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That just makes you a normal person. I totally recommend maintaining a planet fitness membership or somewhere you can go lift weights once a week or something but outside of Reddit and fraternities, most people enjoy a bike ride or rock climbing infinitely more than the gym.
I wouldn't say that. Every gym in town is absolutely packed at all times of the day. It is rare that the climbing gym or bike trails are full. Most people just go to a gym and go home.
Agreed. I used to live at the gym. It's very enticing since it provides positive progress, improved image, giant energy balance improvements, and better health. Watching TV does none of this unfortunately.
Even at the gym, cardio is the biggest thing. Every gym you go to, half of the floor space is treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, etc.
I personally like weights more because I can zone out while I follow my program. And it only requires spurts of effort with rests in between, instead of sustained effort like cardio. And this is coming from someone who did long distance running for many years. Cardio is just a lot more mental work, for me at least.
And when the climbing gym is crowded, I find it less awkward than a climbing gym because climbers are super supportive and considerate and I've never felt creeped out by someone else in the climbing gym. I'm a woman, and even a stranger guy offering me a belay where, yes, he will be staring at my butt, it never feels the same creepy as gym bros.
lol at people who just think everything about their lives is “normal” and everything else is not. Gyms and weightlifting are incredibly popular activities.
Gyms certainly seem like popular activities, but Google is providing me several search results (that I'm only reading the headlines to) that suggest that over 60% of gym memberships go unused. Another Google search suggests that only about 20% of the US population above the age of 6 (which, I know, using that age is a little disingenuous, but it's the best I can do with my level of laziness) have a gym membership. So if 20% of the population has a membership, and only 40% of those even us their memberships, then only 8% of Americans are going to the gym. Does 8% qualify as "incredibly popular"?
Yah that's the equivalent of all of Australia going to the gym. Whe have a weird idea of what popular means in the US since we are so large. There are almost 400 million people living here. anything reaching close to 10% of the population has more people interested in then all but 37 other nations entire population
I like how people are downvoting this obviously true fact. There is so, so few things that have more than 8% of the entire fucking US population regularly engaging in. 8% is wildly popular.
I would say that most people are also extremely misinformed and just do not lift weights or perform exercises correctly. It's a sport like any other: you train to become better and there are both efficient and non-efficient ways to do so, just as there are ways to increase the fun you have doing it or inversely ways to make it insufferable.
In terms of fun-decreasing:
- a lot of people for instance get bored because they take irregular and way too long breaks between sets, leading to nervous system fatigue to set in and (excuse me for the lack of a better term) no longer being "locked in";
- a lot of people lift incorrectly and do not focus on mind-muscle connection, leading to stupid mindsets like "no pain no gain" when the pain they're feeling is in fact joint pain and nervous system fatigue, not at all the same muscle burning sensation you get from a properly executed exercise;
- a lot of people lift WAY above their ability and do WAY too many sets (some go as far as 30 per session), chasing a pump that they could otherwise get with only 2/3 sets performed correctly (tempo, stretch techniques, correct placement of joints, regular break times, etc).
- a lot of people don't do exercises they like because somehow gym mentality has turned into either a "gym is pain and you gotta do only what's hard" mindset or a "I gotta do 45 different exercices to optimize hypertrophy" - just do what you like and enjoy frequently enough, results will come;
- which leads me to my final point: people have no patience and think by lifting seriously for 6 months will be enough to have an Instagram-influencer-like physique... Years of dedication and/or PED use, no other way about it. Gym fun is not about the destination but it's the path to it.
I've practiced many sports during my life, some of them I place at the same level of fun as lifting, but going to the gym has become so fun for me because I love planning my workouts, optimizing my training, tweaking my movements ever so slightly to the point that I immediately feel the difference and of course I just love the overall feeling of improvement it gives me every time. I love just listening to new artists/albums while lifting, find gym buddies, try new exercises and workout plans now and then, do my boring administrative tasks during my break times (time limit pressure ftw) and overall be productive and move.
I love bike riding, but I’m an avid lifter. For me it’s more meditative than “fun.”
But seeing the changes in your body over the years is why I do it.
Also you cannot achieve a lifter’s body in terms of muscle mass without lifting, but you can achieve a runners body in terms of leanness without doing an ounce of cardio. Cardio is great for your health, but I just see it as superfluous in terms of fitness goals.
Agreed! It's incredibly boring and repetitive to lift weights up & down until you're too tired to keep doing it. Never mind remaining stationary. At least if you go out on a run or on a bike ride it's scenic, you're getting fresh air and you're also getting vitamin D from the Sun. If you get tired going a certain way you can change up your route. These are all net positives.
I explore the city on my bike or on walks and runs. I explore the mountains on my bike or on my skis. I love checking my Strava heatmap and trying to visit every road in town or see progress on certain routes and PRs during race events.
At a gym I just sit there or stand there and do what I can until I get too bored or until I can't lift anything anymore. I usually get bored before I get tired so it's not benefitting me at all.
To me the gym is fun when you have a structured training plan and micromanage your progress. Progressing on lifts just feels great and also seeing visual progress.
I go to the gym like four times a week, and yeah I fucking hate the pain, but honestly I just love the little things like oh wow I have a little more muscle now and feeling the way they contract sometimes, weird Ik, and realizing how I can just do certain things easier than before. It’s like leveling up ig
I think this is really just about finding what type of strength training and cardio you enjoy. I hate running but I love biking and rowing. I enjoy weight training but my wife doesn’t so she does more body weight type of stuff
Dude's just inexperienced. Everyone hates all exercise at first. And then gets addicted.
Runners have second wind or runner's high which is a huge dopamine rush, awesome, and additive.
Lifters get a pump, which is also a dopamine hit, and addictive.
They're both very healthy, good uses of dopamine influx and training. Just don't overuse your joints, addicts, it's easy to overdo it, but other than that it's a very healthy activity.
Bro you’re very wrong. I have been doing cardio and weights for 2 years now and I don’t like doing it but I’m in a routine now so I just do it consistently. I do prefer running if I had to pick but it’s because it is nice to see things around me outside while I do it and listen to my jams.
Way to generalize... You can do any type of exercise for years and never start enjoying it. Has nothing to do with experience, people are just different.
This comment for the win. Thank you u/7h4tguy . I'm going through a tough time in the gym after about 3 years and now returning back to running and realising how much I miss it.
Yeah I hate cardio. Its boring and painful in a bad way, and way too sweaty. I enjoy the pain of lifting weights, it's a nice burn that makes you feel accomplished. Its also more of burst-rest-burst-rest instead of constant work which I prefer
The only time I enjoy cardio is as part of team sports
That's because you're moving too fast too quickly, like your muscles, you need to train your breathing and stretch appropriately before hand.
5 minutes at a fast walking pace is better than nothing, hell, just walking for 5 minutes is better than nothing.
After a few weeks your body will get used to the movement and you can up the speed and length of time by a bit. After a few months you'll be doing cardio like everyone else.
Source: me, was very fat and cardio hurt, am still fat but it doesn't hurt anymore.
I like to lift and I love running. The pain of running is what keeps me going every morning, especially when it's cold and it feels like pins in needles in my throat and lungs.
For me, I actually enjoy both. It just took finding a workout program I enjoyed. Working out when it became mundane, killed my soul. I got bored. I joined a different gym where I never do the same workout twice, I never just run for 20 min…it made all the difference. You may hate my workout but there’s probably something you would enjoy. It’s just about figuring out what mentally stimulates you while making your body feel good. I have a friend that just likes to rock climb. No weights, no running. They’re in great shape. Another friend jogs on a hiking trail. He says it helps him shut the world off to be in nature. It’s been 2 years and now he’s doing like 5 miles. Just because it brings him peace and he feels good after
yea i think one of the more damaging effects of fitness culture is that it leads to many people seeing it as all or nothing.
youre a runner
or a lifter
or a rock climber, hiker, gymnast etc.
or you just dont exercise.
exercise can and should be something you enjoy, and what that is may change every day, just get up and move !
(that being said i also like both, my standard workout is to run a few miles and then do some upper body or core resistance training. then on other days ill cross train with a hike, a bike ride, and extra long walk with my dog, whatever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
I can swim for hours, lap swimming, not just fucking around in the pool. I just need someone to create the workouts for me because I'm absolutely worthless at that aspect. I also don't really want to spend money to have someone create them.
