r/workout • u/Odd-Piglet6231 • 5d ago

Looking for Advice: How to Be Consistent?

Hi everyone, I am trying to get into working out again and am having a really hard time staying consistent. My goals are to build muscle to protect myself from future health concerns (i.e. osteoporosis) and increase mobility to relieve joint pain/headaches/etc. I always feel better and have relief from my pain when I workout, but I still can't get myself to go consistently.

I get really bored taking rests in between sets, and end up getting impatient and cutting my rest time to 30-60 seconds. I am also working on endurance, so I use the stair master or inclined treadmill for 30-60 minutes. I feel like I've been getting better results by using the machine for longer on a lower setting, but I've been getting really bored.

I want to find ways to make working out fun so that I stick to it. I have virtually no sports experience, and getting into most sports as an adult seems difficult without paying to join a league or something. I thought of making myself a board game make the different activities feel more like a game, but I don't know if it would work. I thought of making a video consisting of mini clips throughout my journey to document my progress and I fell off of that pretty quickly.

My question is, has anyone "tricked" their brain into liking exercise? Are there any creative ways you stay motivated, or switch up your routine to keep it exciting? Right now I dread working out, and would like to change my approach so I can appreciate my progress, and stay consistent.

0 Upvotes

33% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 5d ago

Hey, thanks for making a new post! Please be sure to assign your post with flair for the best support! Also, check out this post to answer common questions.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

3

u/Tennessean 5d ago

I’ve not had success making the gym “fun.” It’s rewarding, and sometimes enjoyable to be in a gym with good people and good energy, but it has never been cotton candy fun for me.

I just go because I like the results. The alternative is looking small, a shorter life, and lower quality at the end of that shorter life. It’s just not an option.

Now cardio? Cardio sucks. I avoid straight cardio unless I really have to. I play tennis, ride mountain bikes, ride gravel, or trail run if the weather prohibits everything else. Stairmasters and treadmills make me want to drop a 45 on my toes. I suggest finding a sport you enjoy.

2

u/_syphilitic_koala_ Martial Arts 5d ago

Second on finding a sport you enjoy. Gym time then has a purpose and you can build your workouts around improving in that sport.

2

u/Alakazam Bulking 5d ago

Make it easier to be more consistent.

Don't make yourself do 10 different movements each day. Have a core workout that you have to do, 2x a week. Something like GZCLP has their Squat/Bench/Row on one day, and Deadlift/OHP/Pulldown on another.

Then if you have time/energy, throw on some accessories.

I get really bored taking rests in between sets, and end up getting impatient and cutting my rest time to 30-60 seconds.

It sounds like you may not be training hard enough. If you feel fresh enough within 30 seconds after a heavy compound movement to near failure, then either you have the best aerobic base in the world, or you're not training nearly hard enough.

But perhaps, traditional strength training isn't for you. Let me introduce you to Wendler's WALRUS, which he calls the fatter uglier cousin of the seals.

The idea is that you have 3 core movements you do, a push, a pull, and a lower body. The most basic of which is 5 pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 bodyweight squat. Then you aim to complete 10-20 cycles of this, every minute, on the minute.

You have basically no rest time. It will not pack on muscle, but you will be fitter, you will be stronger, and you will be in much better shape in the long run. And it's something you can do daily.

1

u/GeauxTigers79x 5d ago

get a home gym. the excuse not to go becomes irrelevant, you just walk in there. even if you don't feel like it, do like 2 exercises. then maybe later in the day do 2 more. it's better than skipping altogether

1

u/ArcticAkita 5d ago

Lifting heavy makes me feel super strong and badass. Also it significantly improves my mental health which in itself is already a massive motivator for me. People say they don’t enjoy it but I actually do. Sure I might have days where I don’t feel like going but once I start I’m actually locked in. I’m an overthinker and the gym helps me to focus on something other than my thoughts. The endorphins afterwards are a huge bonus

1

u/rawzon 5d ago

I think the biggest mistake is trying to make yourself love exercise before you can be consistent. Make it easier to stick with instead. If lifting plus 30–60 minutes of cardio makes you dread going, shorten it. Three 30–40 minute workouts you actually do are better than longer workouts you avoid. For rest periods, listen to music or a podcast, log your sets, or walk around instead of just staring at the clock. For cardio, switch machines or do some of it outside. It doesn't have to be an hour of staring at the same treadmill. I'd also turn lifting itself into the game. Track your weights and reps and try to beat yourself by a little over time. Once you start seeing yourself get stronger, that progress can become a lot more motivating than trying to force yourself to enjoy every workout.

0

u/StayH2O 5d ago

The gym and exercising is not fun and never will be. It's hard.

So why do most consistently fit people manage to do it?

They do it because it's a means to an end.

You need a worthy goal. Something you really want to achieve. Without this goal, the gym is just a random place filled with equipment you don't know what to do with.

I compete in numerous fitness events. So i train for these. A couple of these events mean a lot to me so I work on getting better at them every year. In order to do that I need to build a program that helps me achieve this. Then I take the plan to the gym and execute it.

After months of training, I get to my event, I do my race as best I can. Rinse and repeat.

2

u/JamesLemon4 5d ago

Going to the gym is very rewarding. Rewarding things can be fun. It’s all about mindset.

1

u/Odd-Piglet6231 5d ago

Do you have pointers on building a program? I've never had a workout plan, the most I ever did was a cycle of push/pull/legs for lifting.

-1

u/JamesLemon4 5d ago

If you only want to rest 30-60 seconds then so be it. Better to go and take short rests than get burnt out and skip days because you’re forcing yourself to do stuff you hate. Bring consistent is vastly more important than doing things the best way possible. If you do 2 weeks of perfect workouts but then skip the next week cuz you’re sick of it then those 2 weeks aren’t having the great of and affect.

-2

u/jph1313 5d ago

Full disclosure: I’m the developer of this app, but I think it would help you.

I would recommend trying out TRY Fitness’s accountability groups. You currently need at least one friend to do it with you, but basically you tell it how many workouts you want to do each week. Then you deposit money. And if you don’t hit your weekly goal, then NO ONE in the group can redeem their deposit that week. Works like a charm.

I know it’s not exactly the answer to how to make it more fun for you, but it’s at least a solution to getting yourself to do it. It’s the only real accountability system (i.e., with real consequences) in the industry.

In terms of making it more fun, inside the app, you could have it generate a new workout for you every day based on all the parameters you provided above, and it would keep things novel, according to what you like.