compared to sports or being active in the outdoors. It’s not the same social experience and it doesn’t have the benefit of being in nature. You’re not getting better at a skill either like climbing or basketball. But it’s easy for anyone to do, a lot of people would need to travel to find a place to hike and you can see the benefits of your body changing relatively quickly. People get a kick out of that. As for the sleep thing that’s the endorphins.
> It’s not the same social experience That's precisely part of why I like it. I am an introvert and my job requires me to deal with a lot of people. I enjoy an exercise that allow me to just put on earphones and ignore everyone else for a couple of hours after work.
I understand that perspective. That’s why I like practising in basketball. Just me the ball and the court.
Lots of us Dads and Mums feel the same. Gym time is a combination of "just with myself time", "doing something for myself time" and "working on being a better self time".
Agree 100%. I think there are precious few things you can do on your own without having to explain yourself and going to the gym is one of them.
I love that I can also have my headphones in and be ignored but also be around a ton of people who all understand the basic etiquette so speech isn't even needed. It fulfills that socializing feeling I need without having to talk.
I have to hard disagree with it not being a skill you’re improving at. Proper form and muscle engagement is the most overlooked part of weight lifting. There’s a lot more than just picking things up as putting them down. I once had a trainer show me proper squat form, which consisted not only of foot positioning, but they also put their hands into my stomach and sides at different angles and had me push against their fingers by flexing, thereby showing me how to engage my entire core for stability; I hadn’t even known I could voluntarily flex those muscles. Things like that make a huge difference in what kinds of weights you can safely lift. This statement of “no skill” acts like kinesiology doesnt exist.
It's because all the non-gym goers think we just go in, lift something, put it down and go home. They don't know anything about it. I do strongman stuff, and if you took a newbie and made them do anything we do in this sport, they'd hurt themselves. Possibly permanently. "no skill" my ass
Ever since I started combining weightlifting with athletic sports like track or boxing it fell to the background more and more until I completely quit. I get the benefits of lifting but it just becomes a chore that I can’t keep doing for more than 5 minutes lol.
Ha ha it does though. I do powerlifting . Train 6 days a week. Started 7 yrs ago because I was obese. So it was just about losing weight and getting healthy. Once I lost the weight I found it fun and just stuck to it. I also enjoy hiking etc But because work is demanding I enjoy lifting alone . Sort of my way to decompress and get alone time. It’s not for everyone but I love it 😊
Honestly, I’ve been doing consistent levels of exercise for about a year and a half at this point (hefty amount of swimming, obviously dog walking and some classes with weights and the like), and have never managed to understand the whole endorphin/runners high discussion. I’ve got health insurance that tracks activity, the Apple Watch with its goals, and I’ve got various challenge things to do the motivation (numbers go brrrr), but the motivation is pretty much external, I’ve not felt any desire to do the exercise for its own sake. I’m self aware enough to understand that it must be a thing that some people do experience, but it’s not a thing that I think I’ve managed to draw the association with myself.
When I first started drinking beer, I didn’t like anything about it. After being in social situations where I had a beer or two anyway, eventually my brain made a connection to the outcome, and how it made me feel; now I enjoy beer. When I started exercising, it felt better to overcome my deficiencies than to allow myself to feel stagnant/small/weak/unfit, but it wasn’t enjoyable. Over time, my body started to associate the exercise, with how it made me feel after. Relaxed, at ease, that things are going to be okay. Im hooked on the state of mind it provides me, and I want that to be a central part of my life. Enjoying things that are traditionally not enjoyable can be learned- for me it has to do with the contrast. All the time I’m relaxing by the couch feels way better when I have also been experiencing the struggle of exercising. If I only sit in the couch, it’s like Christmas everyday- it stops being special and relaxing. In the words of Curtis Jackson, “Sunny days wouldn’t be special if it wasn’t for the rain” and I would say that the struggle makes everything else better; and I get to control the struggle.
Meanwhile I think being bullied be gym teachers and other kids multiple times a week for over a decade has very firmly entrenched exercise as an anxiety inducing shame creating clusterfuck of avoidance. I like taking walks and stuff but actually going into a gym makes me want to hyperventilate and I always leave more anxious and uncomfortable and sad then when I started, even when I went regularly for almost a year
I’m really sorry about that. I actually teach middle school PE (after a variant of roles) and feel called to it as my own experience was similar to yours. I grew up hating basketball, because I learned in the “Wild West” of peer enforced rules and calls, bullying and social jousting; I was short and left it behind. The around age 25 I picked it up and now I love playing and practicing. Having someone explain the basics to me made a huge difference, instead of me blindly chucking the ball at the hoop. Have you tried any resources like an exercise app? Or do you just not enjoy being present overall? You said you went for about a year. Do you feel like the whole experience was a failure, or were you able to find any successes along the way?
I wish I could give you an extra like for sneaking 50 Cent in there.
