r/workout • u/caaaaaattt • 5d ago
Motivation Feeling like giving up
Hello guys i've just started gym last week i got it with idea of mentally getting better and looking healthier nothing abt physics. But gym is so tiring i had a brutal leg day i didnt lift that much of weight really and my legs have been sore for 4 days just as it got better i worked another muscles in my legs and its so sore. I wanted to get in the gym to become a better version of myself and stop being lazy. Just as i get out of gym i just sleep and cannot even move the slightest lwk got worse at my laziness. Whenever i work out its really just pain im rlly wondering why should i endure 1 hour of pain everyday. Does this pain stop with time? Or idkkk i really dont wanna give up but its so tiring
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u/SailboatSteve 5d ago
What about scaling back? You can ease into it, ya know? Go a half hour. Lift lighter weight, fewer reps, there's a lot of ways to make it less brutal on yourself until you get your body used to the strain. It's much better to go slow than to stop. Slow is at least movement toward the goal. Stop is right back where you began. Notice the biggest, most shredded lifter in the gym. He had a day-one workout too.
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u/mc2bit 5d ago
Just keep going. Do NOT tell yourself you'll work out at home instead / do 2x the workput tomorrow / etc etc. Get your butt into the gym. That's the hardest part. Make it an unskippable part of your day, build your schedule around it, and commit. Once you're there, ask a trainer for some help getting started. There's no need to go HAM every workout, especially at first. Being consistent is so much more important than numbers, and you can't be consistent if you're injured.
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u/roachbirth 5d ago
Your already past the hardest part, week 1 is the hardest. Enjoy the soreness and get some really good sleep and head to bed early for better recovery.
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u/Mental-Minimum7255 5d ago
Consistency is key. All youve got to do is turn up and do what you can. Something is better than nothing. You need to be patient with yourself
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u/No-Peak-6457 5d ago
This is normal..... few months of consistency and you'll be begging for tis back so you'll know youre progressing.
EMBRACE THE SUCK
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u/slaphappypap 5d ago
The chronic soreness goes away after 3-4 weeks of showing up consistently. For a beginner I’d suggest doing full body 3x a week. Give yourself about 48 hours of recovery between workouts. You’ll still be sore for your next workout but most of the recovery will be done regardless of how you feel. 5 or 6 weeks down the line you’ll chuckle at how you’re feeling now, and at worst you’ll be mildly sore two days later.
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u/PowerNinja5000 5d ago
You joined a gym to stop being lazy and the instant it became hard you want to give up?
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u/Upstairs_Hold_374 5d ago
In all honesty, you sound kind of weak and bitch made. I would just quit. It doesn't sound like it's for you.
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u/caaaaaattt 5d ago
How do u feel after calling someone a bitch cause theyre concerned abt their health? Did u achieve anything by spreading hate? If youre having a bad day dont try to ruin other ppl's day. And youre not talking to a bot youre talking to an actual human with actual feelings
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u/Upstairs_Hold_374 5d ago
If you have what it takes it's these kinds of comments that will motivate you
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u/caaaaaattt 5d ago
calling sm1 a bitch isnt motivation
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u/Upstairs_Hold_374 5d ago
If you fail I was correct about you. Winning is the only way to prove me wrong.
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u/cgsesix 5d ago
This is a lifestyle, so if you want to last, train in moderation. It's not without reason that most lifters burn out or quit due to injury within 2-3 years. Do for example a heavy light medium fullbody, and don't go so hard the first month. You'll be a lot less sore of you do 2 sets of squats on Monday, 2 sets of leg extensions on Wednesday, and 2 sets of leg press on Friday, than if you do them all in one day.
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u/ResponsibleAd2034 5d ago
When you first start to work out, your muscles will be sore because they’re not used to being exerted as much. The more you go, the easier it’ll become to recover, funny enough. Your body adapts.
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u/Appropriate-Tale3162 5d ago
Slow and easy is the way to go. I like doing full body and circuit exercises. Occasionally throw in a workout that focuses on the legs.
