Getting my girl to love the gym.....

[TooPowerful4u]

*hope the mods allow a double post, as a lot of the females on this forum only post in the female forum*

Well she just joined a gym that should be opening within a few months. I take her to the gym with me here and there (at my gym), but she doesnt seem REALLY into it (although shes always up for the gym whenever i ask her to go). Shes very healthy and loves to eat good (and yell at me when i dont). She was raised very healthy and her dad used to love working out and still preaches about eating good and being healthy. She seems enthusiastic about going, so i want to teach her to really like it. Is there any advice you can give me or suggestions where i can make the experience pleasant and help her really learn to love the gym as i do? Shes already got a VERY nice body, but hey we can all improve. She wants ripped abs haha (even tho she has tiny cute ones you can see when shes layin down).

 

[thebrick]

I think the key is for her to find an activity at the gym that SHE enjoys and can get enthused about. There is a fitness center in my city that is now teaching pole dancing. I think that would rock

I think this thread would be a great place for some of our new lady members to give their perspective...

 

[phoenix13]

...new lady member perspective ...

I think the key is for her to find an activity at the gym that SHE enjoys and can get enthused about.

i agree... find out what she likes/loves most about it and find ways to expand on those aspects of the experience. once a strong sense of enthusiasm/motivation is established, she can (with an open mind) try out other activities that she may discover are equally or moreso satisfying.

we do it b/c we love it. when people come to me for advice about training (even diet), i do my best to help them to get in touch with what they enjoy about the experience, make that the source of drive, and transfer it onto other activities that are necessary to reach their goals.

 

[Vander_V]

Give her a beatin.

Tell her if she goes to the gym you'll hit it deeeeep!! later that night.

 

[TooPowerful4u]

Tell her if she goes to the gym you'll hit it deeeeep!! later that night.

LMFAO! "hit it deeeeep" lol.

good posts everyone, sounds like a good way to start. I dont know if she would enjoy classes our out on the gym floor herself. She wants to do cardio too for cardiovascular health, but to be honest, shes 5'4 107lbs and my one leg is bigger than her waist (but she got a musclebooty hehe). I guess maybe let her try a bunch of things and see which one takes off..... i just really want her to enjoy this and get hooked like me. Shes like almost perfect with me, this would certainly top it off!

 

[Sassy]

I'm 5'3" and when I first started working out I weighed 105 pounds. I always enjoyed doing aerobic classes, but what got me interested in weight lifting was wanting to get stronger. Then after I started lifting I started noticing changes in my body... muscles were growing, and I like the way I was starting to look.

I think if you just try to make it something you and her do together and make it enjoyable for her. As her strength starts to increase and body starts to develop and change she should get more interested in it.

If she still doesn't find it interesting, then she will just have to figure out what kind of exercise she does like.

 

[Dad]

Yuo might want to ease her into it. A lot of guys who are used to training hard and pushing, bring their girls, wives, buddies who haven't trained into the gym and then try to push them right off the bat.

For everyone who's new, this gets them REALLY sore. Now, this is a great source of amusment if yuo're used to training, but, man, I can't think of a faster way to turn someone off!

Then give her nice rub-downs later - no kidding! She'll love it, and who knows where that might lead, right?

 

[EVERLAST]

Dads right...

As usual, huh?
The thing is...if you've been lifting as long as I have and are sooo into it and enjoy pushing heavy, and getting that endorphin rush...to a newbie that can be terrifying. Especially a person, male or female, that hasn't been exposed to it. My ex thought everybody at the gym had roid rage, thought it was animalistic, and hated it that I loved to lift...
hence the ex in the above sentence.

Let her find her own pace, and she will grow to love it for the results it brings.

 

[buffbabeca]

As usual, huh?
The thing is...if you've been lifting as long as I have and are sooo into it and enjoy pushing heavy, and getting that endorphin rush...to a newbie that can be terrifying. Especially a person, male or female, that hasn't been exposed to it. My ex thought everybody at the gym had roid rage, thought it was animalistic, and hated it that I loved to lift...
hence the ex in the above sentence.

Let her find her own pace, and she will grow to love it for the results it brings.

great post..... dont push her.. let he find her own niche in the gym just be there as a support for her and encourage her but dont make it a huge deal.....

 

[TooPowerful4u]

thanx everyone. i guess i am just HOPING she really learns to love it... since i saw that thread about bodybuilding relationships only working if both parties love the gym..shes so great...thats why i hope this falls into place

 

[n8ia]

let her do it at her own pace. i like going to the gym by myself, my wife hates it and does mostly kick boxing and power band classes and swimming. we have our own things and it gives us alone time the couples need sometimes

 

[IronMike]

...

Agree with Dad's advice totally.

Also, don't get too hung up on her needing to love the gym - it's not for everybody. And to be honest with you, I've dated bodybuilding and gym junky girls, and I'd rather one that wasn't as into it as me. When I don't want to be thinking about bbuilding or want to head out for a nice meal, I don't need my girl counting calories or telling me she'll need to get up early and do an extra cardio session! Of course, it'd be nice if they still looked hot, but you know... ;-)

Just focus on letting her enjoy it. Enjoyment of something breeds motivation and those who forget to enjoy their training quickly lose their way. IronMike

 

[TooPowerful4u]

Agree with Dad's advice totally.

Also, don't get too hung up on her needing to love the gym - it's not for everybody. And to be honest with you, I've dated bodybuilding and gym junky girls, and I'd rather one that wasn't as into it as me. When I don't want to be thinking about bbuilding or want to head out for a nice meal, I don't need my girl counting calories or telling me she'll need to get up early and do an extra cardio session! Of course, it'd be nice if they still looked hot, but you know... ;-)

Just focus on letting her enjoy it. Enjoyment of something breeds motivation and those who forget to enjoy their training quickly lose their way. IronMike

lol i get that anyway. She yells at me for eating like shit. I have to beg for junk food!

 

[Momma Hutch]

ok... so it wasn't until my husband asked me to train and diet with him for this set of contests that I was motivated to go to the gym everyday... I took 4 years off and was lazy about the whole thing, I would go every now and then, meaning once every 2 months... which i am sure was hard for him. But when I felt like there was a purpose beyond getting fit, is when I really got back into it. I guess you can say like a typical woman... I had that feeling of being needed... now it is time for him and i to spend quality time together. I don't know if I helped out at all, but maybe she needs a reason to go beyond it being something you want her to do. I finally came around and now i am going to compete in my first figure contest in November... so anything is possible!

 

[sup]

I'm in the same boat..

wifey wants to work out but 'things' kept getting in the way (got sick, kids needed her, yada)

I probably have pushed her too hard too which im sure didn't help. so im going to back off and hopefully 'guide' her more into the things she needs to do to improve her body.

hopefully as she gets results her interest will increase