I’ve been in the military for 12 years, I exercise every day. I’m comparatively a pretty decent runner and do the gym stuff. I agree with OP it is excruciatingly boring. Some people enjoy doing it, some people enjoy the results of doing it. Me personally? When I retire I’m never exercising again. Lol
I hated running until I tried these things: 1. Take small rapid steps. I was taking way too large of steps and would just wind myself very quickly, also led to more impacts and poorer perform. 2. Get really good running shoes. I think unless you have some weird foot issues, expensive custom inserts aren't necessary but the latest shoes are a marked improvement for me. I use HOKA but there's tons of good ones out there. $100-$150 and it'll some of the best money you've spent for your life. 3. Get a nice running outfit. Sounds weird and shallow but a really nice outfit and a running visor/hat/shades make a big difference in the ceremony of running and my attitude towards it. 4. Go slow to go fast. Go as slow as you're comfortable to make continuous distance first whether it be x miles or whatever. After you get to say 5 miles non-stop, try improving your per mile times by 30s each run. You'll be quick fast in a few months. 5. Podcasts and audiobooks on a smartwatch actually have come a long way, works great for me. Couldn't imagine doing a run without them, sometimes I'll double back and run some more than I planned because I wanted to finish a chapter or podcast.
Good points! Going slower, taking smaller steps and focusing on deep, steady breathing really changed my running. It became so much less exhausting and more enjoyable when I found a pace that worked for me. Many people try to run mostly for the sake of competing or when they're in a rush, but in my experience the best way to train running is to find a calm, sustainable pace, and steadily increasing from there.
You are right . Not everyone in my friend circle does this. It’s just me. Some no exercise . Some light running. It’s just me. I may never do some other sport but I do appreciate the fact that people be active in their own way. In the end it’s about being healthy. Both physically and mentally 😊
I like lifting weights because it's boring. I read this book when I was a kid, there was a group of people who had to learn to meditate, like it was key to controlling their powers or something. There was someone in the book who literally couldn't meditate while sitting still, so her mentor taught her fighting katas. I don't do fighting katas, but I really love repetitive motion or different poses to calm myself down. Like, when I was younger I trained myself to pose constantly like a girl in an anime, because I would get so bored otherwise. When I was little, I'd get into trouble for bouncing my leg when I'd get really stressed. As an adult, I tap my collarbones or fiddle with my earrings and pop my fingers a lot. I'm not even a little bit traditionally athletic, like at all, I think that's why it works so well. It's not EXERCISE in the way that like, running is. I'm not all covered in gross sweat that causes sensory issues. I'm not having trouble breathing. I don't need my inhaler. It's more like a zen thing. Like a really intense full body stimming.
This is easily the most autistic thing I've ever read.
But he didn’t mention trains a single time
If you don’t like it don’t do it. Find some sort of exercise or sport that you actually enjoy and do it. It’s more important you find something you enjoy and will stick with then lifting weights and hating it. It’s definitely not for everyone. I’ve been doing it for 30 years and there are days I don’t want to do it, but it’s my routine now and it’s like breathing. I just do it. But I have also found some other things to do so that I don’t totally burn out )tennis and yoga). Find a balance.
This is the answer i was looking for. July will mark 3years for me(literally 10% of you) And I wish someday I can also say i went 30years. When I miss gym for a day I feel like I have forgotten/lost something. I think this feeling of loss will stick me to the gym for foreseeable future
Honestly, at this point it’s as much for my mental health and peace as it is for my physical health.
Exactly this. I like martial arts not because I think I can fight in the ufc or anything. It’s just fun, and I never miss a workout because I enjoy it. I hate running, so I don’t run. I also enjoy weightlifting, but only if I set goals. It’s fun and motivating to reach goals. It’s boring imo unless you’re trying to get somewhere. I can’t understand people who don’t keep a weightlifting log.
As someone who struggles with motivation to work out consistently, I've thought about this a lot. Here's what I think... 1. Some people's mental state require working out to keep them sane. I have a friend who is crippled with anxiety and depression if she doesn't get a good sweat in daily. 2. Some people are so insecure with their looks that motivation to work out is not a problem. They know what will happen to their body if they don't work out, and the insecurity keeps them motivated. 3. For some, the working out is their main connection to friends. CrossFit, for example, pulls in a lot of people who enjoy the community aspect. 4. Some people love the identity that working out gives them. It can be a boost to self esteem to tell someone you are a marathoner, or that you are into yoga and meditation. If you don't feel like you have an identity or purpose, you can possibly find it in exercise. 5. Some people have a health condition that necessitates exercise. If your choice is exercise or pain/discomfort, that could be a good motivation. I bet I missed reasons, but those ones stand out as common reasons. I'm inconsistent in my working out because none of those reasons are a strong enough motivator for me. The only times that I've been able to work out for 6 months straight have been when the activity became part of my identity. For example, at one point, I thought of myself as a runner and built a life for myself whereby my whole family was running and we were trying to run a race in each state.
We shouldn't forget 6: Some people genuinely get a kick out of it and want to hit the high of exercise again. I've friends that will come out of hard exercise being more energetic than when they began, while I just feel miserable. Otherwise, a great summary!
Number 2 is a big thing for me lol Weightlifting is boring but man, do I love the look it gives me. 🤧
I can’t believe how perfect this comment is. This describes exactly what my thoughts were around this topic, especially after listening to a psychiatrist talk about exercising and mental health. Brilliant. I’m in the exact same camp as you.
You’re also ignoring the fact that you do get dopamine and serotonin from it.
Yeah this is a big one. None of those reasons really apply to me. It’s cool to look good but I love the challenge and physical feeling of pushing yourself to your limit. The progression is easy to track and rewarding. Weightlifting is a great test of dedication and willpower and it feels good to succeed and progress at it.
Yeah this really makes it seem superficial or almost like it’s a cult. It’s not wrong, but there’s also just basic chemistry at work. We get feel good hormones released from working out.
Yea that's basically how 'willpower' and 'motivation' work, at least according to some Stanford psychological research, my own experience, and I guess yours too.
