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Should Exercise Be Fun?
Work hard, sweat even harder, laugh and smile the hardest!
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
.jpeg)
ENGINE
We are going to mix things up a bit this week, varying modalities, time frames and distances designed to push your aerobic capacity.
GYMNASTICS
To kick things off, we will spend some time on Pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups before we move off the rig and onto the floor as we look to break down and develop the Handstand Walk.
HYROX
Working on compromised running this week. Running consistently strong when there is nothing left in your legs is a key skill in Hyrox.
MOBILITY
Improving your overhead mobility will show you how to improve not only flexibility but also stability using a few key exercises that you can do in your own time.
PURE STRENGTH
In Pure Strength this week, we will kick the week off with a mixture of paused and unpaused back squats, followed by some heavy single-leg work. Wednesday sees us continue our progression on the strict press and the stationary dips.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week in weightlifting we focus on the power snatch and hang power snatch with a series of complexes followed by some EMOM percentage work
.jpeg)
Track Tuesday
The purpose of this workout is to develop threshold speed. To do this we’re running through 3X800m into 2X400m finishing with a final best effort over 800m, then repeating the whole set again!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: InnerFight
Wednesday Ride
This Wednesday we’re going to put your legs through some climbing efforts and then finish with some maximum power sprints.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Bottom of the stick
Friday, The Coffee Run
The ‘in’ word within endurance is fatigue resistance; and today we look to benchmark it. With 2 maximum efforts at the start and end of the set with a steadier middle section, we’ll be able to track your drop-off. A great set for anyone wanting to get better this winter!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Friday, Sea Swim
With Salalah and T100 just around the corner, we again take to the seas to practice race-specific skills for open-water swimming.
Start time: 06:19 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Ride
This week we take on the second extension, with some 3-minute and 1-minute turns as a group. We’ll cover around 85km or fun riding. Come along to start your weekend right!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 3 hour
Location: Bottom of the stick
Please note that there is no Monday and Wednesday session this week. LRC Unlimited Clients, your TrainingPeaks are still programmed.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Track Tuesday
This week we have a selection of 800s and 400s for you. Come ready to run fast with InnerFight Endurance community and coaching team.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
Today we are looking at your durability. The session is book ended with hard efforts, to see how your duratlity is at the end of a middle block of easy running. This is a great session to test as the weather gets better and then test again in the coming month, after stacking some more consistency in your training.
.jpeg)
Monday:
Strength:
Pull Ups and Dumbell Bench Press
Conditioning:
Amrap 20
Car Park sandbag bear hug carry
10 hand-release push-ups
10 pull-ups
Half park run
Tuesday:
Strength:
Front Squats
Conditioning:
In a 3 minute window
10 Dual KB front squats (2x 20/16)
30/25/20 cal Row
AMRAP wall balls
Rest 2 mins x 5
Wednesday:
Strength:
A) Power Clean + Hang Power Clean
B) Clean Complex + Wall Walks
Conditioning:
FOR TIME
3-6-9 Power clean
2-4-6 wall walks
into
9-12-15 Power Clean
9-12-15 Burpee over bar
Thursday:
Strength:
KB Single Leg Deadlifts + Arch Holds
Conditioning:
EMOM 16
Min 1 - 20 alt DB hang snatch (50/35)
Min 2 - 20/15 box jump over
Min 3 -18/15/12/9 Cal assault bike
Min 4 - Rest
Friday:
Conditioning:
Another spicy Friday to end the week, and then we finish together with a Durante Special!
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
Track Tuesday
The purpose of this workout is to develop threshold speed. To do this we’re running through 3X800m into 2X400m finishing with a final best effort over 800m, then repeating the whole set again!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: InnerFight
Wednesday Ride
This Wednesday we’re going to put your legs through some climbing efforts and then finish with some maximum power sprints.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Bottom of the stick
Friday, The Coffee Run
The ‘in’ word within endurance is fatigue resistance; and today we look to benchmark it. With 2 maximum efforts at the start and end of the set with a steadier middle section, we’ll be able to track your drop-off. A great set for anyone wanting to get better this winter!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Friday, Sea Swim
With Salalah and T100 just around the corner, we again take to the seas to practice race-specific skills for open-water swimming.
Start time: 06:19 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Ride
This week we take on the second extension, with some 3-minute and 1-minute turns as a group. We’ll cover around 85km or fun riding. Come along to start your weekend right!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 3 hour
Location: Bottom of the stick
Please note that there is no Monday and Wednesday session this week. LRC Unlimited Clients, your TrainingPeaks are still programmed.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Track Tuesday
This week we have a selection of 800s and 400s for you. Come ready to run fast with InnerFight Endurance community and coaching team.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
Today we are looking at your durability. The session is book ended with hard efforts, to see how your duratlity is at the end of a middle block of easy running. This is a great session to test as the weather gets better and then test again in the coming month, after stacking some more consistency in your training.