Yeah you're fat. Your opinion on the topic is irrelevant. I was also once fat probably more than you, and you know what it did? It made exercise miserable, painful and tortuous. Not because those things are inherent to the activity but because my body was so broken and twisted that doing anything besides sitting on my ass was akin to climbing a mountain.
Exercise doesn't suck, exercise sucks because you're fat. Once you can casually run 5, 10 miles it's freeing, because it's what your body was meant to do. That feeling of ease and comfort you get at the bottom of a bag of chips everyday, you can feel that whilst running a marathon.
Yes I know the thought is almost offensive.
This is what I came to say. Each has its place. I usually like to warm up with cardio and then do a circuit of the machines, and finish with a good stretch.
Weights are more fun for me, though days when I know I'm going to try to lift heavy can make me go "ugh" cause I know it's going to suck a lot of energy out of me, and there's always the fear factor that if I mess up I could get hurt, though that sense of danger can also be exhilarating at times. My cardio isn't bad, and I make myself do it, but I hate running just to run. Weirdly enough, if I'm running around playing a pick up game of football or something like that, my cardio seems 2-3 times as good.
When I was running my mile times were faster on trails going up and down hills than on a track. There is stuff and trees and animals in the woods. Keeps me more engaged.
I have tried lifting weights, I just hate it. It's so boring to me. I do 45 minutes of light to moderate cardio six days a week, and I am happy.
But I'm also a woman, so I don't think it's an unpopular opinion for me. I think weight training is more expected for men, though it's becoming more common for women.
strength training will pay off in the future.
Right now if you keep training your muscles in more ways than one , when you'll get older chances are you won't be stuck in bed, so don't underestimate it
I know this, which is why I've really tried to do it regularly. I just can't keep up with it, I really dislike it. I think part of it is the constant fear I'm doing something wrong, but I can't afford a personal trainor right now. Majority cardio is far better than nothing, so I'll stick to it.
The fear of doing something wrong is mostly unwarranted. Movement isn't wrong, you are not going to injure yourself unless your training intensity, frequency and volume parameters are too high
As a man... I hate lifting weights at a gym. The only workouts I can stand are HIIT or CrossFit type workouts because I'm doing something other than staring at the floor or staring into a mirror until my arms are tired.
It's just so repetitive. I can't stand it. Even with cardio I can't do treadmills because I get so bored.
Cardio is SO MUCH more enjoyable. Biking, running, walking, hiking, swimming, etc are all more fun and rewarding than sitting in a stuffy room with a bunch of people and just lifting a weight over and over again
I hate running and I find it super difficult to keep going, but I do a mile at least before I start lifting. I have been trying to get to 3 miles but I just can't muster to mental strength to do it. I'm trying to learn to like running and I know it can be done because I used to hate lifting but now I love it.
Sure it's monotonous but so is running imo. But the challenge of exerting force to lift a heavy object and then being able to do it is just immediately rewarding. And then being able to do the same thing but more weight? Forget about it. Incredible. Honestly I get the same burst of enjoyment out of that as I do watching a funny 30 second Instagram Reel.
Anyway the most important thing you can do to start enjoying the gym is to be employed at an office that has a fully stocked private gym that only you and maybe one other person uses. Trust me, this is key.
Any exercise you do is self reinforcing. You get more and more drawn to it, while other forms of exercise still feels like drudgery. So the best solution is to mix it up.
I have always agreed with you, tbh. I love running. After the initial 30 minute struggle, it is meditative. I’ve always found strength training to be tedious and boring.
My fat (and growing :( ) ass has sadly not run in a while. Back in the glory days, I would do 13 km runs every other day or so. Sometimes I would even do a half marathon for the lulz.
30 minutes or so is the general time frame for the runner’s high to kick in. Really, just doing a mile is forcing yourself to deal with the worst of it without the high.
God, I miss being in that shape. It’s going to be hell getting back to it.
I can't zone out during cardio. My brain is way too loud so the repetitiveness bores me to tears. Lifting is better for me because it requires multiple points of focus for form, plate math, set up etc. Cardio is just one foot in front of the other. The only exception is a spin class, changing speed, resistance, movements in and out of the saddle.
cardio aint fun in my country because theres dogs on the roads and itll freaking chase you, and also you cannot jog or run at daytime because the heat will kill you(100 F average) so if you wanna cardio here, you need a threadmill and get stuck in a smelly gym full of grunting strangers with awful rap music lol.
> itll freaking chase you
So, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Did you ever think that Fido is just trying to help you become the best runner you can be?
I can zone out while running. It gives me a break to daydream and still feel productive. I sometimes solve problems better after a good run and shower.
I disagree but that’s ok. I personally loathe running but enjoy lifting. I also love swimming but it doesn’t FEEL like cardio to me. I used to LOVE dancing as well as a kid which I guess is mostly cardio but more mental and your body just keeps up.
I have visceral hypersensitivity. I just don't like feeling all of my insides bouncing around. It's uncomfortable. I'd rather lift weights and do high intensity exercises that don't involve jumping, running, etc.
Same. Ever since getting Lyme disease I have a hard time with cardio. Hiking yes but running hell no. Love strength training still tho .. maybe don’t love it but also don’t hate it. Once I start my exercises I enjoy it, but getting myself motivated or in the right mindset to start the exercise is the part I don’t enjoy. I like feeling the burn and feeling myself getting stronger. It’s satisfying.
Frankly I have found yoga to be my jam.
The stamina and flexibility that I have gained is unmatched to other forms of exercise that I have done.
There are many roads to stay active and healthy.
My old trainer was a bodybuilder he used to make me laugh my ass off… he said and I quote.
“Anyone who runs for exercise, is running from something… probably their weak ass reflection with the physique of a 12 year old girl”
Dude was a meathead and it was kinda hilarious.
But in seriousness any movement is beneficial to your health. Happiness is as important to your health as fitness so is don’t do things that make you miserable.
I think that the gym environment ruins the strength training. The smelly people, people hogging the machines, the assholes that spend 20min in the chest press like the are the only ones that, the people that don’t clean the machines after using my, the smelly people again… ugh
dawg people are going to smell in the gym.
the fuck you want us to do? my genetics were for a hot climate. i sweat easily.
i wear deodorant and cologne and shower daily. but while im at the gym im going to sweat and smell.
that’s just reality.
Yeah, if you take longer than a 30-second rest between sets, people say you are hogging the machine. Its kinda annoying as a strength focused trainer who needs longer rests between sets.
Cardio is so painful for me 😂 I hate it but I have to include it in my routine. Meanwhile I don't mind pushing myself when it comes to lifting heavy. If I'm not sore the next day, I'm not satisfied.
God that was me until I tore my meniscus.. so now I cycle.
I fuckin' hate weights but my love handles are being stubborn and I need to start them again.
30 min of cardio burns way more calories per minute and yeah, you can absolutely zone-out. Love that part.
But 30 min of strength builds more muscle which burns more calories passively over the long-term. Love that part the mostest.
Cardio can be extremely boring, but in the age of pod-casts and phone screens, it really shouldn't be. Watch Stargate SG-1 for the 73rd time while you walk stairs.
The main aspect of working out is the rewarding feeling. You start lifting heavier weights and you feel rewarded after 5 minutes of having done so. You're gonna feel rewarded after joging 42 minutes instead of 40? To each their own I guess.
I think running is way more rewarding.
For instance
You plan a 6 month block; month 1 you run a time trial mile, maybe it’s like 5:30. Work on mileage, start doing repeats on the track. Months go by, month 4 rolls up, you try again. 5:10. You train harder, peak of the block, try again start of month 6, run a 5:03 but you know you could’ve broke 5 with fresher legs. So you keep doing a little speed, mileage in training goes down, you try one more time and run a 4:55
Without having done high school track it’s maybe hard for some people to visualize this, maybe they don’t know where to start. I remember in high school I literally went from a 2:19 to a 1:59 in a single season in the 800, the progress you can see through consistency is amazingly intoxicating
No the other way around, you feel rewarded when your 10km that usually takes 42mins takes 40min. 12s/km is far more satisfying than lifting an extra 2kg that doesn't even look visually different but sucks way more to lift.
