2026 Strength Training Accountability Thread

[avondale]

Friday check in for me as well. Two of three workouts completed with another one to go tomorrow.

Since my PT is complete I have added more leg strengthening work to my "general" lifting sessions rather than doing that work on its own. I like it because if I am doing one, it's easy to get the other done too. But on the downside, it pushes those sessions to 45-60+ minutes and right now at least two of the days fall on days I am also running. Need to think about how to schedule this going forward because committing 2+ hours multiple days a week (between my run and then strength work) probably isn't sustainable with work and family stuff.

If (or when) you are not training for a specific race, you might cut out one day of running per week to put in the strength training. Your body will probably thank you for this when you get older... then when you get back to your heavy race-training period, cut back a bit on the strength training.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

I managed all my strength workouts this week, yay! I went from 1 set of all, to 1 set + 2 x half sets

 

[marty3d]

Also got all of mine done this week. However deciding to do my last upper body workout of the week right after a 10 mile long run today might not have been the smartest planning I've ever done.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Pretty standard weekend of strength work. Friday was an elliptical day (moderate to high intensity), Saturday and Sunday were moderate level wind downs on the recumbent bike since I had longer mileage on my feet, Friday was upper body weights, Saturday lower body, and yesterday back to upper body. It took a day, but I also felt that core elevate machine workout by Saturday and spent a little extra time in the captain's chair working several angles to help. Thankfully, with my protein intake levels, it's rare that I have much in the way of soreness for long.

 

[KCO5988]

Delayed update from last week but got in a legs and core workout on both Thursday and Sunday. I dropped the program I was doing because it was too many days per week and days that focused on body parts that I don't care to do a full 30 minute workout on. I obviously want to work all my muscles in some way, but I don't need a full workout on just shoulders to aid my running and keep up general health. I'm going to focus on 3 workouts a week going forward. One upper body, one lower body and one full body and do some core work at the end of each of them. If I can squeeze in another leg day on some weeks, I will.

 

[The Expert]

Went to my 1.5 level Pilates this morning and it was ALL PLANKING! Like all the various ways you can work your abs. On the reformer, on the mat, at the spring wall, with the straps, you name it. OMG I am DYING but it was so good. Also learned that my fav instructor is going on vacay for two weeks so I won't hear her Vanellope voice for a bit.

I start my 8-week base and speed building plan today, which calls for 2x weekly strength training, so I'll be stepping things back up in the home gym.

 

[SheHulk]

Today was a 30-min lower body with a 15-min elliptical warmup.

I saw a sports medicine group yesterday, to get an actual professional opinion on my weaknesses. They took an x-ray just because of my scoliosis, but nothing structurally or nerve-related is causing my issues, in their opinion, just weakness and imbalance. They prescribed me PT but it sounds like the real prescription is... **core strength** I know Im a whiner but I really don't know how I'm going to motivate myself to do it. It's a real Matthew effect: Core work is very unpleasant, because I"m so weak, but I just get weaker because I don't work on it.
I made an appointment with a PT that a) is close to my apartment and b) at least mentions sports rehab and running specifically on their website. I'll at least go get evaluated and go a few times to see what they give me to do. The main goal for me is to get some exercises I can do on my own.
How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Good higher intensity effort on the elliptical last night along with a lower body workout. Stronger, again, on the leg press but struggled a bit with the leg extension and adductor. I got in 2.5 sets at an increased weight but worked to failure and did a final partial set on each at a lower weight level. Today is supposed to be upper body but we'll see how that goes. The pollen here is really kicking my butt + I took a short nap yesterday and am of the age where sleeping weird can create weeks of pain. Long story short... shoulder hurts for no good reason other than a badly positioned nap.

 

[The Expert]

Today was a 30-min lower body with a 15-min elliptical warmup.

