Post: #1

I've spent a few days for the last two weeks trying to do my dumbells to build some basic strength and don't enjoy it at all. What's wrong with this? I'm not complaining but I don't understand why I don't enjoy it. I feel like I'm wasting time while I'm lifting and also feel like it's a stupid thing to do. I guess these are blocking my progress to pursue weights.

I have set out to do three lifting workouts a week with my dumbells. The first week was fine, second week I did one day and my arms were too sore to continue for the following days so I just didn't do them. This week I'm coming up with the above excuses but they seem rational to me.

Am I just talking myself out through resistance or am I being fair with myself? Anyone experienced this when starting out before? How do I get over it besides the obvious 'just do it' mentality? At this point I don't feel like I'm achieving much and also finding it to be a chore rather. Is this the 'instant gratification' creeping in too?

Post: #2

Forget about dumbbells, those are more for sculpting. Learn how to do barbell exercises like the bench, the squat and the deadlift. Also mix in pull-ups and push-ups. These are full-body exercises that require maximal energy. They will transform your body and make you feel excellent, and that's why you'll keep doing them.

Post: #3

Why did you begin to lift in the first place?
If you think you have no reason to lift, how do you want to find motivation?
Are you happy with your current body?

Post: #4

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Your body will be fucking sore because it's never done anything of that nature before. Once it becomes more accustomed to the weight and you build strength/mass, you'll notice that extreme soreness won't occur as much (or not at all). Keep that in mind.

Post: #5

Force yourself to keep going for the next few months. You should begin to like it more and more. Thats exactly what happened with me. If you keep lifting for a few more months and can't get into it, find some other form of fitness/passion and work on that.

Post: #6

I just commented on your inner game thread.

You obviously have a mental block.

Why are you trying to lift weights? Why are you trying to improve yourself?

It seems like you have some cognitive dissonance to work through.

What do you want out of life? Where do you picture yourself in 5 years?

This has a lot more to do with your mindset than lifting weights. Some soul searching should help you figure out some direction.

Post: #7

Yeah, I just read/commented on your "inner confidence" thread too. Simply put, you should be sick and tired of being sick and tired. Tell yourself that in the mirror each morning, get mad about it if you have to. Immediately, before even lifting a weight:

- Clean up your diet
- If you jerk off, stop
- get to bed at a reasonable hour
- spend less time on/with electronics (internet, TV, videogames)

My hunch is that your testosterone is low. THese above things, plus lifting weights, will increase test. It's like in the move "Three Kings" where they talk about courage. George Clooney's character explains that you do the thing you're scared shitless of first, and then you get the courage to do it afterwards. The guy he's talking to says "shouldn't it work the other way?", to which Clooney's character replies "It should, but it doesn't". Start doing shit, even if it's small steps, and increase each day.

Post: #8

(01-10-2017 12:35 AM)youngblazer Wrote:  Forget about dumbbells, those are more for sculpting.

Don't listen to this ^

Barbells are the best for lower body (DBs become too heavy as you progress to properly use them for things like squats) but DBs are excellent for upper body work and many believe superior for things like bench press (it's what the pros do).

Post: #9

Muscles don't sculpt, tone, or anything like that. Muscles either: 1) Grow, 2)Shrink, or 3) Stay the same. The shape of your muscle is genetically determined. When people talk about "sculpting", this is really growing muscle and decreasing body fat. And you can't "spot reduce" body fat, just like you can't influence where fat gets deposited on your body.

Post: #10

I used to see it as a chore too. Id get home from work, and quickly do my workout so then i could do what i really wanted to do, which was pour myself a drink.

But somewhere along the line I became less excited about the drink than I was about the lifting. Work on it long enough and regular enough and the same thing will happen to you.

Post: #11

You don't just wake up crazy about lifting one day. One could say you grow into it.

Even if you don't like it, it's neccesarry if you want to build a killer body. Stay at it a few years.

Post: #12

Get some pre-workout powder, Turn on Metallica's S&M album...

Then ask yourself if You are tired of being weak mentally and physically.

You are?

Then get to work.