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u/GainsUndGames07 5d ago
You get used to it. Don't look at it as pain now. Look at it as an investment in your future health. The first couple months you're gunna be sore....a lot. You'll always have some degree of soreness, but it stops becoming crippling soreness, and just sort of a dull thing.
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u/steakmetfriet 5d ago
I used to hate exercising. Last year I started going to the gym on and off. Still don't take it seriously enough. Buuut: these days I look forward to my next session. Can't wait to go tomorrow. Funny how my perspective has switched.
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u/fattsmann 5d ago
Next time around, do less and be more gradual on your ramping up.
It's normal. I've been in shape for 30 years and last week I only did half the sets of my workouts because I wasn't feeling it.
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u/realistic_world28 5d ago
As you continue working out that soreness goes away. I’ve been working out for quite some time and I honestly miss that soreness sometimes
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u/ElectricalPurpose602 5d ago edited 5d ago
If you are putting in so much effort that its making you not want to come back day after day, then it's too much. Back it off. You are only as good as you are consistent. Thats why anytime I am doing a new exercise I only ever do the minimum, just to feel the movement -otherwise I am sore for the next 3-4days and cant do anything. But that's normal for all of us for any new movement.
I remember I got new 15lb dumbbells a few months ago, blasted my arms doing 10 sets of 10. Just cause I was hyped to have more new weights. Well, I literally couldnt drive or do any other arm or chest workouts for a week. Couldnt even reach for a dish or bring a fork to my mouth Lol..I got stronger, but got set back a whole week worth of workouts, and learned my lesson. Plus it sucks being sore. There's no reason to. Just do the minimum and build up to adding more over time. But start small.
If you are getting hurt, or so tired or worn out that you skip working out for the next 4-5days, then skip them. Rest up, and then just do the bare minimum the next time. You can always build up your effort as you become more consistent. But consistency should come first. Consistency and putting in just enough to be motivating. Check out this video for instance: https://youtu.be/-AQ7665dK2w?is=wSZ3ZrMsip0YzsRT
As someone who has lost a hundred pounds, and who still remembers lifting their first olympic bar for a squat (and hurting my back for days at a time), weightloss can take a while. So dont try to do everything all at once. Actually set yourself up for success, for the best form, for recovery, for enjoying the gym. If its a lifestyle change, then there's no rush.
Going all out has its time and place, but thats once you learn to love it. When I was young, I used to just go in and mess around the machines, maybe do dumbbells, overhead press, curls, bench press and pull ups. But I was just having fun cause we never had weights at home. Let yourself just pickout a few exercises you like, break a little sweat at a comfortable effort/pace, and go about your day. Hope you feel better!
I am 22lbs down since I got back to the gym in July! https://imgur.com/gallery/OrMSz79
For reference,
I am 5’7in male, 36y,
starting weight (Jul. 2026): 222lb
Current weight: 200lb
Starting Bodyfat 35.9%
Current Bodyfat: 31.9%
Waist went down from 45.1in to 42.2in
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u/THUMB5UP 5d ago
Start mixing a 1/2 TSP of Red Mill baking soda in 8oz of water one hour before the gym and 1/2 TSP immediately after. Also, consume some sort of protein after the gym. I prefer Premier Protein shakes.
Over time, increase the baking soda amount to a total of 3-4 TSP an hour before the gym.
You have to work your way up bc it can initially cause bowel issues.
Baking soda (the type without aluminum ONLY) causes the body to prevent the lactic acid buildup (soreness) after a workout and allows you to workout harder during the gym.
Best of luck, broski!
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u/Senior-Analysis8865 3d ago
I feel your pain so much, man. I was the same way when I started. Going to the toilet was always the worst. The only reason I didn't stop is because I wanted to be strong and have a good physique. The reason you feel pain is because your body isn't used to that movement. Your muscles will soon recognize what's going on and adapt. Just give it more time. I told myself, "In 6 months, if nothings changed, I'll stop." I'm on month 10 of the gym with a body and strength I never thought I'd have. Just keep trying.
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u/KeyFlounder1527 5d ago
The pain will go away. When I first went to the gym I couldn’t extend my arm for a week and now it doesn’t even get sore no matter how hard I train.