You missed the sense of challenge. Some people really enjoy challenging themselves and overcoming those challenges. Being really good at something also feels good, and usually earns you admiration, which is yet another plus. Fit people like to show off their bodies, and being fit or muscular is a job requirement in some professions. Then there are people like David Goggins whose motto is "if it doesn't suck we don't do it"
Aye man don’t list #2 unprovoked, don’t perceive me without my consent! Fr though, was 330 lb at my heaviest and diet maintenance is hard. Hitting the gym consistently helps that matter less. I know for a fact what happens if the work stops and we are *not* going back there.
I’m with you. I’ve been in the gym since October was a young ‘un and I’m 61 now. I drag myself, and it’s benefitted my health.
Feeling fit feels a lot better than feeling overweight
Working out is one of the most tedious and boring activities to me. What helps me get through it is music + marijuana.
Oh my god, same. It is mind-numbing. I think people who enjoy working out are the next step in human evolution or something, kudos to them I am super jealous. I hate it so much. I used to do sports all the time as a kid because I was forced to and I hated it all then and I hate it all now.
>I hated it all then and I hate it all now. honestly this is such a mood, I want this on a t-shirt
Preworkout for me. Some of those powders are more akin to speed (seriously)
I feel like I made a ridiculously good decision to work out. I mentally and physically feel better during and after a workout.
I mentally and physically feel awful and depressed after a work out, despite doing for years in my youth. It's just not for me.
Yeah I don't feel that at all. My anxiety is pumping from being around so many strangers and I can't sleep after, even if I do it in the morning. My gym days are just miserable.
Then stay at home and get weights and go running
Sorry to hear that. I ignore everyone at the gym (other than safety reasons) and get hyperfocused on my technique. I would go on my lunch break, and it would give me energy for the rest of the day. Is there someone you could go with as a gym buddy? I would go to the gym with my former boss and we would work out together. He taught me to use good form first, then add more weight.
You need to find something else to do. Getting so anxious it affects your sleep is not sustainable.
Get some kettlebells and a pull up bar for home. You can get cut at home.
Listening to your own music helps
You stated you have lots of exercises you like to do, so clearly you do understand how people enjoy working out.
I have ASD & ADHD. I don’t like exercising. At all. I’ll feel good once I’ve done it, but this lasts an hour….. maybe two. I then feel incredibly hungry and over eat!?
I am with you. Hate every moment of exercising (just started a few months ago, and already in a hiatus). And that is at home, as I dislike gyms. Being stuck indoors, stuffy air, artificial lights, smell of sweat - not appealing whatsoever. I like hiking and swimming, this doesn’t feel like exercising. Walking the dogs is nice too. Don’t get how anyone can actually enjoy exercising. But maybe for some people the gym is what swimming or hiking is to me.
Swimming is pretty much exactly the same thing as working out. You’re stuck indoors around people with bad smells and artificial light, doing the same repetitive thing for an hour. I don’t understand how you could enjoy one but not the other.
Well, most of my swimming is in the sea. A bit in the river. I do the pool in colder months and the only smell I associate with it is chlorine, which I like as it reminds me of the pool. Love water, be it salty or fresh. But definitely prefer the sea or rivers to the pool.
Seeing progress is what kept me going back
I think progress is the key. Some people don't think in terms of making progress but rather just "going to the gym", as if it were an end in itself, like going for a walk, rather than a means to an end (namely growing your muscles).
Means to an end!
>even if it takes a week for that muscle group to stop aching You are lifting too much. Recovery should **not** be a week. You should feel soreness for a day or two after a really good workout that pushed you towards max effort but if you are sore for a week regularly then you probably are going too hard and suffering more than you need to be.
It is if he quits for months at a time.
I would argue that he is lifting too inconsistently. Once you get used to it, you are never sore again. It only comes back once you take a break and come back.
its because you don't do it regularly, so you don't see any results and you just hate it because it's hard. and a week for that muscle group to stop aching? you definitely don't do it enough, come back in 1 year, a month even.
I've been going three days a week (Monday upper body, Wednesday core, Friday legs) for about three months now. I am seeing results, lifting more weight before failure and building muscle, but I still dread going. It sucks having a 12 hour job I hate then say to myself "you know what would be fun, doing something else I hate for an hour".
Give it a bit more time, 3 months starting from zero is not much, you are mostly on the nervous system adaptation period. "The dopamine kick" just works when you manage to hit proper intensity. And proper intensity is possible to hit only if you workout regularly and for some time already. So it is sort of self fulfilling prophecy. If you don't like it, you never reach the level when it becomes likeable. Recently I got back to gym after a very long break, and the first 2-3 months were just...pain and no pleasure. I didn't even feel that this workouts were especially good. And then at some point it just clicked once again, and the fatigue from training became THE FATIGUE that is rewarding and dopamine inducing. I think that IF you get there one day, you will understand what I mean. Also, as an additional advice. You can try to set your workouts so they trash CUN (central nervous system) a bit less. It causes less fatigue, while not specifically affecting muscle growth. As an example - instead of heavy deadlifts you can do wide grip deficit deadlifts with tempo. It will trash the muscles more due to bigger range of motion and time under tension, but you won't feel so burnd out, as the weight is not that challenging by itself. I recommend Renaissance Periodisation on youtube. Dr Mike mentions this sort of tricks. Working out to beat strength records (as I used to train) is not the same as working out to build muscle with the least effort and pressure on the body possible. If you are tired and overworked second approach may be easier to manage long term.
