Personally, i love doing weights, and i enjoy it far more then cardio. I thought it might help for me to write up a little post here about ways you might be able to make weight lifting more exciting.

1. Probably the best way is to go to a weight lifting/muscle sculpt class if you are a member of a gym. The instructors really motivate you, as well as teaching you proper technique and explaining what muscles you are working. By going to these classes over a period of 3 years off and on (much more regularly in the past year) i have learned alternative ways to exercise the same muscles, and if an instructor is using a method i dislike, i simply do things in a different way.

2. Another way to be more motivated about using weights is to buy an exercise video and follow along. It is not the same as a "live" instructor, but it is probably the second best thing.

3. Do weight lifting to music. Pick your favorite songs, make sure they are upbeat and keep you wanting to move.

4. Make up your own routine. You could either do this on your own, with help from the forum or online websites, or pay for a session with a personal trainer to set a program up that you can do at home (or at the gym) with the equipment you have access to.

5. Once you have a routine, make yourself up a chart, where you record what exercises you did, how many sets, and what weight you used. In this way, you can track your progress and improvements over a series of weeks. I am doing this and i find it really motivating.

6. Try to mix up your routine once in awhile. Anything gets boring if you do it the same way everytime. Do your exercises in a different order, or look up different ways to exercise your muscles online (there are several ways for each).

I hope this helps! Just my 2 cents. :) When you are lifting weights, it shouldn't be a struggle but it should not be easy either...it should be hard to complete the movement, but you should be able to while keeping the correct form. Form is the most important part of lifting weights, and when you first start out, you don't even need to use any weights (just use body weight)...if you are not doing exercises correctly you are not working the right muscles. And of course, it is very important to stretch out the muscles you have worked after you are finished your weight lifting. You may be sore the next day but being sore from muscles healing is a different feeling then being sore because you didn't stretch :)

Thank you so much for that Shy. I have been considering one session with a personal trainer to set up a better program for myself. I will defenately try some of your suggestions!!

That sounds great cherri! Let us know how it goes, if you do decide to have that session.

I sure will. When I try to lift weights I am always concerned about doing things properly so I think a session like that would be very helpful.

Thanks! I like the chart idea. Then I can pick and choose which exercises to do. When one gets old or is no longer chanllenging me, I can switch it up and have it on record.

You are welcome kat! :)

Great tips, Shy! Thanks for posting :)

you are very welcome :)