I can imagine people having fun getting lost in the flow of playing a competitive sport. I’ve also heard some people experience a post-workout high. But does anyone actually feel pleasure in the moment while lifting weights, jogging, cycling, etc?
If so… what does it feel like? Is there anything the rest of us can do to cultivate such a mindset?
Lifting is ok, going TO the gym sucks.
I’ve always had sporty hobbies so at least I’m somewhat in shape. Over the years I did karate, parkour, bouldering, football, volleyball, and ive been deeeep onto hema for a long time now.
I just love having an activity that is basically “playing” but very physical. Even when i feel like I’m not progressing, I’m still having a good time and get to completely exhaust myself once a week.
Rock climbing and bouldering combine the fun of a puzzle with a workout and very real goals/improvements you get to work towards. It’s also not just “I did 5 more pounds!”
For me I hate a squat rack or bench but climbing never really feels like working out.
Couldn’t agree with this more. I started climbing a month ago and I’m fully obsessed, it’s like a sport designed for people who like video games. Each route is a level that needs completing and the initial progress is so fast and rewarding that you just want to come back and beat that grade that you couldn’t get a week ago.
I have a 6c which I fall asleep thinking about right now, the crux seems so doable from the ground and then feels impossible when I’m there. I bought a hangboard to train finger strength so I can beat it faster, and that is definitely more akin to working out, but I see it more as grinding or overlevelling to beat that piece of shit boss you’ve died to 10times in a row.
Bouldering is like a phone game, each level is less than a minute long and requires a specific skill to be unlocked to beat it, over time these skills combine to allow you to beat a harder problem without you even realising you’ve levelled up. Top rope is like a console/pc game where levels take longer to complete and rely on managing resources and your strats.
It also helps a ton that I feel 5x healthier already and am stronger than I’ve been in my life. Climbing is seriously awesome.
Be careful how you’re using it if you’re a male. Knuckle calcification is pretty much an inevitability, but bouldering and hangboard type exercises speed it up significantly. They exert a lot more force on the knuckles, and so they’re more likely to cause microfractures that get filled up with calcium.
I’ve competed in sport climbing for years without too many changes. A single season of preparing for and competing in bouldering left my knuckles like 20% wider, I can’t bend them fully anymore, and my hands were shaking for months.
Yep, you have a very palpable sense of progression in these sports.
That problem that looked impossible a couple months ago suddenly feels doable and eventually almost easy.