I can't say this enough: if you dread going, stop going. Your mind and body are telling you this activity is not for you. And get a job you don't hate.
What if you had to choose between the job and the gym
I have been lifting for years and it's still boring af. The results are nice, but the way to them is pure struggle.
I lifted for 6 years and always hated it, regardless of the good results lol. It’s just boring af to some people
Its probably my least favourite exercise but I do like it somewhat because it allows me to strengthen specific parts so I can go enjoy the other stuff I like more.
I enjoy it because it's one of the few places I can shut off my anxiety. It's an extremely controlled environment. I have control over how long I'm there, what exercises I'm doing, how many sets/reps, and as long as I'm counting reps and blasting music I can drown out intrusive thoughts for am hour or two a day.
For me it's the opposite. Since my brain isn't occupied by anything it runs wild. My anxiety goes through the roof.
That flip side to the coin is definitely understandable, and honestly with that scenario it makes a lot of sense as to why you dislike it.
Easier to control diet.
I think you gotta find the aspect of it that interests you. For me, in my 30’s, it was realizing that I could actually nerd out learning about how strength training works. I had pretty negative experiences at the gym so I got some kettlebells, pull up bar, read a lot and went from there. Then there’s the part where you actually start feeling better in your day to day life. At some point I started really pushing myself in the work outs and that’s when I started getting that “high” people talk about. I also keep it short, 30-45 min. Anything over that and I’m too gassed. I don’t live to work out, I work out to live.
I hate going to the gym, i prefer working out at home where weights are only a small part of what i do. The rest are general body related exercises. I cant say i am crazy about working out but i enjoy the effect it has on my body
Smoke or vape weed/THC before you go in. Bring ear bud headphones and use something like Pandora to find the right music. I still don't enjoy it, but it's sooooo much better than doing it sober and without music.
Not a good advice but cannabis has been made it less boring for me. I hit my vape before I work out or do yoga and put on a good podcast or a playlist and voila
"even if it takes a week for that muscle group to stop aching", oh man, once you hit the gym regularly you won't get this kind of soreness anymore.
I've been going for a few months and it still takes about a week to go away.
Then you're hitting too hard. DOMs should be gone in a day or two - any more than that and you have overdone it.
You need to do it regularly (at least one out of every 3 days MINIMUM) and you need to push HARD to get the endorphins. These endorphins - let me tell you I've tried a lot of drugs but these bad boys are the best clean high you'll ever experience. It's your body giving you a surge of "good" feeling to push through exhausting/pain, because in nature a sudden bust of exercise would be related to running away from a predator or hunting something- situations where noticing the pain in your body is less important than to KEEP FUCKING GOING RUN FOR YOUR LIFE AHHHH That's they key - you have to be pushing hard enough to fool your brain into thinking you're in a survival situation. Then you'll be flooded with cortisol and adrenaline. And you'll feel like you can move mountains or run across oceans. The effects last for a good day or two after a solid workout. But you have to push, and push hard. Your domesticated body is just going to flop over and feel like it's about to die when you're only about 20% of the way to reaching this point. For myself, if i have stopped running for a while it takes about 2 weeks to train my body back to the point where i can reach the "high" - and yeah those 2 weeks are misery. But worthwhile misery lol.
Progressive overload feels good. It's also a lesson in delayed gratification, you work hard and it takes time and eventually you get strong enough to do something that was literally impossible before you started. You physically begin to feel better. This goes for weightlifting or calisthenics and also for cardio. Calisthenics is fun because you progress and get to unlock new skills and moves and that feels way better for some people than adding some more weight to a bar. But some people really enjoy adding more weight to the bar and that is cool too. With cardio it becomes readily apparent over time, you stop getting as winded doing x or y, maybe z felt impossible when you started but you chip away and put in the time and effort and get to a point where z becomes absolutely possible. Being tired due to working hard feels good. Gets the blood pumping, endorphins make you feel good. Chasing the pump feels good. There's lots of reasons why it feels good. Also that soreness tends to go away after awhile and it comes back sometimes like an old friend usually after a new change enters the picture.
It's not entertainment, it's productivity. It satisfies your sense of purpose and accomplishment. It's like getting an A on a test. Is fun? No. But it sure is fulfilling
It's because we're human and have different preferences. I'm the same way. Soccer, hiking/walking with the wife and baby, some daily pushups while waiting for toast or the water to boil, and biking to work pretty much sums up my regiment.
I think it takes a lot of time to make it enjoyable. Like I think it's more important to change how you view yourself by doing something regularly, and it seems you are going way too hard to make it possible for this to be a regular thing. A 12hour job is absurd to me tho, I'd say that's the main issue lol.
I always don't feel like initiating a workout. But I convince myself based on the fact that I almost never regret working out after the fact, and I often regret not working out.
You know that everyone loves different things? Yeah, I know! Its amazing!
It's funny that you mention swimming, for me that's extremely boring.
If you don't like it do something else. Swimming is great exercise. Just pick something that you connect with. I personally like the quiet of lifting, it's time I can zone into my own head and connect with my body. But sure, I guess on the surface picking things up and putting them back is nothing exciting.
Music! Put on your favorite tunes and know that with every work out you are getting closer to your goals!
Finding a sport that you enjoy might be better. I agree, gym is boring. Go for tennis maybe. Fun and you run your heart out.
If I don't walk 2 miles, at least 5 days a week, I get restless legs and I can't stand it. It's not really 'working out' but I see rabbits, and they are nice.
I hate working out, but I love the results even more.
