I Would, But the Gym Is So Boring.
I hear this all the time. "I want to get stronger and I know I should but it is just so boring."
I get it.
When I am trail riding with my friends Amanda and Val, it hits all my senses and fills all of my needs. There is the smell of pine in the forest, the sight of light dappling through the trees, the feel of the handlebars (and mosquitoes), the brain challenge (we are often lost with no signal). There are the sounds of birds and tires crunching leaves. Best of all, it is social. We laugh a lot. Unlike members of the male species, we chat about life and plan all kinds of things and solve most of the world's problems while riding.
Tennis is similar. I love hearing the hollow thud of the balls, birds chirping and the airplanes flying overhead. I love playing with friends, all the laughs and the fun of navigating the ups and downs of our games, and our lives, and celebrating each "Great shot!"
The gym is different. Going to the gym and lifting weights does not do any of this for me either. Yes, there are people there, but everyone is in their own bubble with headphones blocking out the world. Sounds terrible, actually.
So why do I like it?
I like the routine. I like that it is measurable by tracking weights and progress week over week. I like listening to music. I also use it as processing time. The repetitive nature of strength training lets your brain wander productively, connecting ideas and solving problems you didn't know you were working on. (More on the default network in an upcoming issue.)
And I like the results. After five years of consistent training, two sessions a week, have seen real body composition change, meaning increased muscle mass, and a feeling of being stronger and more capable, physically and mentally. I have heard from many women: "Well, you have a genetic advantage" or "You clearly have good genes." That may be true. This does not bother me because I know that I have also shown up consistently for five years. Both things can be true.
Does the gym hurt my eyes aesthetically? Yes. Is it my idea of social time? No. Is it fun? Not exactly. But I appreciate that being strong allows me to do all the other things I love like trail riding, tennis, and the 200km bike ride I have coming up.
Do You Have to Go to the Gym to Build Strength?
Truthfully, no. Not right now. But you do need to build strength. And here is the one thing worth understanding: strength is built through progressive overload, consistently asking your muscles to do a little more than they did before. Your body only adapts when it is challenged beyond its current capacity. What matters is finding the path that gets you there. The path may eventually lead you to a gym. But for now:
The Best Alternatives to the Gym for Women
Resistance bands at home: do it while watching a show. Costs less than one month at a gym, replicates all the major movement patterns. A legitimate starting point for women beginning strength training, as long as you keep increasing the resistance over time.
Bodyweight training: push-ups, split squats, hip hinges, dead bugs, planks. These are not beginner exercises. Fundamental movements that challenge your body at any fitness level when done with intention and progressive difficulty. Honest limit: once your bodyweight is no longer a challenge, you will need to add load.
Classes: Pilates and yoga are valuable for core strength, mobility and consistency. The limitation is they are not designed for progressive overload strength training. Think complement, not replacement.
Gardening: counts more than you think. Digging, carrying, squatting, hauling. Your body does not know the difference between a deadlift and a bag of soil. Not measurable progressive overload, but the movement patterns are the same. It builds strength and body awareness in a way that is real.
The goal is not the gym. The goal is strength. Find your version of it.
One Strength Exercise You Can Do Right Now. No Gym Required
While you are waiting for your coffee to brew, face your counter, place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and do 10 push-ups against the counter.
That's it. Sixty seconds. Better than doom scrolling.
Here is why this counts: counter push-ups work your chest, shoulders and triceps — the entire pushing pattern — and engage your core if you hold your body in a straight line throughout. It is a legitimate compound movement, not a warmup exercise.
The progression when you are ready for more:
Counter push-ups: the angle reduces the load so it is the most accessible version. Start here.
Couch or low surface: hands on the arm of a sofa or a low table. Harder.
Knees on the floor: harder again.
Full push-up: the goal. When you can do 10 clean full push-ups you have built real upper body strength.
Take your time moving through these stages. Each one is genuine progressive overload and you are asking your body to do more than it did before. This is exactly how strength is built, one push up at a time.
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— Connie Strength & Performance Coach BETTER. FASTER. STRONGER.