Post: #13

(01-10-2017 01:19 AM)nek Wrote:  Yeah, I just read/commented on your "inner confidence" thread too. Simply put, you should be sick and tired of being sick and tired. Tell yourself that in the mirror each morning, get mad about it if you have to. Immediately, before even lifting a weight:

- Clean up your diet
- If you jerk off, stop
- get to bed at a reasonable hour
- spend less time on/with electronics (internet, TV, videogames)

My hunch is that your testosterone is low. THese above things, plus lifting weights, will increase test. It's like in the move "Three Kings" where they talk about courage. George Clooney's character explains that you do the thing you're scared shitless of first, and then you get the courage to do it afterwards. The guy he's talking to says "shouldn't it work the other way?", to which Clooney's character replies "It should, but it doesn't". Start doing shit, even if it's small steps, and increase each day.

This resonated with me a lot. Thanks for the post man

Post: #14

Reading this essay by Jack Donovan worked wonders regarding my mindset in relation to training: All Training is Sacrifice

In essence, all training is sacrifice. You sacrifice pain, discomfort, sweat, blood and time to a future, better version of yourself. Every hour of toil in the gym is directed at the future You, who will be thankful that you made the sacrifice.

Post: #15

"And don't enjoy it at all. "

You don't have to enjoy it. If you want the results, you do it. I want the results.

Post: #16

Be forever small then.

Post: #17

For me, I have to go to a gym. Also, you won't see much from just "my dumbbells", unless they go up to a lot of weight (you didn't specify at all).

But to the real point...find your motivation. The mix of motivations is different for everybody. 95% of lifting is hard work and doesn't feel great. You have to find those little positive feedbacks to motivate you to keep going.

Strength - Get 5 more pounds than you did last time. This is tough with home dumbbells, but if you're a goal setter who gets excited about pushing that extra 5 lbs, this is motivating. (I don't have much of this...I don't care much about strength gains, but a lot of guys do)

Chemical feedback - This requires active monitoring. You have to really really appreciate the positive feeling of dopamine and testosterone pumping through your blood. Notice it. Journal it. Don't forget how awesome it feels.

Aesthetic - Watch your muscles as you lift, this is why the gym has mirrors. It's not because we think we're so ripped we want to check out our body. It's so we come back. When you get home and look in the mirror, you won't notice much. The lighting will suck and your swole will be gone. You have to catch those little glimpses where you look different.

Girl feedback - If you have enough genetics for it, girl(s) will notice. I've written before, girls will notice this oftentimes before we do. Somehow their holistic awareness allows them to see slight changes like this.

I've written why I lift before. I didn't start lifting until I was 30.

Post: #18

What does the rest of your life look like, routine-wise? Are you sleeping and waking on a regular schedule? How much do you drink? Are you overweight? Do you depend on caffeine? How old are you?

The gym, specifically weight training, is a critical supplement to a rounded and maximally enjoyable life. You don't need to enjoy the time you spend in there, you just need to be doing the movements and shifting the poundages that bring the rewards that come with progressive resistance training.

Personally, I get very little enjoyment out of 60-70% of my training sessions. Most of the time I'm just doing the work. However, what I love about the gym is what it does for the rest of my life. I look good, girls take any excuse to touch my arms and chest (I'm no BB, at best I have a good outline in clothes), I feel good, I can fuck for hours, I have an abundance of testosterone in my system that helps me walk tall, take risks, be aggressive when necessary, and go after the finer things in life - these are worth 40-60 minutes of mild drudgery 2-3 times/week. More than anything the gym, combined with a regular sleep schedule, good diet, moderate alcohol consumption and limited caffeine intake, keeps me feeling incredibly *even* through all of life's stressors.

I was reminded of the importance of all of this at the weekend. I went out two nights in a row, drank only a few drinks each night, which is more than I am used to, slept relatively little (5hrs or so each night), smoked a few fags, and ate badly (this after a disruptive period over Xmas). On Sunday I was literally consumed 3 or 4 times with a feeling close to despair - really overwhelmed by all of the various pressures I have in my life at the moment (eg. I run a fast growing business which is always finely balanced between the next success and failure, and have various debts I would struggle to repay if it all went wrong). Normally, I have no troubles at all - I had an incredibly stressful year last year, and can only recall one minor wobble. On Sunday, I felt dreadful - almost moved to tears over something dumb on the radio.

