You Don’t Have to Love Strength Training to Do It

You know you should be strength training, but there's just one problem. You don't really like doing it.

Maybe you've tried lifting weights before and couldn't stick with it. Maybe you love walking or cardio but can't seem to make yourself pick up a dumbbell. Or maybe you've never really strength trained because the whole thing feels intimidating.

And now you're in your 40s or 50s, hearing more and more about how important strength training is during perimenopause, menopause, and as we get older.

You know you should be doing it.

But what if you just don't enjoy it?

Here's something I want you to know:

You don't have to love strength training to become someone who strength trains.

And you certainly don't have to wait until you're excited about lifting weights to get started.

You Already Do Plenty of Things You Don't Love

Let's talk about unloading the dishwasher.

I don't know what it is about this particular household chore, but I cannot stand it.

It doesn't even take that long. And yet I can walk past a perfectly clean dishwasher multiple times, knowing full well it needs to be emptied, and think, I really don't feel like doing that right now.

Then somebody puts a dirty dish in there, and now we've got a whole new problem.

But here's the thing.

I don't sit around waiting to develop a passion for unloading the dishwasher.

I don't tell my family, "I just haven't found a dishwasher-unloading routine that really speaks to me."

Maybe I need a different playlist. Maybe some new equipment. Maybe I just haven't found my dishwasher personality yet.

No.

Eventually, I unload the dishwasher because we need clean dishes.

And I'm pretty confident I'm never going to love doing it.

The same goes for laundry. I love having clean clothes. I'm significantly less enthusiastic about folding them and putting them away.

There are five people in my house, but sometimes I swear we're doing laundry for a small hotel.

Yet somehow, it still gets done.

Not because I'm motivated. Not because I love the process.

Because I value the result.

And I think we can start looking at strength training the same way.

You Can Enjoy Cardio and Still Need Strength Training

For a long time, I was all about endurance training.

I've run marathons and completed three half Ironmans. There was a season of my life when I was perfectly happy spending hours swimming, biking, and running.

And I still think cardiovascular exercise is incredibly important.

If you love walking, keep walking. If you enjoy cycling, get on your bike. If dancing is your thing, go dance.

But here's where I want to challenge you a little.

Just because you enjoy one kind of exercise doesn't mean it gives your body everything it needs.

As women get older, maintaining muscle and strength becomes increasingly important.

Strength training helps us maintain and build muscle, support our bones, and continue doing everyday activities with greater ease.

And especially during perimenopause and menopause, when many women are becoming more aware of changes in their bodies, it's worth making strength training part of the conversation.

Not because we're trying to make our bodies smaller.

But because we want our bodies to stay capable.

We want to get up off the floor, carry groceries, travel, hike, play with our kids or grandkids, and continue doing the things we love.

And no, you don't have to be worried about what life will look like when you're 80.

Maybe you're just trying to get through Tuesday.

Fair enough. 😂

But strength isn't only about what your body can do 30 years from now. It's about what your body can do today, too.

What If You Don't Actually Hate Strength Training?

Here's something I've noticed while coaching women who are starting or restarting strength training.

Sometimes when a woman says, "I don't like lifting weights," I wonder whether what she really means is:

I don't feel comfortable doing it.

And those aren't necessarily the same thing.

Maybe you don't know which weights to use.

Maybe you're worried about doing an exercise incorrectly.

Maybe you walk into the gym and feel like everybody else knows exactly what they're doing except you.

Well, I have some news for you.

We don't. 😂

I've been strength training for over 20 years and doing CrossFit for six.

I cannot tell you how many times our coach has explained a workout, we've read the instructions on the board, and we've even watched a demonstration.

And then halfway through the workout, somebody realizes we're doing it wrong.

Wrong order. Wrong number of repetitions. Completely skipped an exercise.

And we're all standing there thinking, Wait, I thought we were supposed to do THAT first!

These are people who've been doing CrossFit for years.

Some of us are just really good at looking like we know what we're doing.

But seriously, not knowing something doesn't mean you're incapable of doing it.

It means you haven't learned it yet.

And that's an important distinction.

Confidence Comes From Practice, Not Waiting Until You're Ready

Think about when you first learned to drive.

You had to think about everything.

Checking mirrors. Using turn signals. Remembering which direction you needed to turn. Trying not to hit anything.

And now you can drive somewhere and barely remember the drive.

Which is slightly concerning when you think about it.

But you get my point.

You became comfortable because you practiced.

Strength training works similarly.

At first, everything requires thought. You have to learn the movements, figure out the equipment, decide which weights to use, and remember what you're supposed to do next.

Of course that can feel overwhelming.

But with practice, things start becoming familiar.

You recognize exercises. You remember what weight you used last time. You begin to understand how a workout is structured.

And suddenly, strength training doesn't feel quite as intimidating.

You may discover that you don't dislike lifting weights nearly as much as you thought.

