Fitness Trainer's 'Just Move' Rule Makes Gym Time Enjoyable

Dreading your workout might be the biggest barrier between you and your fitness goals, according to a trainer who's built a career on keeping exercise fun.

Kenny Santucci, a New York fitness trainer and host of the "Strong New York" podcast, shared his surprisingly simple approach to getting in shape. Instead of grinding through exercises you hate, just pick something else and move.

"If you're thinking in your head, 'Oh, God, I've got to go do legs, I don't want to,' go do something else," Santucci told Fox News Digital. "Swing a kettlebell, push a sled, do something."

Santucci practices what he preaches. He admits he hates back squatting, so he doesn't do it. Instead, he chooses alternatives like pendulum squats, leg presses, or lunges that work the same muscles without the mental resistance.

The trainer's philosophy challenges the notion that fitness requires strict adherence to programming. For average people living normal lives, he says flexibility matters more than following a rigid plan.

"I want people to look forward to it," he explained. "You should never question, 'Should I go or should I not?' You should go, and then what you do when you get there, sky's the limit."

This doesn't mean all movement is equal. Santucci clarifies that strength training should form the foundation of most routines, especially for those seeking aesthetic results. Cycling or cardio alone won't build muscle, he notes.

For muscle growth, he recommends working at 60% to 80% of your capacity with moderate intensity. Adding slightly heavier weights and ensuring adequate protein intake creates the external force muscles need to grow.

Why This Inspires

Santucci's approach removes the biggest obstacle to fitness: the mental barrier of dreading your workout. By giving people permission to choose activities they actually enjoy, he's making sustainable fitness accessible to more people. The message is empowering because it puts autonomy back in the hands of gym-goers rather than making them feel guilty for skipping exercises they hate.

His coaching style also rejects the "no pain, no gain" mentality that burns people out. Training at consistent, moderate intensity produces better long-term results than sporadic bursts of punishing workouts.

The timing resonates perfectly with gym attendance spiking before summer, when many people feel pressure to transform their bodies quickly. Instead of crash dieting or overtraining, Santucci offers a gentler path forward.

"Hard doesn't necessarily mean it's a better workout," he said. "If you're training at levels of intensity, then you're reproducing good outcomes."

His final advice cuts through all the fitness noise: understand your goal, work backward from there, and design a program that actually fits your life. Progress matters more than perfection, and showing up consistently beats any single perfect workout.