Monday:
Strength:
Pull Ups and Dumbell Bench Press
Conditioning:
Amrap 20
Car Park sandbag bear hug carry
10 hand-release push-ups
10 pull-ups
Half park run
Tuesday:
Strength:
Front Squats
Conditioning:
In a 3 minute window
10 Dual KB front squats (2x 20/16)
30/25/20 cal Row
AMRAP wall balls
Rest 2 mins x 5
Wednesday:
Strength:
A) Power Clean + Hang Power Clean
B) Clean Complex + Wall Walks
Conditioning:
FOR TIME
3-6-9 Power clean
2-4-6 wall walks
into
9-12-15 Power Clean
9-12-15 Burpee over bar
Thursday:
Strength:
KB Single Leg Deadlifts + Arch Holds
Conditioning:
EMOM 16
Min 1 - 20 alt DB hang snatch (50/35)
Min 2 - 20/15 box jump over
Min 3 -18/15/12/9 Cal assault bike
Min 4 - Rest
Friday:
Conditioning:
Another spicy Friday to end the week, and then we finish together with a Durante Special!
ENGINE
We are going to mix things up a bit this week, varying modalities, time frames and distances designed to push your aerobic capacity.
GYMNASTICS
To kick things off, we will spend some time on Pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups before we move off the rig and onto the floor as we look to break down and develop the Handstand Walk.
HYROX
Working on compromised running this week. Running consistently strong when there is nothing left in your legs is a key skill in Hyrox.
MOBILITY
Improving your overhead mobility will show you how to improve not only flexibility but also stability using a few key exercises that you can do in your own time.
PURE STRENGTH
In Pure Strength this week, we will kick the week off with a mixture of paused and unpaused back squats, followed by some heavy single-leg work. Wednesday sees us continue our progression on the strict press and the stationary dips.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week in weightlifting we focus on the power snatch and hang power snatch with a series of complexes followed by some EMOM percentage work
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
Please note that there is no Monday and Wednesday session this week. LRC Unlimited Clients, your TrainingPeaks are still programmed.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Track Tuesday
This week we have a selection of 800s and 400s for you. Come ready to run fast with InnerFight Endurance community and coaching team.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
Today we are looking at your durability. The session is book ended with hard efforts, to see how your duratlity is at the end of a middle block of easy running. This is a great session to test as the weather gets better and then test again in the coming month, after stacking some more consistency in your training.
Monday:
Strength:
Pull Ups and Dumbell Bench Press
Conditioning:
Amrap 20
Car Park sandbag bear hug carry
10 hand-release push-ups
10 pull-ups
Half park run
Tuesday:
Strength:
Front Squats
Conditioning:
In a 3 minute window
10 Dual KB front squats (2x 20/16)
30/25/20 cal Row
AMRAP wall balls
Rest 2 mins x 5
Wednesday:
Strength:
A) Power Clean + Hang Power Clean
B) Clean Complex + Wall Walks
Conditioning:
FOR TIME
3-6-9 Power clean
2-4-6 wall walks
into
9-12-15 Power Clean
9-12-15 Burpee over bar
Thursday:
Strength:
KB Single Leg Deadlifts + Arch Holds
Conditioning:
EMOM 16
Min 1 - 20 alt DB hang snatch (50/35)
Min 2 - 20/15 box jump over
Min 3 -18/15/12/9 Cal assault bike
Min 4 - Rest
Friday:
Conditioning:
Another spicy Friday to end the week, and then we finish together with a Durante Special!
ENGINE
We are going to mix things up a bit this week, varying modalities, time frames and distances designed to push your aerobic capacity.
GYMNASTICS
To kick things off, we will spend some time on Pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups before we move off the rig and onto the floor as we look to break down and develop the Handstand Walk.
HYROX
Working on compromised running this week. Running consistently strong when there is nothing left in your legs is a key skill in Hyrox.
MOBILITY
Improving your overhead mobility will show you how to improve not only flexibility but also stability using a few key exercises that you can do in your own time.
PURE STRENGTH
In Pure Strength this week, we will kick the week off with a mixture of paused and unpaused back squats, followed by some heavy single-leg work. Wednesday sees us continue our progression on the strict press and the stationary dips.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week in weightlifting we focus on the power snatch and hang power snatch with a series of complexes followed by some EMOM percentage work
Track Tuesday
The purpose of this workout is to develop threshold speed. To do this we’re running through 3X800m into 2X400m finishing with a final best effort over 800m, then repeating the whole set again!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: InnerFight
Wednesday Ride
This Wednesday we’re going to put your legs through some climbing efforts and then finish with some maximum power sprints.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Bottom of the stick
Friday, The Coffee Run
The ‘in’ word within endurance is fatigue resistance; and today we look to benchmark it. With 2 maximum efforts at the start and end of the set with a steadier middle section, we’ll be able to track your drop-off. A great set for anyone wanting to get better this winter!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Friday, Sea Swim
With Salalah and T100 just around the corner, we again take to the seas to practice race-specific skills for open-water swimming.
Start time: 06:19 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Ride
This week we take on the second extension, with some 3-minute and 1-minute turns as a group. We’ll cover around 85km or fun riding. Come along to start your weekend right!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 3 hour
Location: Bottom of the stick
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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