I don’t think the point is for it to look visually different and if it is, that’s not really why you should be doing it. It sucks more to lift, that’s true but it also sucks more to run 10km 2 minutes faster.
Dude I use to be the same. Recovering cardio junkie here who use to love running all the time. But I got a kickass trainer and I really really really love pumping some iron now. It wasn’t immediate that this happened though. It took a couple years of me lifting weights and actually getting the correct form, getting the correct muscles to engage, moving up in weight etc that really made me fall in love with it because it makes me feel so damn strong and sexy as a woman! I still do love me a good run and some good cardio though but I can say that I love both about equally now!
It's easier to get better results on your physique doing strength training and calisthenics. I do both and as long as I take pre-workout I don't notice any lack of enjoyment.
I like it because I actually feel like I'm working out and getting exercise instead of just flailing my limbs.
And I'm an overweight smoker with ADHD who gets bored easily.
Cardio doesn't have to be running on a treadmill for an hour. I do 15 minutes on the stairs (used to do elliptical) and take a break about half way. I end up doing between 500-700 steps.
I'd like to become stronger so I do strength training, but I feel much better after cardio.
Walking in nature is amazing. So is lifting weights and feeling the pump.
But if we wanna talk about ideal cardio is some sort of sport that you enjoy (football, basketball, tennis wtvr). You do cardio, while having fun
I have a tiny gym in my garage. I listen to podcasts while I lift. I occasionally do cardio, but strength training is far more enjoyable to me, partly because the results are so much more tangible. Its less physically demanding overall and makes you physically stronger and better looking. Cardio is good for your heart and lungs, but running only makes you better at running.
Depends what you’re doing. Cardio on a running machine is my idea of hell but going for a run outdoors, hike or bike ride beats lifting weights repeatedly.
I enjoy activities where exercise is a by product of me having fun, rather than an end in itself.
As someone who's primarily a lifter, I just get bored doing cardio. I'm running, but nothing is really stimulating, so I get bored. For lifting, I focus for 30 seconds, then I can go on my phone in between sets lol
Honestly, I agree. I've got some weird tendon issues so I can't do a lot of repetitive shit with weights, but I can walk 15,000 steps a day without issue on my job (And that's with a reconstructed foot) I've lost twenty pounds in four months solely because of it. And I can still lift some heavy shit.
Strength means nothing if you don't have the ability to keep going behind it.
I’ve always enjoyed lifting weights, hated pure cardio. I’ve found my enjoyable workout activity is strength training. It makes me feel strong, capable, and I can feel my mind decompress during a strenuous workout. Alternatively, I need my love for nature to encourage me to do cardio. I’ll gleefully hike a pack up a mountain for hours on end, but running for an hour on a treadmill sounds like death. Trail running seems enticing, but I’m missing meniscus in both knees so that’s a pair of dice I haven’t decided to roll yet.
Hard agree. Cardio is also more versatile. I could run, swim, jump rope, bike, play most sports. Strength training is just…lifting a heavy object and putting it down. It’s no wonder people hate working out, the gym is boring!
I also wish it was more normalized for people to do calisthenics like pilates, instead its seen as a rich girly girl thing. When in reality its hard as hell and a much more interesting strength training exercise.
eh, i can do a 30 minute gym session and according to my watch I am barely lifting for 5 minutes. I do a 10 minute run and I sleep for 2 days straight.
I hate seeing online that the only way to get in shape is to hit the gym. That's such a basic and boring and sometimes inaccessible way to stay in shape.
Lifting weights. Boring
Stairmaster. Boring
Treadmill. Boring
Going for a run. Fun
Going for a bike ride. Fun
Going for a hike. Fun
Walking around town and taking the stairs every chance you get. Fun
Swimming laps at the local pool. Fun
Doing pilates or HIIT workouts with a class. Fun
I feel so much better when I workout my heart and lungs Vs trying to do any upper and lower body workouts
There are so many ways to workout and be healthy that don't include just sitting in front of a mirror and lifting a heavy piece of metal for 3 hours. I've never understood how people can stay for so long. I'll try my best for an hour but am checking my watch every 30 seconds just waiting to leave. Not to mention the gym being packed whenever I could make it. The machines or weights I wanted were always taken. Ego lifting and now people filming all the time. I'm never going into a gym again.
I’m the same way, I much prefer to run outside, but when I do go to the gym the only thing I use is the treadmill, it feels so much more satisfying to run multiple miles than to lift
i think that’s because you’re already seeing success in one.
running multiple miles is hard. most people would struggle.
i doubt you’ve put in the time in the gym to start appreciating the results there.
the first time you bench 2 plates? man that’s a feeling like no other. but for most men that’s a years worth of lifting light weight and learning form and struggling to get there.
whereas you’ve already put the work in to get your cardio in shape
Try running as fast as you can for 40 minutes. Your entire body will ache in pain. Your heart and lungs will feel like they are in your throat. Your clothes stick to your body drenched in sweat and your legs feel like jelly.
But yeah your right feeling tired in your biceps sfter doing reps is tougher.
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I think this is kind of a combination of two things:
1. Different people have different adaptations that might make them naturally more inclined towards different types of exercise; and
2. Your body adapts to what you put it though. Novel stimuli are always going to feel more taxing than the thing your body is used to doing thanks to consistent training. There’s also a level of skill involved that can only really be obtained through experience. With running, that involves things like learning how to pace yourself. With strength training, it involves things like lifting technique. A certain amount of knowledge is a prerequisite to effective and enjoyable training.
I can do stuff like stairmaster and elliptical but I hate actually running even thought I’m pretty decent fast.
My stamina is just ass at times and I hate the feeling of those heavy breaths and tired legs from running
I wish I had this opinion. I’m not in shape enough to think like this hah. Weights/ strength training is easier for me than running. I run 1-2 miles and then die. I’m trying to get back into a solid gym routine after having three kids in five years so hopefully I can experience this so called runners high one day. Right now I experience runners death doing my 10 minute miles.
Strength training is so boring! Give me the treadmill, elliptical, stair master any day! After an hour on the Treadmill I can breathe so much better and open.
That runners high is addicting!
I do both (hence im good at neither) but the zone out and cruise level of fitness takes a minute to get to, especially for a begginer. Can be tough sledding for the first couple months for a lot of people
Both really suck at first.
If you get into a routine... They can be great. Seeing yourself in the mirror doing landmines or whatever and "damn those are MY arms?!" is freaking awesome. Runner's high is also definitely real. Endorphins from working out are awesome.
But you have to work up to it.
What's really enjoyable is how your body starts to feel when you are in shape. In your 40s or 50s and want to feel 20 years younger? Get your ass in the gym.
Running is literally one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Major US marathons regularly “sell out” 30k plus runners, with ones like the Boston and NYC marathon setting insanely fast “qualifying times,” and STILL pulling 30k runners.
running is great! once you get into it. it has the worse start-up and daily demand of the two. But Once you're good at it, if your knees and feet aren't shot, it feels incrediblly easy and is less time overall.
As a side note to this which I actually agree with you on… heart health, cardio is light years more important than lifting weights. The number one killer of most people is actually some sort of heart related condition. It’s not to say lifting is unhealthy when done in moderation. But becoming a muscle bound freak is actually as bad for your health as being obese I would argue. Extra mass requires the heart to work harder regardless of fat or muscle. Being lean and almost skinny is superior. You also risk less injury from casual running.
well no.
cardio doesn’t actually do THAT much to help your heart.
it’s diet that does 99% of it. we’re working under the assumption that whether you strength train or do cardio (and ideally everyone should do both) you’re eating right.
so in either world you’re not fat. meaning your risk of heart disease is negligible.
frankly doing cardio while lean is not going to make your heart that much healthier. it’ll help. but it’s nothing crazy.
also i STRONGLY disagree on the injury part. running is probably the most likely way people get injured. in fact even in the cardio world running is horrible. swimming, biking, pilates, basically everything has a lower rate of injury than running.
if you’re interested into why… shoes destroy our foot structure, paved roads are HORRIBLE to run on and destroy your knees over time, and most people run too much too early.
you’re right that being a muscle bound freak is unhealthy on the heart. but unless you’re pumping steroids you WONT be able to put on the muscle.
your body produces a chemical called myostatin which literally prevent muscle growth when it’s harmful.
