If You Hate Your Workout, Stop Doing It.

Seriously. There are better ways.

I have a confession.

I hate burpees.

Not in the "haha, everyone hates burpees" kind of way.

I mean I genuinely believe there are very few situations in life that require voluntarily throwing yourself onto the ground, performing a push-up, jumping back to your feet, and then launching yourself into the air... over and over again.

If you love them?

Great.

You can have mine.

The funny thing is that somewhere along the way, we've convinced ourselves that exercise only "counts" if it's miserable.

If you're not drenched in sweat, gasping for air, and questioning every life decision that led you to a Tuesday evening bootcamp class, was it even a workout?

Yes.

Yes, it was.

Why We Keep Punishing Ourselves

I think most people pick workouts backwards.

They don't ask:

"What kind of movement do I actually enjoy?"

Instead they ask:

"What burns the most calories?"

Or...

"What's everyone else doing?"

Or my personal favorite...

"What's the fastest way to lose weight?"

Those questions usually lead to a workout someone tolerates for about three weeks before mysteriously "losing motivation."

Spoiler alert:

It wasn't motivation.

It was the workout.

The Best Workout Is the One You'll Actually Repeat

Imagine two people.

Alex discovers they genuinely enjoy lifting weights.

Jordan decides they hate lifting but absolutely loves riding a bike.

Who gets healthier?

Hopefully both.

Your body doesn't hand out bonus points for suffering through an exercise you dread.

It rewards consistency.

If Jordan rides three times every week for the next five years while Alex lifts three times every week, they're both miles ahead of the person who quit after twenty-one days because TikTok convinced them every workout needed to feel like military training.

"But Is It Optimal?"

Probably not.

Who cares?

One of my favorite sayings in coaching is:

Done consistently beats perfect occasionally.

Every.

Single.

Time.

Would an elite marathon training plan improve my running?

Absolutely.

Would I actually follow it?

Absolutely not.

A slightly less "optimal" plan that I enjoy will outperform the perfect one sitting untouched in my Notes app.

Now... there's an important caveat.

If you're training for your first marathon, trying to qualify for a race, competing in powerlifting, or chasing a serious athletic goal, you'll eventually have to do things you don't love.

Runners have speed work. (…or those fucking hills)

Lifters have accessory exercises.

Cyclists have long rides in questionable weather.

Nobody wakes up thinking, "You know what sounds fun? Four hundred-meter repeats."

Those workouts aren't always enjoyable.

But they're purposeful.

The difference is that by the time you get there, you've already built the habit. You've learned to trust the process, and you've decided that the goal matters more than the temporary discomfort.

That's very different from someone who's just trying to exercise three times a week for the first time in years.

If you're still building the habit, don't make it harder than it needs to be.

Find movement you enjoy.

Build consistency.

Let your identity shift from "someone who should work out" to "someone who works out."

Once that's second nature, then you can worry about optimizing.

You don't build a house by picking out the fancy light fixtures first.

You pour the foundation.

Fitness works the same way.

Your Brain Matters, Too

Here's something we don't talk about enough:

Exercise isn't just training your body.

It's training your relationship with movement.

If every workout feels like punishment, eventually your brain starts associating movement with misery.

That's a terrible sales pitch.

Imagine telling a friend,

"Hey, want to come do something you'll dread all day, hate while you're doing it, and complain about afterward?"

Hard pass.

Movement should have room for joy.

It can be competitive.

It can be challenging.

It can absolutely be uncomfortable.

But it shouldn't make you hate moving.

Here's Your Homework

This week, forget what burns the most calories.

Forget what your favorite influencer says.

Forget what everyone else at the gym is doing.

Ask yourself one simple question:

What kind of movement makes me lose track of time?

Maybe it's swimming.

Maybe it's dancing.

Maybe it's hiking.

Maybe it's lifting heavy things.

Maybe it's pickleball.

Maybe it's chasing your dog around the yard because they stole your sock again.

(I have two Shibas. Ask me how I know.)

Whatever gets you moving regularly is infinitely more valuable than the workout you abandon next month.

Because fitness isn't built in one incredible workout.

It's built in hundreds of ordinary ones.

And if you happen to enjoy them?

Even better.

💀 Gym Sin of the Week

Choosing the treadmill directly next to the only other person in an otherwise empty gym.

We're all just trying to respect the unspoken rules here.

📈 Tiny Win

Next time you exercise, stop while you're still enjoying it.

Ending on a positive note makes you more likely to come back tomorrow.

🤔 Weird Fitness Fact

People who enjoy their exercise are significantly more likely to stick with it long-term than those who choose workouts based solely on calorie burn or intensity. The "best" workout on paper rarely beats the one you genuinely look forward to.

🔥 This Week's Challenge

Try one form of movement you've been curious about but have talked yourself out of.

No expectations.

No performance goals.

Just see if it's fun.