Is working out supposed to feel like this?
Is working out supposed to feel like this?
I started doing cardio for a couple of months, 3 times a week (25 minutes a piece), it was annoying and i really didnt like but sure whatever i pushed through the boredom.
The REAL shit started when i actually worked out (we have workout machines in a nearby park), for almost 3 months im doing 20 minutes workout a day (5 times a week) and every. single. time. it feels like its getting more difficult to do than before.
I always heard stuff like "it gets better over time" or "your body just needs to get used to it"
but i dont feel anything like this, when im done i feel miserable thinking that i gotta do it again the next day, every single minute of workout i do feels so much longer than its actually is.
Im not silly(hopefully), i know how to workout probably, i made sure to look it up beforehand so as to not break my bones or something and the machines clearly describe with a manual printed ON them how to use them.
Is this it? is workout always gonna feel like shit? Am i just doing it wrong? Was the euphoria or adrenaline you are supposed to feel just a silly or or a thing i just dont get?
apologies is this is the wrong community i just dont feel like there is any else i wouldnt be like, laughed out of
I'm certainly no expert, but my guess is that working out 5 days a week, you're not giving your muscles enough downtime between workouts to heal. Try backing it down to 3 days a week and see if that improves anything.
to be clear, 3 days, 20 minutes a pop?
I'd start there, yeah. If the exercise is getting harder, not easier, as the weeks go by, what you're doing is too intense. Drop the frequency until it's easier, then work your way back up to 5x a week if that's your goal. If you really want to do 5x a week, then lower the weight/duration/whatever until it begins getting easier week by week. But remember- if you never rest, then your body can never recover. 5x a week is quite a lot to start out with.
Do you enjoy the exercises you have picked? I used to force myself to run, but like you, the minutes seemed to drag on. I made the switch to cycling and found that I couldn't get enough. I mean, technically my body can only handle so much time on my bike, but the mental strain was significantly reduced.
Consistency is key, and doing exercises I actually enjoy helps me consistently show up.
i tried running, it had the same effect, probably worse cause with ti i was heavily out of breath in a VERY short amount of time
and no, i do not have an exercise i actually enjoy, and i frankly do not know how i would go about finding on. exercise to me isnt really something to be enjoyed
It's understandable if you're out of breath after a short amount of time when starting out. You're only a few months in, and it takes several months / years to condition yourself mentally and physically. Assuming you don't have a medical condition, start slower, and try to find a pace that is manageable for longer durations.
As for finding an exercise you enjoy, that is personal and depends on your circumstances. I started with running, then tried rowing, and finally settled on cycling. There are even more options for cardio, like hiking, swimming, jumping rope, dancing, etc. You just have to try them out and see which one is the most enjoyable. Try as many cardio exercises as you can, and you should find yourself enjoying one more than the rest, even if they all suck. If you do that, you can focus on that exercise for a few months and see what kind of progress you make. That approach worked for me, and maybe it will work for you.
Echoing what others have said - look into a gym or classes. It could be that your form is also bad which only serves to sap you of energy and risk injury without getting the reward of increased strength or endurance. Also, I would look to do longer sessions, fewer times per week. 3 x 45-60min workouts per week engages your muscles long enough to make an impact and gives them ample time to heal in between. Also, diet can't be overstated here.
Off the top of my head, maybe:
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You're pushing yourself too hard and not giving your muscles time to repair. You don't build muscle during the workout. You build it during the rest in between; especially sleep.
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Diet is wrong. Weigh and log everything you consume and make sure you're hitting your daily requirements.
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Drinking too much alcohol, which inhibits the bodies ability to repair and grow (remember, it's a poison). Same goes for smoking and most drugs.
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Old. Takes longer to repair.
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Possible health issue. If none of the above apply, see a Dr and get a blood test to be sure it's not something else. I imagine all/most vitamin deficiencies impact muscle growth.
Also, machines aren't the best to build real strength. Free weights require balance and a larger range of motion so work more muscle groups. They build practical strength instead of vanity muscles, which is better for long term bone density, posture, and overall health.
very detailed, alright so
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when it comes to diet, im actually weighing it so it wont go over a certain threshold in terms of weight, no fried food, no red meat, more soja alternatives and so on, so while it certainly may be wrong (cause im dumb lel) but it is better than anything i have eaten before this
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im not sure what you mean with old takes longer to repair? might just be my english, apologies.