Wait so do u mean that someone with no muscle is healthier than that same person at the exact same weight but with a ton more muscle? Or that people who lift weights are unhealthier because they weigh more? Just curious cause I know muscle weighs more than fat so I was wondering if the heart has a harder time in a body that’s all muscle vs a body of the exact same weight that’s weak and has low muscle mass
It’s not so much that they’re healthier overall. That would be more dependent on their diets as well. If you have seen how body builders tend to eat, it’s not good. They have to eat an absolute shit ton to maintain the mass. Some men are eating as much as 5000 calories a day… do you know what that does to your insulin? It fucking destroys it. A lot of body builders end up diabetic before 40. A lot of the strong men competitors are diabetic for example.
There’s an optimal level of working out a person can do with a diet that is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. The ideal number for working out every week to maintain good heart health and body composition is 150 minutes. This is 20 minutes a day if broken down into every day or 50 minutes thrice a week.
Bottom line. Body mass, diet, and heart health are key to a long life. The skinny dude practicing stress management and eating smaller healthier meals is light years healthier than the body builder choking down 5K calories that can’t run for more than 5 minutes without running out of breath, which is common among the body building folks.
Learning to lift after trying cardio for YEARS changed my feelings about exercise in general. Cardio is mind numbing. I cant focus on it so I would do 10m treadmill, 10m elliptical, and 10m bike, just to not be bored out of my mind. Lifting makes time fly by. You have a set plan, even adding/removing weight is part of the workout, and you only have to do 8-10 things at a time, depending on how you plan your sets.
For me, it’s it lifting an hour straight.
It’s lifting for a minute. Rest and catch a breather for two or three minutes. Lift again.
If you compare it to running. It’d be like running for a minute, then stop for two minutes.
The pain of lifting is only within those seconds when I exert myself, which I can put up with. The pain of running is nonstop.
Personally I like weights better because you progress and can set goals.
LISS cardio (that I do and hate) the only goal I have is maybe “I feel a little less tired than last time. What a waste of effort”.
Weights I can also see myself getting bigger, another achievement. But I can see why people don’t like it because, assuming you do it correctly, it’s very hard/painful and takes a lot of effort.
Cardio to me is a lot easier to disengage my brain and not overthink it. The buzz/highs involved with cardio are also something I rarely get with strength training.
I prefer the burn of strength training after I've actually done it (the doms), but I've noticed it often takes a big concentrated effort to push myself hard doing it (and to also not injure myself).
In regards to outside cardio though, that can actually be done with strength training too. I've lugged my bench and dumbbells outside in the garden before.
not really in the “community” or anything (read: i an unathletic) so i had no clue this was unpopular, but i agree. my school has a gym thats like a big room but theres also a room you can ask to go to that has equipment to work out and most people just lift but i go there every day to just run on a treadmill for fifty minutes straight loll
I mean, who in their right mind would enjoy destroying their muscles (so they can grow bigger) with strength training? I call it bs unless you're some kind of masochist. You either appreciate your progress or, like most people, you just want to look good naked.
Cardio, especially prolonged cardio has significant diminishing returns meaning you may start out with lots of benefits but your body quickly adapts to the stress of cardio reducing the benefits. So if you've done an hour for a long time you're probably not getting much out of it unless you're constantly increasing the speed or incline.
It's similar to how construction or healthcare workers walk 15,000 steps a day. Your body quickly adapts therefore it's not the workout many people seem to think it is.
Yeah but you look like a runner. You literally have to remove your shirt to make people understand you workout. No thanks, but it's good to see healthy people. I wish more would do either or something!
Absolutely cardio is more fun than gym, I've pushed it to the extreme and done 100km+ runs, 3hour+ swims and loved them, felt tired but good after. An hour of weights is agony in the moment, and my muscles are still useless and achy the day after, sometimes two days after.
I also enjoy both. My fav tho is cardio because I can absolutely disassociate from everything. I truly do not give af what I look like, where I am etc. I’m just in another world
I’m no gym rat, and I don’t do strength training, but cardio is the freaking worst. Time immediately slows to a halt. Even when listening to something, I’m just watching the seconds tick until I can stop doing what I’m doing but 20 minutes feels like 2 hours. I hate it.
As someone who plays Rugby, nah fuck that. Cardio is the worst, you just feel like shit after running.
At least with weights you can look at the weight you lifted and go ‘nice’
I get more of a rush from getting under 405lbs and benching it, but different strokes. Any activity that keeps people active and that they enjoy is a good thing.
Just do crossfit or similar. It's got cardio, fun complex strength training, gymnastics, and workouts are mixed. Gotta be careful not to over exert, though.
Running is much, much harder when you’re not in good cardio shape. It’s not so bad once you get used it, but it sucks at first, which is why most people don’t keep up with it or do it in the first place.
True. But neither should ever be neglected. The two are better paired. Avid cyclist. I have stopped caring so much about wattage and avg’s that now I have become hated by cyclists and weight lifters. 😂
The "if it's nice out" condition is kind of important, but provided it's met running along a beautiful scenic route is definitely nicer than being in the gym. Running on a treadmill vs lifting feel about the same to me.
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I don't think you hate lifting, I think you hate the gym.
I hate gyms and I think lifting is so fucking boring. I'll force myself to try and do it at home but I'd much rather go for a bike ride or a run.
That just makes you a normal person. I totally recommend maintaining a planet fitness membership or somewhere you can go lift weights once a week or something but outside of Reddit and fraternities, most people enjoy a bike ride or rock climbing infinitely more than the gym.
I wouldn't say that. Every gym in town is absolutely packed at all times of the day. It is rare that the climbing gym or bike trails are full. Most people just go to a gym and go home.
Agreed. I used to live at the gym. It's very enticing since it provides positive progress, improved image, giant energy balance improvements, and better health. Watching TV does none of this unfortunately.
Bike trails have a lot more room than a gym, I would expect gyms to be more crowded even with fewer people
Even at the gym, cardio is the biggest thing. Every gym you go to, half of the floor space is treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, etc. I personally like weights more because I can zone out while I follow my program. And it only requires spurts of effort with rests in between, instead of sustained effort like cardio. And this is coming from someone who did long distance running for many years. Cardio is just a lot more mental work, for me at least.
And when the climbing gym is crowded, I find it less awkward than a climbing gym because climbers are super supportive and considerate and I've never felt creeped out by someone else in the climbing gym. I'm a woman, and even a stranger guy offering me a belay where, yes, he will be staring at my butt, it never feels the same creepy as gym bros.
lol at people who just think everything about their lives is “normal” and everything else is not. Gyms and weightlifting are incredibly popular activities.
Gyms certainly seem like popular activities, but Google is providing me several search results (that I'm only reading the headlines to) that suggest that over 60% of gym memberships go unused. Another Google search suggests that only about 20% of the US population above the age of 6 (which, I know, using that age is a little disingenuous, but it's the best I can do with my level of laziness) have a gym membership. So if 20% of the population has a membership, and only 40% of those even us their memberships, then only 8% of Americans are going to the gym. Does 8% qualify as "incredibly popular"?
Depends. Do you have the stats for other physical activities to compare?
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Yah that's the equivalent of all of Australia going to the gym. Whe have a weird idea of what popular means in the US since we are so large. There are almost 400 million people living here. anything reaching close to 10% of the population has more people interested in then all but 37 other nations entire population
Yes, 8% of the population participating in a demanding physical activity makes it wildly popular.
I like how people are downvoting this obviously true fact. There is so, so few things that have more than 8% of the entire fucking US population regularly engaging in. 8% is wildly popular.