I saw a sports medicine group yesterday, to get an actual professional opinion on my weaknesses. They took an x-ray just because of my scoliosis, but nothing structurally or nerve-related is causing my issues, in their opinion, just weakness and imbalance. They prescribed me PT but it sounds like the real prescription is... **core strength** I know Im a whiner but I really don't know how I'm going to motivate myself to do it. It's a real Matthew effect: Core work is very unpleasant, because I"m so weak, but I just get weaker because I don't work on it.
I made an appointment with a PT that a) is close to my apartment and b) at least mentions sports rehab and running specifically on their website. I'll at least go get evaluated and go a few times to see what they give me to do. The main goal for me is to get some exercises I can do on my own.
How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

Honestly, this is why I started going to Pilates once a week. I have a great home gym and I do use it, but not enough. Having that appointment and someone to just tell me what to do makes a huge difference for me. Now I've discovered a Core class and that's what I sign up for. It's not as easy and fun and the intro classes, but it's what I NEED to be doing. And it's the kind of exercises I won't do on my own in my gym. And it is slightly gamified as the app tracks my class numbers and types, and the studio does monthly challenges. YMMV

 

[GuinnessRunner]

How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

I have yet to find a great answer to this for myself. It very much helped over the past 3 months to have essentially a PT that acted like a personal trainer (app where exercises were uploaded, weekly check in and extra communication if she saw me miss a planned workout). However, that was expensive and not something I could continue indefintely with the family budget. I try to find the same level of accountability by (1) pre-loading planned workouts into TrainigPeaks so that it shows as red if I miss it and (2) using this forum. Time will tell if I can sustain the work that I do not enjoy this time (core and hip strength being my biggest weaknesses) as I haven't kept it up in the past for the same reasons as you.

As I recall, you started this great group to help with your accountability. If you want to post in advance what your workout schedule is supposed to be for the week (once you know it) , I and I am sure others will be happy to check in with you on those dates to see how it went and give a gentle nudge if you haven't gotten it done. It won't help with the suck, but might be beneficial on the motivation side.

 

[nancipants]

Had to skip my strength workout on Friday, but I got back at it yesterday. 30 minutes with dumbbells.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

I don't have a direct answer to this - I think you just have to find what works for you - but I will say I hated core workouts much less once my core got stronger. I was consistent-ish with strength training even before I started running regularly, but I never really did core-specific workouts, so my core muscles were pretty weak. But once I started doing 15-20 minutes of core a couple times a week, I got noticeably better within a couple of months. Just like with running, do a little bit at first and then keep building on that until you're where you need to be.

 

[BradleyCB]

Today was a 30-min lower body with a 15-min elliptical warmup.

I saw a sports medicine group yesterday, to get an actual professional opinion on my weaknesses. They took an x-ray just because of my scoliosis, but nothing structurally or nerve-related is causing my issues, in their opinion, just weakness and imbalance. They prescribed me PT but it sounds like the real prescription is... **core strength** I know Im a whiner but I really don't know how I'm going to motivate myself to do it. It's a real Matthew effect: Core work is very unpleasant, because I"m so weak, but I just get weaker because I don't work on it.
I made an appointment with a PT that a) is close to my apartment and b) at least mentions sports rehab and running specifically on their website. I'll at least go get evaluated and go a few times to see what they give me to do. The main goal for me is to get some exercises I can do on my own.
How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

You know what has worked for me in the past? Motivation through shopping! Let's say you are a shoe junky like me. I might have my eye on a new pair of running shoes I saw. But before I can order them, I have to earn them by ___ (doing core 3x per week for a month, completing a strength program, etc.). Maybe something like that would work for you too. Best of luck with it!

Quick update. Full body class yesterday morning.

 

[avondale]

Today was a 30-min lower body with a 15-min elliptical warmup.

I saw a sports medicine group yesterday, to get an actual professional opinion on my weaknesses. They took an x-ray just because of my scoliosis, but nothing structurally or nerve-related is causing my issues, in their opinion, just weakness and imbalance. They prescribed me PT but it sounds like the real prescription is... **core strength** I know Im a whiner but I really don't know how I'm going to motivate myself to do it. It's a real Matthew effect: Core work is very unpleasant, because I"m so weak, but I just get weaker because I don't work on it.
I made an appointment with a PT that a) is close to my apartment and b) at least mentions sports rehab and running specifically on their website. I'll at least go get evaluated and go a few times to see what they give me to do. The main goal for me is to get some exercises I can do on my own.
How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

If seeing progress is a helpful motivator for you, can you talk to your PT about how you might measure progress? For example, if someone was working on upper-body strength, you might measure it by an increasing number of push-ups they could do. Is there something measurable/countable that the PT can suggest you do, perhaps weekly, to measure your progress?