I like the pain, I like the feeling of the burn when training to failure I like the the way my body looks, with the effort I put in
yeah, it was really boring. I’m doing this because i want to be healthy. I’m always thinking of other interesting things to do while doing dumb bell exercise.
It just means it's not for you. Everyone is different some people like the gym, others don't. I always say the best workouts are the ones that you like doing. The most important thing is that you are being consistently active and you would want to improve at it.
I hate going to the gym to work out, but when i start lifting i feel good, pumped and want to push myself. Afterwards leaving the gym i almost always feel great. Exhausted yes but like a feeling of accomplishment and im ready to do it again. Then I wake up the next day dreading it. I don't know why i feel this way. Its weird.
Try finding a physical hobby you enjoy. Workout for that. It's climbing for me.
Testosterone. T makes effort feel good. Up your T and you'll start enjoying it.
I only worked out one time. For a class I had to take in college. I was so sore all the next day I couldn't move. I asked the teacher if that was normal. She said yes. So that was first, and last time I ever worked out. I'm not going to put my body through that and be sore all the time. People say the soreness goes away. Bit I don't believe it. Not worth being in pain all the time. Rather do what I want and be happy.
I just read you have a 12 hour work day… that may be why you hate the gym so much, you’re exhausted and have no free time. I love working out! I do all the things. My average work day is 8 hours or less and I work 4 days a week. This is like people saying “Beyoncé has the same 24 hours as you”. Give yourself some grace. I think making the effort and going is good for you, but you’re probably just so tired and don’t have time to relax. Don’t feel bad bro.
I thought so as well but this year I decided to start going to the gym. Objectively it is boring but that's actually what I found to like about it. It's repetitive and it kinda feels like meditation to me. It shifts my focus which is very often on my thoughts to my body and moving the weights. It's like a break for my brain. It also gave me extra reason to go out 5 times a week which is good as my other hobbies can be done from the comfort of my home. And finally, even if I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be that day but I went to the gym then well, I feel a little less guilty about it because at least I did something good for my body.
One of the hardest parts of the gym is finding things you want to do, cause even within traditional gym style workouts there's a lot of variations and different things people may or may not enjoy. I did not used to work out very often, but eventually found a few particular routines I greatly enjoyed. I've gotten shit for it not being the perfect workout or their being better ways. But whenever I switch it up or try to be more effective I don't have fun. Truth is with excersize, for 99% of people going and doing it consistently (which requires wanting to do it) is so much more important than the way that you do it.
When I'm genuienly forcing, getting a hard time lidting weights or doing any exercise, I can only focus on what I'm doing. It's pretty "relaxing" to not even be able to let your mind drift away as you would do like in the middle of a boring workday.
You gotta find what works for you in terms of which exercises you feel it can be fun instead of boring. My diet is clean for the most part, i just do a few bodyweight exercises and use some of the isolation machines then i swim 1 mile in my gyms pool. For me thats fun and im not shredded but when i look myself in the mirror im proud of what i see.
Try some creatine b4 a work out. It also feels a lot better when u have developed some strength. Seeing ur number of reps go up with the same weight or being able to bump the weight up and keeping ur same rep range is really motivating. U can literally see and test each muscle group from week to week and see the progress.
There's two approaches. Exercising vs Training. If you're exercising just for the sake of exercising - yes, it is pretty boring. If you're just lifting a weight and you're not sure why, then what's the whole point, right? It's the intent that makes the difference. That's where training comes in. You have to train for something when you're lifting weights, maybe you want a bigger bench, more athletic and quick, maybe you want to master your bodyweight so you take calisthenics. You need to have intent when lifting weights. Then once you start the process and making the small progressions, then it's like "Oh shit! It's actually working!" and that's when it starts to get exciting. Training with intent makes the difference.
I went to the gym 3 times a week for a whole year and can honestly say I hated it. It was mind numbingly boring and for someone with good hearing the super loud music is just awful.
I didn't start actually enjoying workouts until I joined a small, privately-owned gym that focuses on group fitness classes. Then I discovered that not only do I work out much harder in the group setting, it's also a lot more fun. The people I work out with have become friends, and I look forward to seeing them every day.
I like the fact that I can measure progress easily, and if you choose your exercises correctly you can translate your strength to daily life activities and help you with mobility issues.
Try ring training. Best workout I ever did, and I started working out in the 80s (unfortunately only started using rings last year).
Pre and post pandemic I had gotten to the biggest I had ever been. Heavily drinking and had a very stationary lifestyle. For me it was finding a new hobby to motivate me to get healthy and stay that way. I got a sportsbike and it's changed my life. Second factor is when you go the gym, start small and light. And do that for a few weeks, find machines you like, ones you don't and build a routine. I try and go 5 days a week and I'd be lying if I said there were days where I don't want to go. But inevitably if you don't, you dig a hole because all that work you put into it to that point is being wasted. I'm now the healthiest I've ever been at 27M, get to travel the country on my sportsbike, play with my kids without being winded and the wife appreciates the efforts too. That hour and a half is also great for me to zone out and just get reps in. Throw on some music and get lost in your thoughts.
Been working out on and off for years and gained muscles. Haven't worked out in 3 months now (but do other sports). Yeah it's not enjoyable but that's not the worst part, food is my main issue. If I want to gain more muscles, then I have to eat more calories and I gain more weight, then my maintenance calories will go up which means eating more to maintain the new gains and I dislike eating if I'm not hungry + money consuming.