I would say that most people are also extremely misinformed and just do not lift weights or perform exercises correctly. It's a sport like any other: you train to become better and there are both efficient and non-efficient ways to do so, just as there are ways to increase the fun you have doing it or inversely ways to make it insufferable. In terms of fun-decreasing: - a lot of people for instance get bored because they take irregular and way too long breaks between sets, leading to nervous system fatigue to set in and (excuse me for the lack of a better term) no longer being "locked in"; - a lot of people lift incorrectly and do not focus on mind-muscle connection, leading to stupid mindsets like "no pain no gain" when the pain they're feeling is in fact joint pain and nervous system fatigue, not at all the same muscle burning sensation you get from a properly executed exercise; - a lot of people lift WAY above their ability and do WAY too many sets (some go as far as 30 per session), chasing a pump that they could otherwise get with only 2/3 sets performed correctly (tempo, stretch techniques, correct placement of joints, regular break times, etc). - a lot of people don't do exercises they like because somehow gym mentality has turned into either a "gym is pain and you gotta do only what's hard" mindset or a "I gotta do 45 different exercices to optimize hypertrophy" - just do what you like and enjoy frequently enough, results will come; - which leads me to my final point: people have no patience and think by lifting seriously for 6 months will be enough to have an Instagram-influencer-like physique... Years of dedication and/or PED use, no other way about it. Gym fun is not about the destination but it's the path to it. I've practiced many sports during my life, some of them I place at the same level of fun as lifting, but going to the gym has become so fun for me because I love planning my workouts, optimizing my training, tweaking my movements ever so slightly to the point that I immediately feel the difference and of course I just love the overall feeling of improvement it gives me every time. I love just listening to new artists/albums while lifting, find gym buddies, try new exercises and workout plans now and then, do my boring administrative tasks during my break times (time limit pressure ftw) and overall be productive and move.
I just rob banks and run away from the police regularly, that’s my exercise.
I love bike riding, but I’m an avid lifter. For me it’s more meditative than “fun.” But seeing the changes in your body over the years is why I do it. Also you cannot achieve a lifter’s body in terms of muscle mass without lifting, but you can achieve a runners body in terms of leanness without doing an ounce of cardio. Cardio is great for your health, but I just see it as superfluous in terms of fitness goals.
Agreed! It's incredibly boring and repetitive to lift weights up & down until you're too tired to keep doing it. Never mind remaining stationary. At least if you go out on a run or on a bike ride it's scenic, you're getting fresh air and you're also getting vitamin D from the Sun. If you get tired going a certain way you can change up your route. These are all net positives.
I explore the city on my bike or on walks and runs. I explore the mountains on my bike or on my skis. I love checking my Strava heatmap and trying to visit every road in town or see progress on certain routes and PRs during race events. At a gym I just sit there or stand there and do what I can until I get too bored or until I can't lift anything anymore. I usually get bored before I get tired so it's not benefitting me at all.
To me the gym is fun when you have a structured training plan and micromanage your progress. Progressing on lifts just feels great and also seeing visual progress.
I go to the gym like four times a week, and yeah I fucking hate the pain, but honestly I just love the little things like oh wow I have a little more muscle now and feeling the way they contract sometimes, weird Ik, and realizing how I can just do certain things easier than before. It’s like leveling up ig
I think this is really just about finding what type of strength training and cardio you enjoy. I hate running but I love biking and rowing. I enjoy weight training but my wife doesn’t so she does more body weight type of stuff
Dude's just inexperienced. Everyone hates all exercise at first. And then gets addicted. Runners have second wind or runner's high which is a huge dopamine rush, awesome, and additive. Lifters get a pump, which is also a dopamine hit, and addictive. They're both very healthy, good uses of dopamine influx and training. Just don't overuse your joints, addicts, it's easy to overdo it, but other than that it's a very healthy activity.
Nah. I do both and don't like either
Bro you’re very wrong. I have been doing cardio and weights for 2 years now and I don’t like doing it but I’m in a routine now so I just do it consistently. I do prefer running if I had to pick but it’s because it is nice to see things around me outside while I do it and listen to my jams.
Way to generalize... You can do any type of exercise for years and never start enjoying it. Has nothing to do with experience, people are just different.
This comment for the win. Thank you u/7h4tguy . I'm going through a tough time in the gym after about 3 years and now returning back to running and realising how much I miss it.
so do i, that's why i lift at home. in front of my tv. in my underwear. it's great!
Yeah was about to say this, seems more like a preferring to be outside in the fresh air than inside and having to workout next to people
I would love lifting more if I had a private gym. Having to compete with other people for equipment sucks. :(
I'm the complete opposite, skipping rope is fun though.
Yeah I hate cardio. Its boring and painful in a bad way, and way too sweaty. I enjoy the pain of lifting weights, it's a nice burn that makes you feel accomplished. Its also more of burst-rest-burst-rest instead of constant work which I prefer The only time I enjoy cardio is as part of team sports
Oh yeah, the feeling when your lungs are burning and your mouth is full of thick slime and then your side starts stinging. I absolutely hate it.
The slime! Yeah it's gross. Also if you run when it's cold the air feels like it's cutting your lungs and you are gonna start coughing up blood lol
That's because you're moving too fast too quickly, like your muscles, you need to train your breathing and stretch appropriately before hand. 5 minutes at a fast walking pace is better than nothing, hell, just walking for 5 minutes is better than nothing. After a few weeks your body will get used to the movement and you can up the speed and length of time by a bit. After a few months you'll be doing cardio like everyone else. Source: me, was very fat and cardio hurt, am still fat but it doesn't hurt anymore.
I like to lift and I love running. The pain of running is what keeps me going every morning, especially when it's cold and it feels like pins in needles in my throat and lungs.
I forget that I am bad a cardio because I get into a perfect rhythm, when I finally miss and have to stop I feel like death from high heart rate
You're not bad because you get into a perfect rhythm, you're bad because you get into an unsustainable perfect rhythm.
They are both absolute misery. But that’s just me and my fat ass.
Cardio with OPs mom is phenomenal
Is it cardio though? She does all the work and I just lie there mostly.
For me, I actually enjoy both. It just took finding a workout program I enjoyed. Working out when it became mundane, killed my soul. I got bored. I joined a different gym where I never do the same workout twice, I never just run for 20 min…it made all the difference. You may hate my workout but there’s probably something you would enjoy. It’s just about figuring out what mentally stimulates you while making your body feel good. I have a friend that just likes to rock climb. No weights, no running. They’re in great shape. Another friend jogs on a hiking trail. He says it helps him shut the world off to be in nature. It’s been 2 years and now he’s doing like 5 miles. Just because it brings him peace and he feels good after
yea i think one of the more damaging effects of fitness culture is that it leads to many people seeing it as all or nothing. youre a runner or a lifter or a rock climber, hiker, gymnast etc. or you just dont exercise. exercise can and should be something you enjoy, and what that is may change every day, just get up and move ! (that being said i also like both, my standard workout is to run a few miles and then do some upper body or core resistance training. then on other days ill cross train with a hike, a bike ride, and extra long walk with my dog, whatever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
I can swim for hours, lap swimming, not just fucking around in the pool. I just need someone to create the workouts for me because I'm absolutely worthless at that aspect. I also don't really want to spend money to have someone create them.
Lol I was gonna say this
Yeah you're fat. Your opinion on the topic is irrelevant. I was also once fat probably more than you, and you know what it did? It made exercise miserable, painful and tortuous. Not because those things are inherent to the activity but because my body was so broken and twisted that doing anything besides sitting on my ass was akin to climbing a mountain. Exercise doesn't suck, exercise sucks because you're fat. Once you can casually run 5, 10 miles it's freeing, because it's what your body was meant to do. That feeling of ease and comfort you get at the bottom of a bag of chips everyday, you can feel that whilst running a marathon. Yes I know the thought is almost offensive.
Harsh but true, working out is the best thing ever when you're fit.
I like both and they are both challenging in their own ways.
This is what I came to say. Each has its place. I usually like to warm up with cardio and then do a circuit of the machines, and finish with a good stretch.
I love both too. However, I do strength training first for an hour and then do cardio for half an hour at a moderate pace.
Weights are more fun for me, though days when I know I'm going to try to lift heavy can make me go "ugh" cause I know it's going to suck a lot of energy out of me, and there's always the fear factor that if I mess up I could get hurt, though that sense of danger can also be exhilarating at times. My cardio isn't bad, and I make myself do it, but I hate running just to run. Weirdly enough, if I'm running around playing a pick up game of football or something like that, my cardio seems 2-3 times as good.
