Can anyone offer any motivational tips for weight training!?

For months I’ve been trying to improve my strength, but can’t sustain a decent plan for any period of time.

Just done a session for the first time in months, it was ok, but I struggle to enjoy it, and I know in a few weeks I will have found reasons not to train again.

I’ve even toyed with an outdoor climbing wall (since reading the other thread) in an effort to try and make ‘strength’ work more fun

Look at yourself naked in the mirror. There’s your motivation.

Tried. Next…..

😀

tomhoward – Member

Look at yourself naked in the mirror. There’s your motivation.

That’s my motivation for drinking. I don’t think it’ll work for weights.

To OP.

You need a gym partner otherwise on your own you will find working out will put you off.

If you need to improve strength then you might want to try low repetition with weight that you can handle to the maximum (start slow). I would try 2 sets of 5 repetitions. Try not to spend more than an hour in the gym. You need to keep yourself “pumping” …

Try working on your upper body on certain days and lower body on certain days. I think 3 days a week should be fine but not more.

You then need to rest well (plenty of sleep) and cut down on junks. If you are mentally exhausted that is no good as you need full concentration for the workout.

Being strong is fun, being weak is not. Be strong.

Try training in nature rather than a gym. I regularly wrestle bears to the death, and then perform high rep squats with the bear carcass on my back.

Works for me.

what’s going on with all the diet and weights stuff tonight!

I luffff weights, best thing I’ve EVER done exercise wise. I think it was one of those things that I hated, and I mean hated and fell out with my husband about because I was crap and my technique was awful and I used to ache like crazy, he was determined I should be doing them just because they are amazing. Then all of a sudden, one weight became a bit too light and I started to look and feel stronger. Then I learned to love it 🙂

Promise yourself you will do a month of once/twice a week and I’m sure you’ll notice a difference, then you want to do it more. Hopefully 😀

If you want real world strength, banging weights out isn’t the most effective way of getting it.

I think you need to decide whether it’s strength or muscle you want to build.

Fwiw weights bore the shit outta me too.

Have a look at Wendler 5 3 1 as a programme. It’s progressive, builds in recovery and you can vary your assistance exercises to keep it interesting. Just keep on moving the core 4 lifts up. I use an online calculator to set up my work every 4 weeks.

Edit : real world strength is moved on nicely in the gym “banging weights”

What plan have you been following? I’ve been doing Strong Lifts for the past year or so and as it only involves doing 3 exercises a session it’s easy to get into the habit and stick to it. You only need a basic bench, barbell and weights so I do the workout in the garden. Bit of a strange sensation doing bench presses in the rain though. 🙂

Strength training isn’t like cycling/running fitness where you can see big gains with a few weeks/months of intensive training. It’s a long term commitment over many months/years and consistancy is key. If you don’t enjoy it and don’t really want to do it I see no reason to try to force yourself. Being strong is great but it’s not the be-all and end-all and not for everyone. It’s not like having puny girl arms has held back Wiggo.

If you really want to force yourself then at least get a decent beginner’s program so you aren’t wasting your time (Rippetoe’s Starting Strength for example) which is extremely demoralising.

If you want real world strength, banging weights out isn’t the most effective way of getting it.

lol. Unless you’re genetically blessed and naturally have a physique like he-man, I’d love to know what you think “real world strength” is and how you’ve gotten it.

I do free weights in my late teens for several years then I stopped because I moved away … 🙁

I then started again two years after that but one day I forgot my basic routine and ended up injuring my back from bench press … yes, I was a macho, macho man (the song) … trying to bench press, think it was about 70kg.

I followed Joe Weider’s Bodybuilding Training System … yes, constantly looking at Arnie and Franco Columbu … the poster boys. 😳

patriotpro – Member

Fwiw weights bore the shit outta me too.

Then you don’t get it … it’s not for you. i.e. if you are bore then you are not doing it right.

p/s: for building overall strength try squat and dead lift ..

Circuit training is the best as it’s more fun

Starting strength / strong lifts are great.

But.

For god’s sake make sure you do a bit of work on technique!

i find the best motivation is having a goal, whatever that is, working towards it and then seeing results. which makes you want to carry on.

ive always been pretty skinny, so decided to ‘bulk’. lifted weights and ate ate ate. til i got a fat tum cos i wasnt doing it properly. so decided to cut. so carried on lifting weights while consuming a calorie deficit. now ive lost 2 stone, can see my abs, and my lifts havent gone down.
but i still want to strip more body fat, so will keep going til i decide to go back up again. but this time sloooooowly. ive always got a goal, so im always motivated and looking forward to next session.

i know we all have different agendas, but thats just how i stay motivated personally 🙂

nmdbasetherevenge – Member

Circuit training is the best as it’s more fun

Yes, I am sure that’s fun 😆

I hate running …

sadexpunk – Member

i find the best motivation is having a goal, whatever that is, working towards it and then seeing results. which makes you want to carry on.

Try this for motivation when your partner (female) paid you compliments for your nice legs and calves.

If you want to improve your strength then work out a routine around the basic, compound exercises:
Bench press and dips for chest
Overhead press for shoulder
Seated rowing/pulldowns for upper back
Dead lifts or squats for legs and lower back.
No more than twice a week otherwise you won’t recover between sessions.
I used to find 3 sets of 6-8 reps worked best for me – I’d use a weight I could do 6 reps with and build up to 8 over a few weeks, then increase the weight.
You need to keep a training diary and record your progress, right down to the weight and reps for each set.
With regular sessions you’ll see your numbers go up from session to session and you can start setting yourself targets.
The most important thing is to have a structured routine and stick to it so that you can progress. If you’re just moving from one machine to the next with no real direction then you’re just wasting your time – you won’t see any improvement and will give up.

nmdbasetherevenge – Member
Circuit training is the best as it’s more fun

Yes, I am sure that’s fun

I hate running …

Not running, something like

Motivation?

Er, powerwanks?

Motivation for me is thinking about it in a different way.

Like you, I don’t enjoy weights at all. I don’t enjoy parts of my diet either. However, I do them for a reason, not for a hobby. Who cares if you enjoy it, just do it because you need to.

That’s my mind set anyway and it’s kept me going for almost my first full year.

Who needs weights when you’ve got one-arm hanging leg lifts?…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdzasJklxw[/video]

you could try the p90x dvds. Worked for me and found it easy to follow

Track your progress on a site like fitocracy and set yourself targets: https://www.fitocracy.com/home/

I hate weight training as its dullllllllllllll. I am well into kettle bell circuits. No running and it gets the heart pounding more than normal circuits IMHO.

That video is mental. Also, wtf is the guy saying in the track? It sounds like “Let’s get tuna blood”

I love weight training. The satisfaction you get when you manage a set right at your limit is very addictive. I get a real endorphin high out of it – same as when you finish a race on a bike.

However I did get bored of training on my own so have moved to a different gym where all the sessions are coached and they set the training programme for you. Really enjoying it so far.