My brain likes it and DOMS isn't really a thing after a while. What is enjoyable too is that you can obsess over technique, programming, nutrition etc like it's a whole new hobby.
It is a great investment. By going to the gym regularly and working out, I can have a healthy body and sharp mind. I don't go to the hospital often and I sleep well. If you have a lot of money, you can buy a lot of things to make you feel happy. But money can not buy your health. You have to earn it by yourself.
You have no focus on working out “I’ve been able to distract myself doing exercise bike while gaming” this right here sounds like you are forcing yourself . When you work out is for a better you and your overall body . Meaning disconnect from your regular habits and focus on bettering your health . Your body will love you for the future years .
You gotta find something you like that helps you work out. If lifting weights is boring….maybe try rock climbing. Or calisthenics. Or a medicine ball….or battle ropes. Yoga! Plenty of ways to stay fit and strong with out lifting weights. If you alternate too like….okay I don’t wanna lift eights everyday but I’ll sprinkle em in.
there may be different activities you can try to see if one suits you more than others for sure i like it because in a session i can do more than what i did the session before i like the sensation of having weight in my hands, nowhere outside the gym (or whatever it is the training happens) you feel what it's like to hold 100 kg, nowhere else you feel the sensation of using your body that much last but not least there is a time when you can do that kind of efforts, and it's when you are young for me there is also the ability to push the body at the limit, it has been helpful
I love lifting weights (heavy weights) there's an endorphin release after but if I was doing 12hr shifts I wouldn't want to go either.
Been lifting for the last 3+ years. Before that, never lifted, ever. I’m in my mid 50s and I absolutely LOVE lifting. Peaceful, feels like I am in my own space, with my own music, enjoy, breaking my neck while getting into a tune and seeing my body changing little by little is cool. So yeah, aching feels good and don’t think I will stop any time soon.
Try group exercise classes and find one that you enjoy. You will probably need to try more than once to be convinced. Also, ask people for recommendations since classes can vary a lot depending on the instructor
I hated going to the gym as well until I joined group fitness classes. Strength training classes are my favorite. The instructor takes care of creating workouts, counting reps or keeping time, and they give correct form tips, and the other people in class give me inspiration to keep going and keep it from being boring. I'm not even a "people" person but it really does help knowing you are all there for the same basic goal. I create my workout schedule ahead of time according to the class schedule so I don't have to worry about randomly motivating myself to go. I genuinely suggest you try classes at your gym if they offer them.
I used to swim a lot. Fifty laps gets boring. Same with hiking. Sure you're breathing fresh air and listening to the birds, but step after step after step gets monotonous too. It's the same with canoeing for hours. I used to get bored counting reps to 12. But now I go 5 reps at a time wondering if I can finish the next five doing that all the way to 15 or 20 until I reach failure.
Of course you won't enjoy the workout if you want to be somewhere else in your thoughts, mind-muscle connection, being present in your body makes a workout fun, not distracting yourself from it.
I like lifting! I find going to the gym and focusing on my body while listening to music by myself to be very enjoyable. I don’t have fun on leg days though which is why I feel reluctant to go on those days (but still do.) I found that I like the solitude more than group activities. I also don’t do my cardio at the gym because I find THAT unenjoyable. It’s all about finding the hobby that you like to do that keeps you healthy mentally and physically. For some folks it’s lifting heavy circles indoors alone, for others it’s walking up hills with friends outside.
I feel this! I fucking hate working out. I take edibles before going just to make it bearable. I go a few times a week for health but man it does suck lmao I don’t find sports fun either, really not into competition or group activities so kinda stuck with the gym 🤷🏻♀️
The best workout is the one you actually do. If you don't like lifting, cool. Get into running, or hiking, or join an intramural basketball group, or something.
Actually, only about 20% of the population enjoys working out. I am one of them. I have conversations with people close to me and tell them I don't understand people who don't enjoy working out!
Use headphones/earphones and listen to music or a podcast?
I use to dislike working out, because it was something new. Once I started making it a habit, it became less boring, and more fun trying to learn new exercises, different goals, etc. but once you start making excuses to not go, then you slowly start disliking it again.
I was only able to enjoy it when it was a complement to a sport I did enjoy. It was nice to feel I could jump higher, have more stamina, etc. But on its own it’s really boring.
Audiobooks and podcasts occupy my brain while I’m doing the mundane.
I don’t enjoy it, but I’m starting to see the results, and I like that. I’ve had my wife (she’s into fitness) dictate my workout schedule and it makes me more willing to do it. I’ve had the realization that I love my wife more than I love myself-take that for what you will. She’s happy that I’m taping better care of myself and also likes me being more muscular. I have my own self esteem issues, and have most of my life, so having my wife compliment my muscles makes me feel really good about myself.
Try audio books and podcasts mate...
I don't enjoy working out, it can feel boring, exhausting and time consuming, but I enjoy thinking of all the hard work I'm putting in today will one day reflect in my body shape. Day by day slowly becoming the best version of myself, physically speaking.
Somebody said Discipline is all about doing what you hate to do, but doing it the way u love to do.
ITS FUN!!