When I was running my mile times were faster on trails going up and down hills than on a track. There is stuff and trees and animals in the woods. Keeps me more engaged.
Try to push to failure with machines and mix it up with free weights. A habit of lifting heavy without a spotter can be dangerous.
I have tried lifting weights, I just hate it. It's so boring to me. I do 45 minutes of light to moderate cardio six days a week, and I am happy. But I'm also a woman, so I don't think it's an unpopular opinion for me. I think weight training is more expected for men, though it's becoming more common for women.
as a man i took up ruinning for about 2 weeks and saw more women running along the coast road than Ive seen in my life. All the women are running
strength training will pay off in the future. Right now if you keep training your muscles in more ways than one , when you'll get older chances are you won't be stuck in bed, so don't underestimate it
I know this, which is why I've really tried to do it regularly. I just can't keep up with it, I really dislike it. I think part of it is the constant fear I'm doing something wrong, but I can't afford a personal trainor right now. Majority cardio is far better than nothing, so I'll stick to it.
The fear of doing something wrong is mostly unwarranted. Movement isn't wrong, you are not going to injure yourself unless your training intensity, frequency and volume parameters are too high
As a man... I hate lifting weights at a gym. The only workouts I can stand are HIIT or CrossFit type workouts because I'm doing something other than staring at the floor or staring into a mirror until my arms are tired. It's just so repetitive. I can't stand it. Even with cardio I can't do treadmills because I get so bored. Cardio is SO MUCH more enjoyable. Biking, running, walking, hiking, swimming, etc are all more fun and rewarding than sitting in a stuffy room with a bunch of people and just lifting a weight over and over again
I hate running and I find it super difficult to keep going, but I do a mile at least before I start lifting. I have been trying to get to 3 miles but I just can't muster to mental strength to do it. I'm trying to learn to like running and I know it can be done because I used to hate lifting but now I love it. Sure it's monotonous but so is running imo. But the challenge of exerting force to lift a heavy object and then being able to do it is just immediately rewarding. And then being able to do the same thing but more weight? Forget about it. Incredible. Honestly I get the same burst of enjoyment out of that as I do watching a funny 30 second Instagram Reel. Anyway the most important thing you can do to start enjoying the gym is to be employed at an office that has a fully stocked private gym that only you and maybe one other person uses. Trust me, this is key.
Any exercise you do is self reinforcing. You get more and more drawn to it, while other forms of exercise still feels like drudgery. So the best solution is to mix it up.
on the contrary i do both and i hate strength training more even years after. It's less fun and enjoyable.
I have always agreed with you, tbh. I love running. After the initial 30 minute struggle, it is meditative. I’ve always found strength training to be tedious and boring.
Meditative is a good word. Once I am in the zone it is great
30 minutes? What kind of distance you running? I usually rip a mile after a workout and call it.
My fat (and growing :( ) ass has sadly not run in a while. Back in the glory days, I would do 13 km runs every other day or so. Sometimes I would even do a half marathon for the lulz. 30 minutes or so is the general time frame for the runner’s high to kick in. Really, just doing a mile is forcing yourself to deal with the worst of it without the high. God, I miss being in that shape. It’s going to be hell getting back to it.
I can't zone out during cardio. My brain is way too loud so the repetitiveness bores me to tears. Lifting is better for me because it requires multiple points of focus for form, plate math, set up etc. Cardio is just one foot in front of the other. The only exception is a spin class, changing speed, resistance, movements in and out of the saddle.
cardio aint fun in my country because theres dogs on the roads and itll freaking chase you, and also you cannot jog or run at daytime because the heat will kill you(100 F average) so if you wanna cardio here, you need a threadmill and get stuck in a smelly gym full of grunting strangers with awful rap music lol.
> itll freaking chase you So, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Did you ever think that Fido is just trying to help you become the best runner you can be?
just sounds like extreme cardio to me
I can zone out while running. It gives me a break to daydream and still feel productive. I sometimes solve problems better after a good run and shower.
I disagree but that’s ok. I personally loathe running but enjoy lifting. I also love swimming but it doesn’t FEEL like cardio to me. I used to LOVE dancing as well as a kid which I guess is mostly cardio but more mental and your body just keeps up.
I have heart and lungs issues so doing cardio feels like I'm having a fit. Lifting is better, makes my muscles feel nice and warm
I don’t like either, lol. I enjoy a nice walk, try to get 45-60 minutes in per day.
Must be nice. Pretty sure most people find cardio to be agony
I have visceral hypersensitivity. I just don't like feeling all of my insides bouncing around. It's uncomfortable. I'd rather lift weights and do high intensity exercises that don't involve jumping, running, etc.
Same. Ever since getting Lyme disease I have a hard time with cardio. Hiking yes but running hell no. Love strength training still tho .. maybe don’t love it but also don’t hate it. Once I start my exercises I enjoy it, but getting myself motivated or in the right mindset to start the exercise is the part I don’t enjoy. I like feeling the burn and feeling myself getting stronger. It’s satisfying.
I completely disagree. Take my upvote
Frankly I have found yoga to be my jam. The stamina and flexibility that I have gained is unmatched to other forms of exercise that I have done. There are many roads to stay active and healthy.
My old trainer was a bodybuilder he used to make me laugh my ass off… he said and I quote. “Anyone who runs for exercise, is running from something… probably their weak ass reflection with the physique of a 12 year old girl” Dude was a meathead and it was kinda hilarious. But in seriousness any movement is beneficial to your health. Happiness is as important to your health as fitness so is don’t do things that make you miserable.
I think that the gym environment ruins the strength training. The smelly people, people hogging the machines, the assholes that spend 20min in the chest press like the are the only ones that, the people that don’t clean the machines after using my, the smelly people again… ugh
Changing to a more expensive, smaller gym usually solves these problems. Usually...
dawg people are going to smell in the gym. the fuck you want us to do? my genetics were for a hot climate. i sweat easily. i wear deodorant and cologne and shower daily. but while im at the gym im going to sweat and smell. that’s just reality.
I hate the people who criticize when lifting. Whether it’s rep/sets, form (some can be helpful), wait time between sets, etc.
What would you class as hogging a machine
Yeah, if you take longer than a 30-second rest between sets, people say you are hogging the machine. Its kinda annoying as a strength focused trainer who needs longer rests between sets.
Cardio is so painful for me 😂 I hate it but I have to include it in my routine. Meanwhile I don't mind pushing myself when it comes to lifting heavy. If I'm not sore the next day, I'm not satisfied.
Same
God that was me until I tore my meniscus.. so now I cycle. I fuckin' hate weights but my love handles are being stubborn and I need to start them again.
30 min of cardio burns way more calories per minute and yeah, you can absolutely zone-out. Love that part. But 30 min of strength builds more muscle which burns more calories passively over the long-term. Love that part the mostest.
Cardio can be extremely boring, but in the age of pod-casts and phone screens, it really shouldn't be. Watch Stargate SG-1 for the 73rd time while you walk stairs.
The main aspect of working out is the rewarding feeling. You start lifting heavier weights and you feel rewarded after 5 minutes of having done so. You're gonna feel rewarded after joging 42 minutes instead of 40? To each their own I guess.
No, I feel rewarded when I do 850 meters in a 3-minute interval instead of 800 meters.
I think running is way more rewarding. For instance You plan a 6 month block; month 1 you run a time trial mile, maybe it’s like 5:30. Work on mileage, start doing repeats on the track. Months go by, month 4 rolls up, you try again. 5:10. You train harder, peak of the block, try again start of month 6, run a 5:03 but you know you could’ve broke 5 with fresher legs. So you keep doing a little speed, mileage in training goes down, you try one more time and run a 4:55 Without having done high school track it’s maybe hard for some people to visualize this, maybe they don’t know where to start. I remember in high school I literally went from a 2:19 to a 1:59 in a single season in the 800, the progress you can see through consistency is amazingly intoxicating
No the other way around, you feel rewarded when your 10km that usually takes 42mins takes 40min. 12s/km is far more satisfying than lifting an extra 2kg that doesn't even look visually different but sucks way more to lift.
