7 Strength Training Excuses: Busted!

Get Over the Excuses to Get Stronger

-- By Jennipher Walters, Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor

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Remember when you were a kid and claimed that your dog ate your homework, when really you just didn't get around to writing your book report? Of course, your teacher knew you were fibbing. While most of us are past blaming the dog instead of taking responsibility for our actions, this doesn't mean that we're beyond using excuses—whether we realize it or not.

As a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I've heard almost every reason under the sun for why people "can't" be active, let alone do something specific like lifting weights for the recommended 20 to 30 minutes twice a week. However, outside of an actual health condition and a doctor's note saying that strength training isn't recommended, lifting weights is so beneficial to the majority of people that all excuses are busted pretty quickly.

The benefits of weight training are numerous, including increased muscle strength, balance, bone density, lean muscle mass, insulin sensitivity and cardio endurance—not to mention that strong, lean muscles simply look better! So if you've been making excuses and opting out of weight training, read on to get the (nice) kick in the workout pants that you need to start benefiting from regular strength training.

Busting 7 Common Strength Training Excuses

Excuse #1: Strength training is boring. If you get bored easily or like activities that are a little more fast-paced and engaging, then strength training really is for you—the sky is the limit! From group classes that pair lifting weights to fun music, to suspension training with the TRX, workout DVDs, free weights, kettlebells, circuit training (more on that below) and even using your own body weight at home while watching TV, the options are endless—and certainly not boring.

The strength training workout for you: Hit up your gym to find an engaging strength class, or check out this 20-minute dumbbell workout with Coach Nicole!

Excuse #2: I don't have time for strength and cardio. The best thing about strength training is that it can double as cardio if you do it the right way! There are three basic ways to do this. First, you can add some cardio moves, such as mountain climbers or jumping jacks or marching in place, between different strength exercises to get your heart rate up and keep it elevated through your entire workout. Second, you can do a circuit-training type format where you have no rest between exercises and perform moves that work major muscle groups (such as lunges, squats and push-ups which target multiple muscles). This also keeps your heart rate elevated, giving you a high calorie burn and working your cardiovascular system. Third, you can do strength moves that work the lower body with the upper body (for example a lunge with a bicep curl), to really get your heart pumping.
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About The Author

Jennipher Walters
Jennipher is a certified personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and lifestyle and weight management consultant. She blogs regularly about her own fitness adventures at www.fitbottomedgirls.com.

See all of Jenn's articles.

Member Comments

JAZZERAZZ

My 18 year old daughter is very big boned and muscular naturally, but she also has extra fat to lose, and I'm not sure what the best routine would be for her. Any suggestions? I encourage her to go biking with her younger sister but I'm not sure how much ST she should do. Maybe just body weight exercises? - 6/11/2013 12:25:24 PM
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LEESIANNA

I find that Jazzercise is the best option for me to get both cardio and strength training in a one-hour workout. Plus, it is fun because we dance to the latest hits! - 2/12/2013 10:18:54 AM
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YOOVIE

a calorie burned is not exactly a calorie burned- its important to understand that you can get a burn DURING cardio, but the burn from doing a weight session keeps going for HOURS after you stop, and cardio cant boast that same claim. - 10/8/2012 2:45:46 PM
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SANDYCRANE

After reading this I can't wait to get started with strength training as I have been putting it off. - 9/13/2012 7:44:52 AM
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FITTEREVERYDAY

I've just BARELY started strength training (maybe a month now?) and I'm already seeing gains in my performance plus I feel I look better! My thighs aren't rubbing quite the way they were!! - 8/28/2012 6:02:41 PM
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TURTLEDAWN

Hey, I have one of those medically valid excuses (moderate aortic regurgitation), my problem is that I _want_ to add some more strength training but can't find any guidance on what's suitable. Don't tell me to ask my cardiologist as I did and he was rather useless when it came to specifics.

My limited personal research shows that there are some ways to minimize blood pressure increases during exercise, such as only working one limb at a time, making sure to breathe constantly and evenly during a set, increasing reps instead of weight. Do you professional types, or perhaps those who are also in my situation, have any other ideas? - 3/30/2012 2:52:57 PM
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KARALIANNE

The one excuse on the list that has come out of my mouth in the last year is the first one. (Right now I can't do too much strength training as I'm only 10 days post-laparoscopy.
)

Here's the thing: All of the answers listed that supposedly bust "strength training is boring" assume that the person using that excuse (1) lives in a city or a town with all of those amenities (e.g., a gym) nearby, and (2) has a television.

See, I live half an hour away from any gym, and I'm not about to waste the driving time (and the gas) just to go to the gym. I go into town when I have appointments, on Sundays for church, and once a week to meet a friend and do the grocery shopping. The rest of the time, I'm at home on my acreage.

For cardio, I go running down our incredibly quiet dirt road. And for strength training, I have a band and acquire pairs of dumbbells as I gain strength and need more. (I also have an exercise ball, but my husband scared the cat with it and she punctured it, so I need a new one.) Unfortunately, I also have ADHD, and fun music doesn't exactly pump up strength training the way it does running or walking.

Continuing with the "blasting," we don't have television. We have a TV, but it's not hooked up at all right now, and even once it is we won't have cable (can't get it in the country) or satellite (too expensive). We have VCRs and DVD players, so I could certainly watch something that way, but if it's on video I've seen it at least once already (often I've seen it more than once, such as with Due South or Babylon 5) and it won't jazz up the strength training enough to keep me interested in the exercise.

What we do have, and what I'm going to try next, is the internet (not satellite; this is a wireless connection to a service provided by my husband's work). Many networks put their shows on their web sites for people to watch freely outside of the regular broadcast time. There are a few shows that I enjoy that my husband isn't interested in. So I am going to try watching those shows while I do my strength training, and se... - 3/30/2012 1:56:00 AM
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CBKS810

The allure of being able to track cardio calories burned got the better of me until I dropped ST entirely from my weekly routines. I will put this first and foremost again, keeping just my much loved weekly Zumba class. - 6/14/2011 11:49:14 PM
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FIRESTARINFINI

Strength training is one of those exercises that you can spend 5 minutes a week doing 3 sets of 10 and see 10x more progress than if you did just 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week.
- 6/14/2011 10:18:00 AM
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HANA11

Great article! no more excuses! Get your dumbbells and start the burn!! - 6/14/2011 9:06:35 AM
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