I can imagine people having fun getting lost in the flow of playing a competitive sport. I’ve also heard some people experience a post-workout high. But does anyone actually feel pleasure in the moment while lifting weights, jogging, cycling, etc?
If so… what does it feel like? Is there anything the rest of us can do to cultivate such a mindset?
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Ever bitten into a spicy pepper and enjoyed the burn? That’s what it feels like! Different strokes for different folks, but for me, every drop of sweat is a medal of honor. It’s tough to describe, but it’s about the journey of getting stronger, faster, better. Embrace the grind, my friend, and you might just find that elusive gym rat bliss.
No. Never. I think I’m very different because I am never motivated, nor feel good during/after exercise. No, my testosterone is fine.
I am not a fan of other workouts but I LOVE cycling. Wind in my face, sightseeing, ability to push harder or just cruise to catch my breath makes it really enjoyable IMO.
I’m walking every street in my (very large) suburb (think Southern California) and picking up litter while doing so. I track my progress with an app and map it to a website (citystrides.com) that fills in each neighborhood as I go.
It started as something to do during Covid–although I took a year off in there, somewhere. I listen to podcasts while I go. So I’m out of the house (I’m retired now–that helps), get some “fresh” air (🤷♂️ )–all while listening to and from and about interesting people. As a bonus, the space I’ve passed thru that day is a little “better” for me having been there.
I apparently have a dose of “completeism”–a compulsion to ‘complete’ something thoroughly. There’s something psychologically very satisfying about watching that map get filled in.
It’s type 2 fun. You don’t want to do it, but you’re glad you did when you do
I like running, I had a knee injury and I miss running so much. I really have to make myself do weights though.
Wow, this thread has been really eye opening. As someone who completely hates exercise (I honestly can’t imagine many other things that are more unpleasant), it had never really occurred to me that people exercised because they genuinely enjoyed it. I always just assumed that everyone else hated it and just forced themselves into it.
one lesson life gave me was:
no matter how fundamentally and universally hated you think something is, there’s always some individuals, communities and/or cultures who enjoy said thing.
the same opposition goes for things you assume everyone loves.
it’s amazing how incredibly complex and diverse humans are.
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Have you tried cycling for cardio? I used to be just like you but riding a bike fast is such an enjoyable experience to me that I forget I am doing cardio in the first place.
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At the gym the rowing machines were always my least hated cardio machine. The exercise bikes there don’t do cycling any justice because you obviously don’t get a sense of speed
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Lifting is ok, going TO the gym sucks.
I’ve always had sporty hobbies so at least I’m somewhat in shape. Over the years I did karate, parkour, bouldering, football, volleyball, and ive been deeeep onto hema for a long time now.
I just love having an activity that is basically “playing” but very physical. Even when i feel like I’m not progressing, I’m still having a good time and get to completely exhaust myself once a week.
Rock climbing and bouldering combine the fun of a puzzle with a workout and very real goals/improvements you get to work towards. It’s also not just “I did 5 more pounds!”
For me I hate a squat rack or bench but climbing never really feels like working out.
Couldn’t agree with this more. I started climbing a month ago and I’m fully obsessed, it’s like a sport designed for people who like video games. Each route is a level that needs completing and the initial progress is so fast and rewarding that you just want to come back and beat that grade that you couldn’t get a week ago.
I have a 6c which I fall asleep thinking about right now, the crux seems so doable from the ground and then feels impossible when I’m there. I bought a hangboard to train finger strength so I can beat it faster, and that is definitely more akin to working out, but I see it more as grinding or overlevelling to beat that piece of shit boss you’ve died to 10times in a row.
Bouldering is like a phone game, each level is less than a minute long and requires a specific skill to be unlocked to beat it, over time these skills combine to allow you to beat a harder problem without you even realising you’ve levelled up. Top rope is like a console/pc game where levels take longer to complete and rely on managing resources and your strats.
It also helps a ton that I feel 5x healthier already and am stronger than I’ve been in my life. Climbing is seriously awesome.
I bought a hangboard to train finger strength so I can beat it faster
Be careful how you’re using it if you’re a male. Knuckle calcification is pretty much an inevitability, but bouldering and hangboard type exercises speed it up significantly. They exert a lot more force on the knuckles, and so they’re more likely to cause microfractures that get filled up with calcium.
I’ve competed in sport climbing for years without too many changes. A single season of preparing for and competing in bouldering left my knuckles like 20% wider, I can’t bend them fully anymore, and my hands were shaking for months.
Yeah good call, I’ve had a few warnings and I won’t be using it daily or anything like that, it’s usually a post climb exercise for me, or if I can’t climb on my usual days I will do a short training session, maybe 20min or so total with 1minute rests between hangs (usually one jug one finger pocket thing).
I’m still very new to this and can only hang for 10 seconds from fingers alone, still a long way to go.
Yep, you have a very palpable sense of progression in these sports.
That problem that looked impossible a couple months ago suddenly feels doable and eventually almost easy.
Yes. It’s my meditation moment. I don’t have to think about anything other than my posture and movement. I just put on the music I like and go. It also helps relieve tension and frustration when something bad happens during your day. And I feel great afterwards. That post-workout high is real.
I used to. Lifting weights helped me in many aspects of my life. Particularly in regards to making goals and seeing them through. It was difficult to get into but once I started seeing results (pretty quickly) the gym became my second home for years. And then my daughter got sick and I got depressed and now it’s been 5 years and god I miss it but just haven’t been able to get back
You can do it!
I feel pleasure while my bicycle. The feeling is a mixture of childhood play and feelgood brain chemicals.
I like to go fast :)
I know exactly what you’re talking about. I can’t run seriously anymore (knees failing me), but I still dream about running fast and easily.
Similarly, when you get a smooth bike ride up to 20+ MPH and cruise there it’s really fun.
I like the feeling of progress as I’m still in the “noticeable improvement” phase of workouts, but while I’m actually on the bike I just kinda feel bored
I can push through it but it’s a means to an end, and I feel better after, not during.
you need a ferrari, not a bicycle
You missed the point about exercise…
Are you trying to get them killed? Ferraris are expensive death machine.
Number go up, weight get heavier, me happy.
Back to using few words, Kevin?
Why use many word when few do trick?
Yep. Especially after the training it’s like “yeah man I did it”.
Also, it’s all about consistency. Perfectionism is the enemy of consistency. Don’t be a perfectionist. Just be consistent and soon you’ll see results.
Like I see some people who just started working out and do as many push-ups or any other excercise with as many reps as they possibly can and after they’re exhausted.
That’s wrong. These people think that if you don’t do 100 pushups first day you’re a failure.
No, do even one push up. It’s more that 0. Then do 2, then 5, then 10, then 5 again coz you don’t feel like it today.
Like don’t starve for perfectionism. Just be consistent and you’ll actually get to enjoy working out. It’s a great way to clear your mind, have a healthy body, build muscles, better body chemistry and less diseases etc. Be consistent, not perfect. And avoid guys who make you feel you’re not doing enough. These guys will make you feel like every exercise should be perfect or with the highest reps possible or smth.
Climbing is the first time I had fun working out - the problem solving aspect of it is fantastic, and no route is the same. I even started training specifically to be come better at it. Now the trick is to not get injured when you get too psyched
+1 for climbing. Either full wall climbing or bouldering.