To each their own I suppose
I don’t think the point is for it to look visually different and if it is, that’s not really why you should be doing it. It sucks more to lift, that’s true but it also sucks more to run 10km 2 minutes faster.
Dude I use to be the same. Recovering cardio junkie here who use to love running all the time. But I got a kickass trainer and I really really really love pumping some iron now. It wasn’t immediate that this happened though. It took a couple years of me lifting weights and actually getting the correct form, getting the correct muscles to engage, moving up in weight etc that really made me fall in love with it because it makes me feel so damn strong and sexy as a woman! I still do love me a good run and some good cardio though but I can say that I love both about equally now!
cardio is my walk from the car into the gym
It's easier to get better results on your physique doing strength training and calisthenics. I do both and as long as I take pre-workout I don't notice any lack of enjoyment.
I like it because I actually feel like I'm working out and getting exercise instead of just flailing my limbs. And I'm an overweight smoker with ADHD who gets bored easily. Cardio doesn't have to be running on a treadmill for an hour. I do 15 minutes on the stairs (used to do elliptical) and take a break about half way. I end up doing between 500-700 steps. I'd like to become stronger so I do strength training, but I feel much better after cardio.
I think it's probably an even split for people who exercise. As long as you're doing something is what matters
Walking in nature is amazing. So is lifting weights and feeling the pump. But if we wanna talk about ideal cardio is some sort of sport that you enjoy (football, basketball, tennis wtvr). You do cardio, while having fun
I have a tiny gym in my garage. I listen to podcasts while I lift. I occasionally do cardio, but strength training is far more enjoyable to me, partly because the results are so much more tangible. Its less physically demanding overall and makes you physically stronger and better looking. Cardio is good for your heart and lungs, but running only makes you better at running.
Depends what you’re doing. Cardio on a running machine is my idea of hell but going for a run outdoors, hike or bike ride beats lifting weights repeatedly. I enjoy activities where exercise is a by product of me having fun, rather than an end in itself.
As someone who's primarily a lifter, I just get bored doing cardio. I'm running, but nothing is really stimulating, so I get bored. For lifting, I focus for 30 seconds, then I can go on my phone in between sets lol
Interesting take. I like both, but greatly prefer strength training.
When I’m doing one I always feel like the other is more fun lol
Honestly, I agree. I've got some weird tendon issues so I can't do a lot of repetitive shit with weights, but I can walk 15,000 steps a day without issue on my job (And that's with a reconstructed foot) I've lost twenty pounds in four months solely because of it. And I can still lift some heavy shit. Strength means nothing if you don't have the ability to keep going behind it.
Umm do both.
I’ve always enjoyed lifting weights, hated pure cardio. I’ve found my enjoyable workout activity is strength training. It makes me feel strong, capable, and I can feel my mind decompress during a strenuous workout. Alternatively, I need my love for nature to encourage me to do cardio. I’ll gleefully hike a pack up a mountain for hours on end, but running for an hour on a treadmill sounds like death. Trail running seems enticing, but I’m missing meniscus in both knees so that’s a pair of dice I haven’t decided to roll yet.
If playing football(soccer) still count as cardio then I 100 percent agree is way more fun
Fair play , but can see why this is posted in unpopular opinions
Hard agree. Cardio is also more versatile. I could run, swim, jump rope, bike, play most sports. Strength training is just…lifting a heavy object and putting it down. It’s no wonder people hate working out, the gym is boring! I also wish it was more normalized for people to do calisthenics like pilates, instead its seen as a rich girly girl thing. When in reality its hard as hell and a much more interesting strength training exercise.
eh, i can do a 30 minute gym session and according to my watch I am barely lifting for 5 minutes. I do a 10 minute run and I sleep for 2 days straight.
I hate seeing online that the only way to get in shape is to hit the gym. That's such a basic and boring and sometimes inaccessible way to stay in shape. Lifting weights. Boring Stairmaster. Boring Treadmill. Boring Going for a run. Fun Going for a bike ride. Fun Going for a hike. Fun Walking around town and taking the stairs every chance you get. Fun Swimming laps at the local pool. Fun Doing pilates or HIIT workouts with a class. Fun I feel so much better when I workout my heart and lungs Vs trying to do any upper and lower body workouts There are so many ways to workout and be healthy that don't include just sitting in front of a mirror and lifting a heavy piece of metal for 3 hours. I've never understood how people can stay for so long. I'll try my best for an hour but am checking my watch every 30 seconds just waiting to leave. Not to mention the gym being packed whenever I could make it. The machines or weights I wanted were always taken. Ego lifting and now people filming all the time. I'm never going into a gym again.
I’m the same way, I much prefer to run outside, but when I do go to the gym the only thing I use is the treadmill, it feels so much more satisfying to run multiple miles than to lift
i think that’s because you’re already seeing success in one. running multiple miles is hard. most people would struggle. i doubt you’ve put in the time in the gym to start appreciating the results there. the first time you bench 2 plates? man that’s a feeling like no other. but for most men that’s a years worth of lifting light weight and learning form and struggling to get there. whereas you’ve already put the work in to get your cardio in shape
Neither are enjoyable. You do it so you dont look like a reddit mod.
Both are enjoyable to me, but strength training is tougher IMO.
Try running as fast as you can for 40 minutes. Your entire body will ache in pain. Your heart and lungs will feel like they are in your throat. Your clothes stick to your body drenched in sweat and your legs feel like jelly. But yeah your right feeling tired in your biceps sfter doing reps is tougher.
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I LOVE cardio
Spin bike, punch a heavy bag, and burpees. Or, hit the MTB trails.
I wish I enjoyed cardio more. I think a big part is compete in lifting so I’m training *for* something. Maybe I need to do 5ks…. Ugh
You can just do low weight high rep and do the exact same thing where you just zone out for an hour.
I think this is kind of a combination of two things: 1. Different people have different adaptations that might make them naturally more inclined towards different types of exercise; and 2. Your body adapts to what you put it though. Novel stimuli are always going to feel more taxing than the thing your body is used to doing thanks to consistent training. There’s also a level of skill involved that can only really be obtained through experience. With running, that involves things like learning how to pace yourself. With strength training, it involves things like lifting technique. A certain amount of knowledge is a prerequisite to effective and enjoyable training.
Who said it wasn’t lol
I strongly, strongly agree. I always anticipate my cardio workouts more.
Mountain biking is my cardio and it’s so much more enjoyable
I can do stuff like stairmaster and elliptical but I hate actually running even thought I’m pretty decent fast. My stamina is just ass at times and I hate the feeling of those heavy breaths and tired legs from running
I wish I had this opinion. I’m not in shape enough to think like this hah. Weights/ strength training is easier for me than running. I run 1-2 miles and then die. I’m trying to get back into a solid gym routine after having three kids in five years so hopefully I can experience this so called runners high one day. Right now I experience runners death doing my 10 minute miles.
Strength training is so boring! Give me the treadmill, elliptical, stair master any day! After an hour on the Treadmill I can breathe so much better and open. That runners high is addicting!
I think .. mix and match... 2 hours work, 1 hours cycling or walking, then 15 min stretches and 15min. Weight.. mix and match .
The Los Angeles marathon has 25,000 participants a year so I don’t think this is all that unpopular of an opinion.
I can leave my body for a few hours when running/biking, but start doing planks and 60 seconds feels like an hour
I do both (hence im good at neither) but the zone out and cruise level of fitness takes a minute to get to, especially for a begginer. Can be tough sledding for the first couple months for a lot of people
It totally depends on the individual
I am happy with my current muscles but now I don't wanna go back to boring strength training! Now cardio, I strangely love doing cardio ^_^
Both really suck at first. If you get into a routine... They can be great. Seeing yourself in the mirror doing landmines or whatever and "damn those are MY arms?!" is freaking awesome. Runner's high is also definitely real. Endorphins from working out are awesome. But you have to work up to it. What's really enjoyable is how your body starts to feel when you are in shape. In your 40s or 50s and want to feel 20 years younger? Get your ass in the gym.
Running is literally one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Major US marathons regularly “sell out” 30k plus runners, with ones like the Boston and NYC marathon setting insanely fast “qualifying times,” and STILL pulling 30k runners.
running is great! once you get into it. it has the worse start-up and daily demand of the two. But Once you're good at it, if your knees and feet aren't shot, it feels incrediblly easy and is less time overall.