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can you recommend some free weights for woman? are there like...gendered version? does it even matter?
2 - I think they just mean as you get older, it takes longer for your body to repair. If you're in your early 20's, you can throw lots of stress at your body and recover quickly... But as you get into your 30's, 40's, and beyond, you have to be more careful about the activities you choose.
3 - Free weights aren't gendered. You just pick a weight that works for you-- Not so light that there's no effort, and not so heavy that you can't do the exercise properly. Free weights usually mean dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells.
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The REAL shit started when i actually worked out (we have workout machines in a nearby park), for almost 3 months im doing 20 minutes workout a day (5 times a week) and every. single. time. it feels like its getting more difficult to do than before.
Because it is...Go light a few days and see if you start recovering. If it's just pain every day, you're going too hard. There's a baseline level of hurt you'll deal with if you exercise regularly...and you start to kind of like it (which is what everyone means when they say "it gets easier"). But if that starts getting to be too much, then you're just going too hard.
I think you'd be better off doing 40-60m every 2-3 days than trying to maintain 20 minutes every day.
The other thing, 3 months isn't really that long. You should start rolling out of the initial hurt by then, but that depends on your age and how out of shape you are. Lighten your load a little and keep at it. It WILL pay off.
i would consider myself not that out of shape but certainly not an athlete.
3 months isnt that long yes but the baseline doesnt feel like it changes at all, like the first day feels like the last.
im 30 btw
I've got a decade on you. I really let myself go in my late 30s and picked up a bunch of sports in my early 40s.
I hurt, but mostly it's a good hurt. There are days when I know I have to take a light day...or a light few days. I don't know how to explain that other than I kind of know my body these days. We hate each other, but we do talk. :)
But, seriously, go light for a few days and see how you feel. Then go hard again. It took me a while, but after 2 years or so of picking it up, I'm in the 2nd best shape I've been in my life. (I'll never beat early 20s me when I was playing basketball and soccer daily).
What specifically are you doing during your workout, and in what way does it feel more difficult?
Are you feeling pain? If so, what kind? Nausea? Persistent fatigue?
How are you eating and hydrating a few hours before and after your workout?
Those details will help figure out what's going on. You're not supposed to feel bad. It's supposed to feel challenging and draining to some extent, and you might feel sore afterwards, but it should be manageable, and eventually rewarding.
What specifically are you doing during your workout, and in what way does it feel more difficult?
Steps, pullups and i think its called rowing, those are the main free im doing
Are you feeling pain? If so, what kind? Nausea? Persistent fatigue?
persistent fatigue is the big one
How are you eating and hydrating a few hours before and after your workout?
im drinking during it and i have lunch roughly an hour or two afterwards
Okay, good info. And what kind of intensity? Are you just grinding away for the whole 20 minutes straight? Are you breaking your exercises up into sets, and taking breaks between sets? Most people spend longer than 20 minutes on their workout, but aren't actually exercising the whole time... Sometimes spending more time taking breaks than actually working 🙃
Also, pullups are pretty hard (unless they're assisted somehow). Do they feel hard for you? Do you feel like you need to "cheat" to finish them?
Just trying to get more info to see if there's something odd about what you're doing. What you've described so far doesn't sound like you're necessarily overdoing it (even the 5 days a week part), but there might be some detail that would help explain.
Update: was trying to do 40min every two days, couldn't even get through the second training day, barely reached 30 minutes
The biggest problem now is the massive weight of boredom and the crushing responsibility of keeping my own thoughts in check as a result
I just can't do this shit man
You need to either alternate the muscle groups that you work every day (leg day, arm day, core, back, etc.) Or your take one day to recover. And 20 minutes doesn't sound like a lot if you work out your whole body.
You should reach out to a private trainer/kinesiologist to help build you a plan and instruct you how to properly execute the referees. Doing an exercise wrong can hurt you.
Tell them your objectives and they'll give you a list of exercises you can do depending on how much time you want to dedicate.
Normally if your have a gym membership, they usually offer a free session every 6 months or so. Otherwise it's worth spending a few bucks on one session to build the plan properly.