If the gym isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong

Do you have to bargain with or trick yourself to get exercising? Jess Wolny reckons that if the gym isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong

Here’s something I see all the time: people who go to the gym, then immediately try to pretend that they’re somewhere, anywhere else. You know those people. They’re either watching the TV hooked up to their treadmill, balancing a glossy magazine on the handlebars of their exercise bike or Tweeting about their workout (‘my rest periods are too long, LOL’) or talking on the phone in between sets.

I feel bad for these people, because you know what? The gym isn’t supposed to be a chore that you distract yourself from, like doing the washing up. It’s supposed to be a fun part of your day where you escape from the stupid stuff in everyday life and focus on yourself. If you work an office job, it might be the one time in your day when you get to do something physical, and see what your body’s capable of. So if you aren’t enjoying it, that’s because you’re doing it wrong.

Here’s how to fix it.

Change your workout

Whatever results you’re looking for, chances are there’s more than one way to go about it. Want to lose fat, but hate running? Try intense circuit-style training. Want to build muscle but don’t like ‘tempo’ training (where you raise and lower the weights to a slow count)? Focus on big, heavy lifts. Can’t stand one bit of kit? Use a different one. Sure, some methods are better than others, but if you absolutely hate one style of training, then any decent personal trainer will be able to suggest alternatives that will do the job just as well.

Have a plan that includes progress

This is where most people fall down. If you’re just going to the gym and throwing around weights or jumping onto the rowing machine, you’re going to get bored eventually. Either get a trainer to write you a program that includes progression from week to week, or get a (reputable) one off the internet – there are dozens. If you can’t do that, at least keep track of your personal bests in a few key lifts (I’d suggest the squat, deadlift and maybe a 500m row) and aim to better them.

Focus on your form

It’s no coincidence that most guys (it’s usually guys – sorry, guys) who text or Tweet between sets lift with form that absolutely sucks. That’s because your rest periods should usually be just long enough to go over the key form pointers for whatever lift you’re doing. For the squat, this might be: heels down, chest up, get depth at the bottom. For the bench, it might be to keep your forearms vertical, push your head into the bench and touch the bar to the same part of your chest each time. It’s a great way of staying mindful and ‘present’ when you lift.

Make it harder

Wait, this is going to make you hate the gym less? Yup. Because if you lift heavier, or push yourself harder on the cardio machines, you won’t be able to focus on anything but what you’re doing while you do it. And if you’ve got your rest periods right, they’ll be just long enough for you to suck it up, get yourself back together, and get ready to go again. Don’t believe me? Try getting up to a solid deadlift – even if you’re resting for five minutes between sets, that five minutes will go super-fast. The payoff, by the way, is the massive flood of feel-good endorphins from pushing your body to its limits.

So there you go! Try those tips next time you hit the gym, and save the magazines for later.

For more from Jess check out jessicawolny.com