Strength training has many unique benefits compared to other forms of exercise. The only problem is that a lot of people don’t enjoy doing it. Whether it’s because you don’t like going to the gym or you prefer doing cardio, everyone needs to find a way to make strength training enjoyable.
There are 4 ways to make your strength routine more enjoyable: changing up the routine, getting friends and family involved, using videos or podcasts, and using short term goals. All of these strategies use some short-term motivation as well as develops long-term workout discipline, keeping you on top of your goals without losing steam.
Changing Your Routine
Focusing on a new goal
Sometimes the best way to get to your goal is by focusing on a similar but different goal entirely. For example, weight loss goals have the most plateaus (periods with no progress) of any workout goal. Instead of further pushing for your weight loss goal, you would benefit from switching to building muscle or getting stronger. This sounds completely different, but here are the ways building muscle will actually enhance fat loss:
- More muscle will speed up your metabolism, making you burn calories every day automatically
- More strength will improve your output during your workouts. So instead of burning 300 calories per workout, you could be burning 600
- A common problem with weight loss goals is metabolic adaptation, which can be fixed by temporarily increasing calories. Instead of those calories going to bodyfat, they can go towards building muscle
Newbie Gains make every goal exciting
“Newbie gains,” refers to the rapid progress a beginner makes when perusing a goal for the first time. For example, those looking to lose weight for the first time see the fastest weight loss during the first month or two of exercise. Those trying to get stronger will also see their bench press go upper faster than it ever will in the future.
The newbie gains period of any goal is not only extremely productive, but also very fun to experience. Going from zero to hero on something you’ve never done before creates a new sense of motivation and purpose behind your workouts, making you actually want to go to the gym rather than forcing yourself to.
Below is a list of great new goals to pursue when your original one is getting stale. To learn how to choose and stick to workout goals, read our article on workout goals and discipline.
- Building muscle
- Getting more flexible
- Gaining more endurance for running, walking, cycling, etc.
- Lifting X amount of weight on X exercise
- Reducing pain in your knee, shoulder, etc.
- Getting better posture
Getting out of your comfort zone
Similar to focusing on a new goal, incorporating workout routines you’ve never done before can help bring life back to your workouts. If you exercise at a local gym, the best way to do this is using the group fitness classes. Most people pay no attention to them, but a lot of gyms offer a variety of classes that can suit your interests. Below is a list of common classes with a short description of what it entails:
| Class | Intensity | Description |
| Zumba | Low-Medium | Workouts based on music and dance. Even if you don’t know how to dance, the instructors guide the entire classes and are eager to help new attendees. |
| Bootcamp | High | Workouts that take the strict discipline of “military bootcamps” by using a lot of bodyweight exercises, low rest periods, and a high-energy instructor who will make sure you won’t give up |
| Cycling | Medium-High | Cycling classes use stationary bikes to replicate outdoor cycling. Bikes are usually programmed to add and reduce resistance to simulate climbing and descending hills respectively |
| Yoga/Pilates | Low | The focus here is on stretching, relaxation, and a little bit of strength building. This is a great start for those intimidated by the above options or prefer a more stress-reliving approach. |
To best incorporate a class with your weight training, do your weight training directly before the class. That way most of your energy goes to the routine that matter most (strength training), and you’ll get a very thorough warmup before the class.
Bringing Friends and Family
Working out with a partner makes the experience much more bearable, especially if they share the same goals and experience as you do. Be sure that the partner you choose is just as committed as you are. Having someone who’s always canceling or doesn’t put in the same effort can actually hurt your progress more than going alone.
You don’t even have to bring people with you. Letting your friends and family know about your goals provides an excellent support network to keep you motivated.
Support and Accountability
One of the number one reasons people quit their workout routine is lack of support from others. In fact, many break-ups and divorces take place for this reason; one partner wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle while the other doesn’t. Simply announcing your goals to those who will give their support can make all the difference. Knowing that someone is going to notice when you’ve fallen off the wagon is enough to push through the hard, unmotivated periods of exercise.
The easiest way to build this network is social media. Creating a single post talking about your goals and how you plan to accomplish them is enough to keep yourself accountable to your plans.
Friendly Competition
You can also use your social network to create some friendly competition. Find at least one friend with the same goals and competitive spirit to create a contest. Just be sure to use SMART goals and workout discipline before creating the rules of your contest. For example, being “the first one to lose 10 lbs,” might sound like a good goal, but it should be specified the type of weight that needs to be lost (body fat).
Music, Videos, and Podcasts
The Stereotype of Gym Music
“Gym music” has a stereotype of needing to be high energy for every workout. Although upbeat music has been shown to increase exercise output, not every workout session has to be “go big or go home.’ In fact, the all-or-nothing mindset of exercise is why most people fail. Nobody can realistically give 100% at every single workout. Sometime you’ll want to take it easy and go for a lighter workout.
In these cases, listening to steady, slow-tempo music can make the experience more enjoyable. Examples genres include soft rock, jazz, swing, and anything that can get you in a good mood without being overly energized.
Videos for Light Cardio
Although the cardio machines don’t count as strength training, light cardio does complement the benefits you gain from strength training by focusing on the heart and lungs rather than the muscles. The easiest way to enjoy your cardio session is to watch a long video while you’re doing it. You can use YouTube, Netflix, or other services to get something at least 30 minutes long that can hold your attention.
This is best used for light cardio rather than running or fast cycling because the faster you go, the more you have to focus on what you’re doing. Having a video playing while doing a high intensity session will only distract you and may increase the chance that you’ll hurt yourself.
Podcasts Work for Everything
A lot of people find podcasts boring because they only think about the dry, purely educational ones. Nowadays though, podcasting has grown to include a variety of genres and topics that are sure to line up with you’re interests. Find a long-form podcast on a subject you enjoy, especially one with funny or entertaining hosts that will make it feel like you’re hanging out with friends.
The most powerful benefit of podcasts is the ability to learn about exercise while you’re exercising. Choosing an entertaining yet informative fitness podcast will provide the same enjoyment, but will also educate you on how to workout, how to diet, and other important lessons of fitness. A great recommendation would be from Mind Pump Media. They combine comedy with education to provide a fun and productive experience all at once
Having Short-Term Goals
Too many people are focused just on their long-term goals; losing x amount of weight, getting bigger arms, etc. It’s great to have a workout goal to keep you disciplined, but solely focusing on the long-term can make the short terms much more tedious.
Use Goals You Can Measure
This is a very overlooked yet important part of creating goals. If you can’t physically measure your goal, there’s no objective way to tell if you’ve made it or not. It also makes short term goals more exciting to see the numbers increase or decrease the way you want them to.
To enhance your short term goals, use multiple devices to measure the same goal. For example, people wanting to lose weight should not only use a bodyweight scale, but also a bodyfat measuring device and some measuring tape. Using only one device can be prone to errors and plateaus, but using many devices give you more objective numbers to create goals out of.
Again, you can learn more about goal making in the article here.