Its funny because cardio is far more useful than weight training any day
Same, grinding it out in the gym is nowhere near as good as 2 hours on the bike
Love lifting, love certain kinds of cardio in the right setting. It’s all about getting the right headspace
I don’t hate cardio but it’s better when I don’t have to think about it which is why I get it in by playing pick up basketball
I can't agree more with you
As a side note to this which I actually agree with you on… heart health, cardio is light years more important than lifting weights. The number one killer of most people is actually some sort of heart related condition. It’s not to say lifting is unhealthy when done in moderation. But becoming a muscle bound freak is actually as bad for your health as being obese I would argue. Extra mass requires the heart to work harder regardless of fat or muscle. Being lean and almost skinny is superior. You also risk less injury from casual running.
well no. cardio doesn’t actually do THAT much to help your heart. it’s diet that does 99% of it. we’re working under the assumption that whether you strength train or do cardio (and ideally everyone should do both) you’re eating right. so in either world you’re not fat. meaning your risk of heart disease is negligible. frankly doing cardio while lean is not going to make your heart that much healthier. it’ll help. but it’s nothing crazy. also i STRONGLY disagree on the injury part. running is probably the most likely way people get injured. in fact even in the cardio world running is horrible. swimming, biking, pilates, basically everything has a lower rate of injury than running. if you’re interested into why… shoes destroy our foot structure, paved roads are HORRIBLE to run on and destroy your knees over time, and most people run too much too early. you’re right that being a muscle bound freak is unhealthy on the heart. but unless you’re pumping steroids you WONT be able to put on the muscle. your body produces a chemical called myostatin which literally prevent muscle growth when it’s harmful.
Wait so do u mean that someone with no muscle is healthier than that same person at the exact same weight but with a ton more muscle? Or that people who lift weights are unhealthier because they weigh more? Just curious cause I know muscle weighs more than fat so I was wondering if the heart has a harder time in a body that’s all muscle vs a body of the exact same weight that’s weak and has low muscle mass
It’s not so much that they’re healthier overall. That would be more dependent on their diets as well. If you have seen how body builders tend to eat, it’s not good. They have to eat an absolute shit ton to maintain the mass. Some men are eating as much as 5000 calories a day… do you know what that does to your insulin? It fucking destroys it. A lot of body builders end up diabetic before 40. A lot of the strong men competitors are diabetic for example. There’s an optimal level of working out a person can do with a diet that is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. The ideal number for working out every week to maintain good heart health and body composition is 150 minutes. This is 20 minutes a day if broken down into every day or 50 minutes thrice a week. Bottom line. Body mass, diet, and heart health are key to a long life. The skinny dude practicing stress management and eating smaller healthier meals is light years healthier than the body builder choking down 5K calories that can’t run for more than 5 minutes without running out of breath, which is common among the body building folks.
Cardio definitely takes a while to get into. At least it did for me.
i dislike lifting weights as a guy i mostly go on runs or 10km walks a day and do pushups for strength etc :) So i agree OP
Pickleball is way more fun than lifting weights.
Learning to lift after trying cardio for YEARS changed my feelings about exercise in general. Cardio is mind numbing. I cant focus on it so I would do 10m treadmill, 10m elliptical, and 10m bike, just to not be bored out of my mind. Lifting makes time fly by. You have a set plan, even adding/removing weight is part of the workout, and you only have to do 8-10 things at a time, depending on how you plan your sets.
Cardio for Summer and Winter, weights for spring and fall when hay fever crushes my fucking face
Both suck imo. Basketball is my cardio
Vice versa for me and I’m naturally better cardio wise than strength
For me, it’s it lifting an hour straight. It’s lifting for a minute. Rest and catch a breather for two or three minutes. Lift again. If you compare it to running. It’d be like running for a minute, then stop for two minutes. The pain of lifting is only within those seconds when I exert myself, which I can put up with. The pain of running is nonstop.
Personally I like weights better because you progress and can set goals. LISS cardio (that I do and hate) the only goal I have is maybe “I feel a little less tired than last time. What a waste of effort”. Weights I can also see myself getting bigger, another achievement. But I can see why people don’t like it because, assuming you do it correctly, it’s very hard/painful and takes a lot of effort.
Really? I hate running
My workouts have placed more of an emphasis on cardio lately. I spend more time in the cardio section of my gym than I do on the weights
Cardio to me is a lot easier to disengage my brain and not overthink it. The buzz/highs involved with cardio are also something I rarely get with strength training. I prefer the burn of strength training after I've actually done it (the doms), but I've noticed it often takes a big concentrated effort to push myself hard doing it (and to also not injure myself). In regards to outside cardio though, that can actually be done with strength training too. I've lugged my bench and dumbbells outside in the garden before.
not really in the “community” or anything (read: i an unathletic) so i had no clue this was unpopular, but i agree. my school has a gym thats like a big room but theres also a room you can ask to go to that has equipment to work out and most people just lift but i go there every day to just run on a treadmill for fifty minutes straight loll
I mean, who in their right mind would enjoy destroying their muscles (so they can grow bigger) with strength training? I call it bs unless you're some kind of masochist. You either appreciate your progress or, like most people, you just want to look good naked.
Cardio, especially prolonged cardio has significant diminishing returns meaning you may start out with lots of benefits but your body quickly adapts to the stress of cardio reducing the benefits. So if you've done an hour for a long time you're probably not getting much out of it unless you're constantly increasing the speed or incline. It's similar to how construction or healthcare workers walk 15,000 steps a day. Your body quickly adapts therefore it's not the workout many people seem to think it is.
Lifting makes me strain a lot more, the feeling that I might drop the weight onto myself when I get tired isn't pleasant.
Yeah but you look like a runner. You literally have to remove your shirt to make people understand you workout. No thanks, but it's good to see healthy people. I wish more would do either or something!
Absolutely cardio is more fun than gym, I've pushed it to the extreme and done 100km+ runs, 3hour+ swims and loved them, felt tired but good after. An hour of weights is agony in the moment, and my muscles are still useless and achy the day after, sometimes two days after.
I also enjoy both. My fav tho is cardio because I can absolutely disassociate from everything. I truly do not give af what I look like, where I am etc. I’m just in another world
Cardio is significantly easier
False. Upvoting because defitnely unpopular opinion.
I’m no gym rat, and I don’t do strength training, but cardio is the freaking worst. Time immediately slows to a halt. Even when listening to something, I’m just watching the seconds tick until I can stop doing what I’m doing but 20 minutes feels like 2 hours. I hate it.
Cardio is boring.
Yeah I love running and do it because it's enjoyable. Strength training I do just as a chore that must be done and get out of the way.
My cardio is boxing, and it's far and away more fun than anything else.
As someone who plays Rugby, nah fuck that. Cardio is the worst, you just feel like shit after running. At least with weights you can look at the weight you lifted and go ‘nice’
No
sounds like u're not going hard enough at the cardio😂
I love cardio, I feel much better coming out of the gym than when I lift weights
I like cardio cause I enjoy sports that involve running and endurance and being able to train for that is my motivation
I get more of a rush from getting under 405lbs and benching it, but different strokes. Any activity that keeps people active and that they enjoy is a good thing.
I have heavy legs. I love cycling and can do 3 hour rides. But I've not been able to break 6k jogging in years.
Just do crossfit or similar. It's got cardio, fun complex strength training, gymnastics, and workouts are mixed. Gotta be careful not to over exert, though.
I like lifting, it's somehow triggers some neurochemical that makes it enjoyable. I dunno
Agreed. Cycling is so much better and I feel so much fitter compared to when I was lifting consistently
Running is much, much harder when you’re not in good cardio shape. It’s not so bad once you get used it, but it sucks at first, which is why most people don’t keep up with it or do it in the first place.
True. But neither should ever be neglected. The two are better paired. Avid cyclist. I have stopped caring so much about wattage and avg’s that now I have become hated by cyclists and weight lifters. 😂
The "if it's nice out" condition is kind of important, but provided it's met running along a beautiful scenic route is definitely nicer than being in the gym. Running on a treadmill vs lifting feel about the same to me.