Why Trying Harder Made Me Skip My Workouts

(And What Finally Fixed It)

For a while, I thought I was doing everything right.

I wanted to get stronger, so I kept adding weight.
More resistance. More effort. More grit.

And then something strange happened.

I started skipping workouts.

Not because I was lazy.
Not because I didn’t “want it badly enough.”

But because my workouts had quietly turned into appointments with misery.

The mistake I didn’t see coming

Here’s what I learned the hard way:

If your workout feels hard enough to dread, your nervous system will eventually veto it.

Every time I cranked up the resistance, the session became:

• Longer

• Harder

• More draining

• Easier to postpone

Eventually, my brain started negotiating:

“Let’s just do it tomorrow.”
“You’re tired today.”
“Skipping one won’t matter.”

And that’s how trying harder actually made me train less.

Strength training after 60 is not about proving anything

At 63, strength training has a different job description.

It’s not here to:

• Impress anyone

• Chase personal records every week

• Leave me sore, wrecked, or fried

Its job is to:

• Keep me strong

• Keep my joints happy

• Keep me consistent

• Support the rest of my life

Once I understood that, everything changed.

The rule that fixed everything

I stopped asking:

“How much weight should I be lifting?”

And started asking:

“What workout could I repeat forever without dreading it?”

That question changed how I trained.

Instead of max effort, I focused on:

• Moderate resistance

• Slow, controlled reps

• Leaving 2–3 reps in the tank

• Ending workouts feeling better, not worse

Strength still improved.
Consistency skyrocketed.

The twice-weekly workout that finally stuck

This is the exact routine I now use with my Speediance smart gym or Dumbbells, twice per week.
Each session takes about 10–15 minutes.

No punishment. No heroics.

Day A — Lower Body + Push

• Assisted Squat
  2–3 sets of 6–8 slow reps

• Chest Press
  2 sets of 6–8 reps

• Overhead Press (light)
  2 sets of 5–6 controlled reps

• Core Hold or Anti-Rotation Hold
  2 rounds of 20–30 seconds

Day B — Hinge + Pull

• Romanian Deadlift
  2–3 sets of 6–8 reps

• Row (seated or standing)
  2 sets of 6–8 reps

• Lat Pulldown
  2 sets of 6–8 reps

• Farmer Carry or Static Hold
  2 rounds of 20–30 seconds

The most important rule

Every set ends with 2–3 reps still in reserve.

If I feel like I could do more, I stop.

That’s not weakness.
That’s how strength compounds without burnout.

Why this works when everything else failed

This approach works because it respects reality:

• Motivation is fragile

• Recovery matters more with age

• Consistency beats intensity

• Your nervous system remembers pain

When workouts feel safe, calm, and doable—
you don’t need willpower.

You just show up.

The tool that keeps me honest (and calm)

To make sure I don’t drift back into “trying too hard,” I built a simple strength-tracking spreadsheet.

It:

• Tracks resistance, reps, and effort

• Suggests when to increase, hold, or reduce load

• Removes ego from the decision

• Protects consistency

🎁 Free download

I’m giving this tracker away for free here:

👉 Download the Progress Tracker Once the sheet opens, Click the File menu, then Make a copy.

If a workout tracker ever makes you feel bad—it’s doing the wrong job.
This one is designed to keep you training for life.

Final thought

If you’re skipping workouts, it’s not because you’re lazy.

It’s because you made them too hard to love.

Make them easier to start.
Easier to finish.
Easier to repeat.

That’s how strength actually lasts.