You just didn't like feeling like you didn't know what you were doing.

And if that's where you are right now, please don't let it keep you from starting.

You don't need to feel like a lifter before you become one.

What If You Still Don't Like Lifting Weights?

Okay, but let's say you've learned the exercises.

You know what you're doing.

And you still don't particularly enjoy strength training.

That's okay, too.

I love lifting heavy weights, but there are exercises I would happily never do again.

Burpees, for example.

Burpees and I have had a complicated relationship for years.

I know they serve a purpose. I know they challenge me. I understand why they're included in workouts.

Still don't love them.

And that's fine.

Because instead of asking, "Do I love doing this?" I can ask a different question:

"Do I value what this does for me?"

Those are two very different things.

I don't love cleaning bathrooms, but I appreciate having a clean bathroom.

I don't love every workout, but I love being strong.

You can feel the same way about strength training.

You don't have to enjoy every minute of the workout to appreciate what getting stronger allows you to do.

How to Make Strength Training a Habit When You're Not Motivated

If you're waiting to wake up excited about lifting weights, you might be waiting a while.

Even people who love strength training don't always feel motivated to work out.

The key is making it easier to follow through, even on days when you'd rather do something else.

And that doesn't mean forcing yourself through workouts you absolutely dread, ignoring pain, or pushing through exhaustion.

It means finding a realistic way to challenge your muscles consistently.

Here are a few places I'd start.

1. Start with two manageable workouts

You don't need to strength train five days a week.

If you're just getting started, two strength workouts per week can be a great starting point.

Maybe that's 20 or 30 minutes at home.

Maybe it's using machines at the gym.

Maybe it's a few basic exercises with dumbbells.

You don't have to do CrossFit or lift a barbell over your head just because that's something I enjoy.

Find an approach that works for your body and your life.

2. Decide what you're going to do before workout time

If you already don't love strength training, the last thing you need is to spend 15 minutes trying to figure out what exercises you're supposed to do.

That's just giving yourself another reason to skip it.

Have a simple workout planned ahead of time.

Know which exercises you're doing.

Know where you're going to do them.

And put the workouts on your calendar.

The fewer decisions you have to make when it's time to exercise, the easier it becomes to follow through.

3. Make a plan for your actual life

Not the imaginary version of your life where the house is clean, nobody needs a ride anywhere, and you somehow have two uninterrupted hours to yourself.

I'm talking about your real life.

The one with work, kids, appointments, responsibilities, and a calendar that seems to fill itself.

If getting to the gym requires an hour you don't have, consider working out at home.

If you keep missing your evening workouts because you're exhausted, experiment with another time.

And if a full workout isn't realistic on a particularly busy day, having a shorter backup option can help you maintain the habit.

We're not trying to build a perfect strength training routine.

We're trying to build one you can actually keep doing.

You Might Start Enjoying Strength Training More Than You Expect

Here's something I've seen happen with women I coach.

They start lifting weights because they know they should.

They're not particularly excited about it.

And then, a few weeks later, they're messaging me because they're excited about how much weight they lifted.

Suddenly, a dumbbell that used to feel heavy doesn't feel quite so heavy anymore.

They can do an exercise they couldn't do before.

They notice themselves getting stronger.

And that feels good.

There's something pretty exciting about realizing your body is capable of more than you thought.

Does that mean everyone eventually falls in love with strength training?

No.

And that shouldn't be the requirement.

You can be someone who loves walking, would rather read a book than go to the gym, and doesn't particularly want another thing on your to-do list.

And you can also be a woman who strength trains.

Those things can exist together.

Your Next Step: Stop Waiting to Love It

So here's what I want you to think about this week.

Instead of asking yourself:

"How do I get motivated to start strength training?"

Ask yourself:

"How could I make strength training easier to follow through on, even when I don't feel like doing it?"

Maybe you need a simpler workout.

Maybe you need to stop expecting yourself to get to the gym five days a week.

Maybe you need someone to show you how to use the equipment or help you feel more confident choosing weights.

Whatever it is, start there.

Because six months from now, you could look back and realize you're stronger than you are today.

Not because you suddenly became obsessed with lifting weights.

But because you decided getting stronger mattered enough to make room for it.

And if you end up loving strength training along the way?

Awesome. I'll save you a spot by the dumbbells.

But if you still think it's about as exciting as unloading the dishwasher?

That's okay, too.

You're still getting stronger. And I'll take that.

Want to Make Strength Training Part of Your Life?

If you're a woman over 40 who keeps saying, "I know I should lift weights," but hasn't quite figured out how to make it happen, I'd love for you to join me on the Strength With Michelle podcast.

We're talking less about why you should strength train and more about how to actually do it, what's getting in the way, and how to build confidence along the way.

Because you don't have to feel like a lifter to become one.

And you deserve to take up space in the gym while you're figuring it out.