Should lifting be fun?

[slowmotion]

I think SS is fun. And enjoyable.

I'm probably not working hard enough ...........

[jason1987]

Hello Mark,
I don't really find it fun. Any tips to make the workouts more enjoyable?

If you're not enjoying the workouts, you are doing them for the wrong reason. Starting Strength is designed to get people (especially beginners) as strong as possible. A beginner who is making consistent gains in their lifts should be enjoying their accomplishment of goals.

The actual lifts are usually hell for me, but the only last about 30 seconds, it's the time between sets when I am patting myself on the back and getting ready for the next lift that I enjoy.

If the actual lifting part is "enjoyable" while you are doing it, you're not lifting heavy enough weights. I'm sure Mark Rippetoe would agree.

[Sean Herbison]

Throughout the past few years I have tried various barbell programs. I don't really find it fun. Any tips to make the workouts more enjoyable?

To more directly answer your question, it's individual. Personally, I enjoy lifting. I'd possibly go so far as to even call it "fun," though probably not each and every time. If you don't like lifting in and of itself, you'll have to find other things to enjoy while you lift, or just focus on the results.

Some suggestions:

1. Get a lifting buddy
   Find someone you like that is willing to come lift with you. Preferably, this person is at least somewhat competitive, and you can push each other to get results.
2. Get some good music
   This is a big one for me. Whether you have control of the music where you lift or just have to put some headphones in, music can help keep you in the right mindset. I suppose you could do audiobooks, but I've always found that too slow, and it actually harms more than it helps.
3. Find a movement that you do enjoy
   Maybe you don't like squats. Too bad. They work like nothing else, so do them anyway. But if you enjoy doing thrusters, throw some of them in after you main worksets and have fun.

There are plenty of others. Just find something that works for you and stick with it. Or maybe it will never be fun, and you just do it for the benefits you get. I don't particularly like vegetables, but I eat them anyway.

[Sean Herbison]

Becoming, larger, denser, harder, more masculine is fun.

Plenty of people I interact with seem dense enough already.

If you're not enjoying the workouts, you are doing them for the wrong reason.

How do you figure? Who determines what the correct reason is? He may enjoy the benefits from lifting, as seems to be the case, without attaching particular enjoyment to their acquisition.

If the actual lifting part is "enjoyable" while you are doing it, you're not lifting heavy enough weights. I'm sure Mark Rippetoe would agree.

You're sure? I wouldn't be. Coming up with 500 lbs for the first time was certainly fun, even during the actual lifting part. I would wager (though I'm not sure) that Rip's had at least one or two lifts like that.

Some of us also like lifting for the sake of lifting, aside from the benefits it brings.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Coming up with 500 lbs for the first time was certainly fun, even during the actual lifting part. I would wager (though I'm not sure) that Rip's had at least one or two lifts like that.

Some of us also like lifting for the sake of lifting, aside from the benefits it brings.

My 600x3 squat was pretty fucking cool. I injured my gracilis doing it, but that was my Karwoski moment. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

[jason1987]

Plenty of people I interact with seem dense enough already.

How do you figure? Who determines what the correct reason is? He may enjoy the benefits from lifting, as seems to be the case, without attaching particular enjoyment to their acquisition.

You're sure? I wouldn't be. Coming up with 500 lbs for the first time was certainly fun, even during the actual lifting part. I would wager (though I'm not sure) that Rip's had at least one or two lifts like that.

Some of us also like lifting for the sake of lifting, aside from the benefits it brings.

I guess I was going on what I heard from a top 10 Mr.Olympia body builder. (I know, not transferable to power lifting)

"If the thought of training legs doesn't make you nervous, you're not training your legs hard enough"

And I tend to agree that it's easy to think you're "done" with a particular lift, especially when training legs sometimes as early as 50% before you actually hit your limit for that lift. I've had several training partners start screaming during a set "No, I'm done, I'm done. I can't do any more" and I convinced them that the workout plan said they need X reps and they had to do 2 more reps. Turns out, they actually DID have 2 more reps in the gas tank, but they were thoroughly convinced they were finished 2 reps prior.

But pushing yourself to that limit, especially for a lot of novice lifters is a very uncomfortable place to be in. Yes, some people may love it, but if lifting heavy weights was enjoyable for the vast population who did it, then way more people would be lifting heavy weights in my opinion. But heck, you guys are way more experienced than I am.

[Aleli]

My husband took the time to teach me how to lift using the SS method. His only condition was that I commit to it for at least 6 months.

It was NOT fun at the beginning. Having to work on form and feeling like a cluts was not my idea of a good time. It's been almost three years now and I can honestly say I LOVE to lift. The SS program just clicked for me and the gains became addictive!

Six months turned into a lifetime.

[Mark Rippetoe]

But pushing yourself to that limit, especially for a lot of novice lifters is a very uncomfortable place to be in. Yes, some people may love it, but if lifting heavy weights was enjoyable for the vast population who did it, then way more people would be lifting heavy weights in my opinion. But heck, you guys are way more experienced than I am.

Novice lifters do not "push to the limit." That's not the point of novice training. Read PPST3 again.

[jason1987]

Im getting close to 600 (550 1.5 months ago). When I started dicking around with ss, I was recreational road cyclist. I wanted to squat 315, bench 225, and dl 405. Shit keeps increasing as I get stronger.

A year ago it was 500 or 550. A few months ago it was 600. A few weeks ago it became 600*5. Met a Ukrainian powerlifter and he showed me a video squatting 710 (might have been a double). Current goal is 700. I know that will take years, but I want it.

When I did 500*5, I really enjoyed it.

If you don't love lifting, that's fine too. But Goddamn it feels amazing to lift heavy (relative) shit and know you can do more with more time and training. It feels like putting the jolly green giant in a headlock and fucking his wife, while she makes you a sandwich. Real nice.

Are you still squatting three times per week or has training frequency reduced?

[John Watson]

I don't train for fun, I train to challenge myself, which is fun.