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Today was a 30-min lower body with a 15-min elliptical warmup.

I saw a sports medicine group yesterday, to get an actual professional opinion on my weaknesses. They took an x-ray just because of my scoliosis, but nothing structurally or nerve-related is causing my issues, in their opinion, just weakness and imbalance. They prescribed me PT but it sounds like the real prescription is... **core strength** I know Im a whiner but I really don't know how I'm going to motivate myself to do it. It's a real Matthew effect: Core work is very unpleasant, because I"m so weak, but I just get weaker because I don't work on it.
I made an appointment with a PT that a) is close to my apartment and b) at least mentions sports rehab and running specifically on their website. I'll at least go get evaluated and go a few times to see what they give me to do. The main goal for me is to get some exercises I can do on my own.
How do you motivate yourself to do something that is not directly related to the thing you enjoy doing, and that doesn't have a specific goal? It's not like I'm going to enter an abs competition like I'd enter a race, to give me a goal and benchmarks etc. Plus obviously I love running but hate this stuff.

I may not be the best example as I’ve always shifted well into the gym rat mentality… even if I’m much more into the circuit equipment and floor/mat work vs free weights, smith, etc. Still, I focus a lot of my unresolved stress from the day into each set. It’s a bit different than the therapeutic benefits of cardio. It’s a very focused feeling…like I’m literally pushing or pulling my pain points in life. That aspect helps get me pumped to lift. Seeing myself progress in terms of heavier weights and definition is also big. Seeing how I’m not dealing with my typical injuries and pain from mileage due to the added strength is another biggie. Beyond that, I’m fairly shopping motivated. I’m often putting my miles in when it’s dark. Next to nobody sees my fun leggings and shorts but the gym is full of people. I’m a big fan of CVG, so I can justify it if I’m consistent at the gym.

 

[Naomeri]

You know what has worked for me in the past? Motivation through shopping! Let's say you are a shoe junky like me. I might have my eye on a new pair of running shoes I saw. But before I can order them, I have to earn them by ___ (doing core 3x per week for a month, completing a strength program, etc.). Maybe something like that would work for you too. Best of luck with it!

Quick update. Full body class yesterday morning.

Oooh, that's a thought!!

 

[SheHulk]

It's not as easy and fun and the intro classes, but it's what I NEED to be doing. And it's the kind of exercises I won't do on my own in my gym. And it is slightly gamified as the app tracks my class numbers and types, and the studio does monthly challenges. YMMV

Yeah I need to wrap my head around: I need this if I'm going to continue running. Gamifying is a great idea! The doctor did mention Pilates as an option after PT is done, so you are backed up by medical professionals

As I recall, you started this great group to help with your accountability. If you want to post in advance what your workout schedule is supposed to be for the week (once you know it) , I and I am sure others will be happy to check in with you on those dates to see how it went and give a gentle nudge if you haven't gotten it done. It won't help with the suck, but might be beneficial on the motivation side.

I hesitate to make this my own personal training journal, but I definitely could make a training journal and post that kind of thing there! I'll have to think about just how accountable I really want to be...

Just like with running, do a little bit at first and then keep building on that until you're where you need to be.

This is all great advice. I'd love to get to a point where I don't hate it.

You know what has worked for me in the past? Motivation through shopping! Let's say you are a shoe junky like me. I might have my eye on a new pair of running shoes I saw. But before I can order them, I have to earn them by ___ (doing core 3x per week for a month, completing a strength program, etc.). Maybe something like that would work for you too. Best of luck with it!

This is great too! Have to think about what to reward myself with...

Thanks everyone for humoring my complaining. I wish I was 25 again, if only in the respect that I didn't need to do so much maintenance just to be able to run.

 

[SheHulk]

If seeing progress is a helpful motivator for you, can you talk to your PT about how you might measure progress? For example, if someone was working on upper-body strength, you might measure it by an increasing number of push-ups they could do. Is there something measurable/countable that the PT can suggest you do, perhaps weekly, to measure your progress?

I'll ask!

 

[The Expert]

The doctor did mention Pilates as an option after PT is done, so you are backed up by medical professionals