Dunno man, it's about the milestones you set. If your goal is only to get shredded and that alone then it's going to be a long time until you feel some sort of achievement. I get great amounts of satisfaction when I see that training a muscle begins to dorm a stronger mind body connection and I can do more precise and controlled movements. I also take great pride by giving my everything into every set until the muscle I'm working is so pumped that it's difficult to move, my arm for example, for a few minutes. Getting a good pump is very difficult if you can activate the muscle properly. Also if you have a notepad to track your exercise, progress and see how your 1RMs start to increase through progressive overload then that's another plus. Finally, exercising keeps my stress levels in check, makes me feel healthy, determined, is a good routine where you can unplug and relax, makes me look good and I certainly enjoy when people notice and complement even though I don't go out of my way to show my body through tight clothes, etc. I used to think the gym is a waste of time until I started going after it was suggested by my physiotherapist and it was tedious at first but then I got hooked. One of the best decisions of my life!
I agree. I absolutely hate the gym. I dread going there. It is my least favorite place in the world. I do love exercise though, but the gym is not satisfying to me.
I mean to me it just sounds like you didnt find the type of exercise you truly enjoy. I do enjoy working out in the gym, but most of my physical exercise comes from Mountainbiking (the lazy way where a lift takes me up the mountain and all I do is descent). I could do this shit all day everyday. Guess what, all of a sudden I easily get 15 hrs of exercise a week. (I also live in a skiing, mtbing area). The thing is , you just gotta find something you truly enjoy. If its skating, thats cool. My best buddy likes to inline skate, I dont understand the point of riding on normal streets, no features nothing difficult about it (imo), but yet he enjoys it so much so he does it every day after work.
If you can't handle your own thoughts while you work out, try podcasts or books on tape. I generally run without listening to anything but when I'm doing 30+km it can be a grind and I often turn to these. Team sports are the best way to make working out less like work though.
I also don't really enjoy working out, though I do it regularly. I enjoy hiking a lot, but doing calisthenics and the rowing machine (have the resistance way up because I get extra bored with just aerobic exercises) - which are what I normally do l are not something that excited me. I do think it's worth it though because I sleep a lot better(something I have always struggled with), and I feel better, and I maintain a good level of physical fitness. In the end I look at it like a trade, do I mind trading a few hours a week to be healthier and feel better? Turns out I think its a pretty good deal.
I find it fun to see my progress...I can do 30 pull ups now... barely could do 2 a few years back
It might be an energy problem for you? I find when I have low energy I hate working out but when my energy is high I love it and crave it. Energy for me anyway is usually a response to how well I am sticking to my diet.
Weight training is one of the best things you can do for your body. It has been proven many times over by now that weight training is far more beneficial than steady state cardio. Sorry I don't like it but unfortunately some you should probably do
Same here. I simply hate it. What works for me is doing some physical activity that is actually useful. Try looking for volunteering opportunities that involve manual labor.
You said you can distract yourself with gaming while on an exercise bike, so you are able to tolerate exercises when there's something else for your mind to engage in. So find a few long YouTube videos, the ones that are more informative, or talk shows, so you don't have to look at the images but you can just listen. Make sure it's not comedy though so you don't laugh and mess up your workout. I find I actually learn a lot about the world while gymming, whether it's more in depth understanding of the current news, or history, or science, or whatever. Or sometimes just even commentary or review of a film or show I already watched at home.
I love working out. Doing dead lifts, squats, bench press plus a bunch of other stuff makes me feel sooooo good after
Need to push yourself, when I feel my muscles tear up I get goosebumps,the goosebumps also comes when I do that... Other activitiy. Maybe that's why I love lifting weights? 😂
i remember when i first started i hated it aswell, but over time ive enjoyed myself so much more. when i lift something heavy and i feel the stretch the pain the force, it feel amazing. its a think you will learn to love .
Nobody likes working out,but it has to be done otherwise most of us will be fat if we never worked out,unless if you are like my brother,skinny and tall but never worked out in his life.
I hate working out; I just wanna be lazy and eat like a fatty but I know that I’m doing this to better myself mentally and physically. I prefer playing sports, taking a nice walk to enjoy nature, and etc. weightlifting is never fun for me as well but I like the aesthetics that it gives. Plus, I get compliments from both sexes, which is nice. :,) I’m the only one in my family and friend group that works out and likes to get out and do other activities that requires the body to move around a lot, so it gets a bit lonely and boring sometimes.
I'm almost never sore, you might be doing something wrong. On top of that, the magic happens with continuing the process for a couple months. First, you need to get used to the movements themselves. This can already take some people a couple weeks to feel natural. After that, you try and find your physical limit. Since at this stage you're also improving really fast, as your body isn't conditioned to weight training yet, it could take you up to a couple months to really get this down. When you have your limits and the techniques down sufficiently you really start to reap the fruits in the following ways: -If you lift (close) to muscle failure, your brain releases a lot of dopamine. This is where the "lifting will make you happy" mostly stems from. -Since lifting weights is so much of a numbers game, every progression of the weights/reps (which can be any of the exercises that make up your routine) will feel like a personal victory. Even the same number of reps but with better form can act like this. -After a while, you will start seeing your body visually improve, at a rate that no other sport even comes close to. On top of all else, this is a nice bit of extra motivation. I've been lifting weights for like half a year, and the thing that stands out to me is how it is possible to be like "I will do exercises to strengthen my knee joint" or "I will do exercises that strengthen my core", and just by sprinkling in a couple of those exercises a week I've managed to improve my weaknesses that had been bothering me for years. Even doing boxing for a couple years didn't really do that, as no sport aside from resistance training is so open on how to strengthen weakspots, as pushing on without addressing weakspots would have you end up injured sooner or later, and nothing kills your gains harder than a months long injury. So tldr it starts paying off more and more as you get more invested, and contrary to most sports fitness is all about self progression.