I think I lead a more stressful life than most, but I can't imagine how terrible it would be to be at the mercy of minor fluctuations in mood which are then exacerbated out of all proportion by lifestyle factors. The gym is an important part of the evenness of temperament I usually enjoy. You don't have to love the time in the gym. In a very real sense the least important part of the work is the bit you do whilst you're actually lifting (though sometimes it can be a great release). Sometimes it is important just to recognise that there are benefits to be reaped which outweigh the costs substantially, and that one must simply knuckle down and do the work.

Post: #19

Agreed with H1N1. Take a stand on your health. I used to get MEGA angry about my old job. Like, I once considered plotting to kill all my co-workers. Then I realized I was being a weakling and figured I would work harder and I would hit the gym 3 days a week to burn off excess energy.

The point i'm making is that you gotta get some leverage on yourself. Are you just going for girls? Despite what people tell you, going to the gym just to look good for other people doesn't make you motivated. Find a real reason to go. maybe you wanna get strong enough to be good at Muay Thai or something.

Post: #20

This obviously has less to do with weigh lifting and more to do with your inner game OP.

Post: #21

Once you figure out your inner motivation, as per prevoius posters (great advice)

1) Don't do random shit at the gym, that is useless and gets boring. Follow a solid program.

2) set realistic goals. That way you will now what you are training for, your objectives. Every workout is a baby step in a broader, long term process.

3) track improvements in a log.

4) every month check your previous logs. Seeing how much you have improved will give you the motivation and sense of purpose you seem to be lacking.

Every time I think I'm stuck and I'm going nowhere, I look at my logs and think... " Damn... 1 year ago I thought I was stuck at weight xxx, now it's my warmup"

Most people go day after day and lift the exact same weight with no objective or log tracking. It's easy to think "this is pointless" when you do that.

Post: #22

(01-10-2017 12:09 AM)PoetryOfEros Wrote:  I've spent a few days for the last two weeks trying to do my dumbells to build some basic strength and don't enjoy it at all. What's wrong with this? I'm not complaining but I don't understand why I don't enjoy it. I feel like I'm wasting time while I'm lifting and also feel like it's a stupid thing to do. I guess these are blocking my progress to pursue weights.

I have set out to do three lifting workouts a week with my dumbells. The first week was fine, second week I did one day and my arms were too sore to continue for the following days so I just didn't do them. This week I'm coming up with the above excuses but they seem rational to me.

Am I just talking myself out through resistance or am I being fair with myself? Anyone experienced this when starting out before? How do I get over it besides the obvious 'just do it' mentality? At this point I don't feel like I'm achieving much and also finding it to be a chore rather. Is this the 'instant gratification' creeping in too?

Maybe your body is trying to tell you something?
Sounds like you are overtraining and/or not having enough sleep and protein.

I do weights myself. But I think certain redpillers have tunnel vision bordering on obsession with heavy weights as the answer all the time.

You don't HAVE TO lift weights. Infact most athletes didn't until the 1980s or so.
PLus Mike Tyson was about the most devastating heavyweight puncher ever. Guess what? HE DIDN'T DO WEIGHTS!!!
There ARE alternatives for strength.

Anyway, what I suggest is, do a stripped down course. Don't spend hours in the gym. You can get books which give you a full workout with as little as SIX exercises, one set per exercise. And yes proper bodybuilders have used these courses too.

You might want to do a quick workout at home instead of all the gym stuff.

Do what you enjoy with exercise. There's zillions of things you can do. For strength, bulk and general fitness.
I've got lots of fast twitch muscle fibre. Nothing invigorates me like doing lots of quick punches and kicks and martial arts. Whereas some people just want to run for hours, or deadlift the weight of a car.

Finally check your sleep, health, and nutritition are good enough especially consuming lots of protein.
Insufficient protein will leave you feeling burnt out.