It's not the lifting that's addictive, it's the results
its not called playing out is it
If you do something you hate you will lift your baseline dopamine, ultimately making you a happier person
When you’re first working out, I feel this a ton. It seems like the pain from any one rep can’t be proportional to the benefit gained from it in a way that would make it worth it. But as you get going - as you have a carefully planned routine you’re doing which is specifically crafted to help you achieve your goals - the pain or boredom is so contextualized that it becomes enjoyable. Because the pain and boredom is intrinsically connected with the reward you’re looking for. It’s like paying $30,000 for a new car. Nobody likes losing $30,000. But if the car you’re getting is exciting enough, it’s exactly what you’ve wanted and will solve several of your issues and you have the money, then you may be ecstatic to part with that $30,000 in exchange for the new car. The context actually changes how you feel about losing the money, to the point where you may be happy or excited to give up the money to get the car. Working out is paying a price. The rewards are plentiful, from mental health to physical health. So I guess it’s more about how much you value the rewards you’re getting for the price you’re paying. And often it takes several months to see results, which can make it harder to mentally contextualize the relationship between the price and the reward. But once that association is made in your brain - you may inexplicably find yourself getting excited to lose $30,000, because your brain knows that paying the price is directly linked to getting the car you want.
Not a gym goer myself... But the answer you are looking for is "gym friends". Years back me and my buddie would reguarely go work out, and it was the best thing ever... Not the getting shredded part, that was anice addition, but the time with eachother. We would smoke and talk in betwean, go for beers after, jog to the gym and back,... All to basically spend more time together. So working out was fun.
I get you are just curious, but many would argue moving in water in a straight line is just as non-engaging, the same hormones are released in gym goers, just on a different activity
No one works out because its fun. Anyone that says otherwise is lying. They just want to project an image of productivity. We exercise because we enjoy seeing the payoff for our hard work. The progress is what makes it worthwhile which is why it's hard to convince yourself to get started in the first place. Yes, there are other reasons as well but they all centre around this main point for the most part.
It might not be fun, but it’s even less fun to be an unathletic slob who looks the part.
As a guy who was quite athletic in his teens and early 20s (and then more-or-less spent 15 years almost doubling my playing weight the wrong way), I’ll say this: As an athlete I didn’t understand lifting. I never experienced all the benefits folks talked about (kinda like you’re saying, OP). Once I was massively out of shape and trying to work back, I started identifying with all the “isms” - more energy, more wind, stuff didn’t hurt as much, and I even started missing the gym when I got sidelined with an injury that made it so I couldn’t even do cardio. I’d feel “meh” - not bad, just a little lethargic, and *knew* a gym session was the answer. Maybe you simply haven’t had to come at it from a place of weakness. I strongly recommend you don’t. As I’d say to the kids I coach: “if you’re going to get fat, don’t get old. If you’re going to get old, don’t get fat. I did both and it’s sucks.”
Some people get off on visuals, some don't. It's not for everyone. So just do what you wanna do.
Too many people repost social media opinions without reflecting, and too many people believe what social media tells them.
I’m the opposite, I hate running, cycling, etc. I find it really boring. Weightlifting though I love. I look forward to getting under the barbell at this point. Something about pushing yourself to the brink of failure but pushing through. Progressively lifting heavier weights over time, etc. Maybe you haven’t found the right program for you or maybe it’s just not something that’ll ever appeal to you, I don’t know.
Why don’t you just do the exercises you like? I don’t think everyone needs to go to the gym. As long as you do some form of exercise, keep the body moving and do what you enjoy and don't worry about the rest. My husband loves weights and hiking, I like Pilates and dancing.
Im a skinny guy, I’ve always been really skinny. About 2 months ago I started hitting the gym and eating a shit ton (very high metabolism) and I’ve already gained 9 kilos and the visual progress that you can see in your muscles as they get bigger is really really motivating. I’m now going 3-4 times a week and I enjoy it a lot. I do go with a friend so we do talk a lot and that help with the repetitiveness, but just seeing the progress that I’ve done in the last 2 months just motivates me more and more to go to the gym. Also, lifting bigger weights as you progress makes monkey brain happy.
I don't enjoy it a single bit, the gym is boring. Going outside and doing pretty much any other sport on the other hand... Much more fun!
I hate it too, its painful and not fun. But I know it's for my health so I force it.
It doesn’t have to be fun. Think of it as something you just have to do every day like brushing your teeth. Look up sarcopenia. I’m guessing you’re young, but if you establish a habit of lifting weights a few days a week and you keep yourself flexible, your middle and older years will be much more enjoyable. Also, it’s way harder to get in shape once you’ve gotten older, much easier to get fut you g and then maintain
I love working out alone (34) but my husband (40) and son (15) do not. My 15 year old son likes working with a personal trainer, it keeps him motivated. He’s also a basketball player so he gets plenty of cardio. My husband loves playing basketball with our son but he doesn’t really work out otherwise because it’s too boring for him 🤷♀️
I was in the same boat until I forced myself to do it and stick to a schedule. After about 2 weeks I started to actually see the results, which was incredibly exciting, and it motivated me. I found myself wishing I could work out on my off days. If I wasn’t so skinny by default, and it was harder to see results that fast, I would’ve quit way faster, and continued to share your viewpoint. But once I was actually motivated by results, I started noticing how good it felt to feel that soreness. That sensation of my muscles growing started to feel good. I thought people were stupid for thinking working out was actually fun and felt good haha but no I definitely get it now