Post: #23

Quote:Why did you begin to lift in the first place?

If you think you have no reason to lift, how do you want to find motivation?

Are you happy with your current body?

Because it told me to in the Roosh Program, because I'm tired of being skinny fat and weakling, because I want to be more productive.

I want to find motivation by knowing I'm not just doing this in vain.

I'm unhappy with my skinny fat belly.

Quote:Nothing worth doing is easy.

Your body will be fucking sore because it's never done anything of that nature before. Once it becomes more accustomed to the weight and you build strength/mass, you'll notice that extreme soreness won't occur as much (or not at all). Keep that in mind.

So obvious that I overlooked this, appreciated!!

Quote:Force yourself to keep going for the next few months. You should begin to like it more and more. Thats exactly what happened with me. If you keep lifting for a few more months and can't get into it, find some other form of fitness/passion and work on that.

Thanks, really I probably haven't given myself long enough to enjoy it, maybe you're right.

Quote:You obviously have a mental block.

Why are you trying to lift weights? Why are you trying to improve yourself?

It seems like you have some cognitive dissonance to work through.

What do you want out of life? Where do you picture yourself in 5 years?

This has a lot more to do with your mindset than lifting weights. Some soul searching should help you figure out some direction.

Mental block? Hmmm, big words, not sure about that.

I'm trying to lift weights to improve my skinny fat situation and become more productive. I'm trying to improve myself because I'm not enjoying the results I'm getting in life.

Again, not sure what my cognitive dissonance is, I don't see a problem with trying to improve myself, I'm just encountering resistance. I'm assuming that's normal for most guys.

Out of life I'm not sure what I want, maybe you're onto something. In 5 years? I haven't thought that far ahead really, hmmm.

Mindset? I think it may be a lack of ambition? Soul searching for sure, really got me thinking about what I want from life...

Quote:Clean up your diet
- If you jerk off, stop
- get to bed at a reasonable hour
- spend less time on/with electronics (internet, TV, videogames)

Actionable advice, always a welcome. Thanks.

Quote:My hunch is that your testosterone is low.

My doctor says I'm fine.

Quote:Forget about dumbbells, those are more for sculpting.

Don't listen to this ^

Conflicting advice from these two users.

Quote:You don't just wake up crazy about lifting one day. One could say you grow into it.

Even if you don't like it, it's neccesarry if you want to build a killer body. Stay at it a few years.

Perfect!! This is the most reasonable advice I've read thanks.

Quote:Reading this essay by Jack Donovan worked wonders regarding my mindset in relation to training: All Training is Sacrifice

In essence, all training is sacrifice. You sacrifice pain, discomfort, sweat, blood and time to a future, better version of yourself. Every hour of toil in the gym is directed at the future You, who will be thankful that you made the sacrifice.

Thanks.

Didn't reply to everyone, all comments appreciated.

Post: #24

Reread what Cobra wrote OP.

You need to replace your negative habits with positive ones. One of these can be exercise. After a while it becomes addicting. But don't focus on gains or how you look because that will just depress you. Just be aware of how you feel after a workout or run etc.

Post: #25

(01-11-2017 09:38 AM)BelyyTigr Wrote:  Mike Tyson was about the most devastating heavyweight puncher ever. Guess what? HE DIDN'T DO WEIGHTS!!!

Really?

Quick google search and..

Quote:Daily Regimen (7 days a week):

5 AM: Get up and go for a 3 mile jog

6 AM: Come back home, shower, and go back to bed

10 AM wake up: Eat oatmeal

12 PM: Do ring work (10 rounds of sparring)

2 PM: Have another meal (steak and pasta with fruit juice)

3 PM: More ring work and 60 mins on the exercise bike

5 PM: 2000 sit-ups, 500-800 dips, 500 press-ups, 500 shrugs with a 30kg barbell, and 10 mins of neck exercises

7 PM: Steak and pasta meal with fruit juice

8 PM: Another 30 minutes on the exercise bike then watch TV and go to bed

Nice point BelyyTigr. I thought I knew more about Iron Mike. +1 rep