Reasons Why You Should Lift Weights. I’ll say it plain and simple: you should be lifting weights. But not necessarily for the reasons that you might think. For example, I don’t believe that strength is the main benefit of weightlifting. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love being strong as much as the next person, but there is more value in weightlifting than simply gaining muscle or losing fat.
When I think back on the time I’ve spent training (around 1. I’ve discovered. Pushing Yourself Physically Reveals What You’re Made of Mentally. A few weeks ago, I posted an update on Twitter that asked the following question.
Have you learned more from pushing yourself physically or mentally? Many of you sent in great answers, but I particularly liked this one from Tom. Mental teaches you about others, physical teaches you about yourself.
A guide to the many benefits of weight training, resistance training, strength training and muscle building. 13 Benefits of Weightlifting That No One Tells You About. Emotional Benefits of Weight Lifting. Strength Training Main Page Benefits of. Here is a list of risk factors to help you decide if you should talk to a physician before beginning a strength training program. Never sacrifice form just to add more weight.
The Benefits of Weight Training. When it comes to weight loss, health and quality of life a little weight training can go a long way. Strength Training 101. You do not need to be a bodybuilder to benefit from strength training. A well-designed strength-training program can provide the following benefits: Increased strength of bones, muscles and connective.
Tom explained what I hadn’t quite been able to put my finger on: there is an incredible amount to be learned from both reading and playing sports, but you’ll learn more about yourself when you push yourself physically. My experiences have mirrored this. While I’ve learned a great deal about myself from mental pursuits like writing and photography, I’ve discovered far more about my mental strength and my ability to overcome failure by playing baseball for 1. Challenging your own body is the greatest method for discovering the strength of your mind. Nowhere is this more true than with strength training. There will be days when you don’t feel like coming into the gym.
There will be sets that you don’t feel like finishing. There will be times when everyone else in the gym will see you fail.
And if you keep showing up anyway, then you’ll develop the mental fortitude to get past failure, work when you don’t feel like it, and discover what you’re really made of mentally and physically. Weightlifting Solidifies Your Sense of Self. Confidence changes the kinds of thoughts you have. Having confidence that you can move yourself through physical space with control and competence is a deeply satisfying feeling that filters into every other area of life. If you set a new personal record in the gym this morning, you can be sure that you’ll be feeling more confident at work this afternoon. But weightlifting goes deeper than that.
Weight training gives you something to stand on, something to define yourself by. It clarifies who you are in your own mind.“I can lift X pounds. This is what I’m capable of.
This is who I am.”With weightlifting, there’s no lying to yourself about what you can and can’t do. The weight forces you to be honest and self. Most days, life seems to be lived in the gray areas.
It’s hard to know if you’re making progress as a parent, a friend, an employee, or a person. Weightlifting is more black and white. It helps you get past that fuzziness and closer to understanding yourself.
Combine this type of clarity with gradual improvement and your sense of self. You know who you are and you are proving that you can become better than you were before.“I lifted 1. I did last week. This is proof.”What could possibly be more confidence. Strength Gives You More Opportunities to Contribute to Life. After spending more than 1.
Bronnie Ware said, “Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.”I believe that this freedom . In my case, that means writing about health and wellness, volunteering for the Red Cross, and taking photos around the world. This is one of the biggest benefits of weight training: it enables you to transform into a better version of yourself (more confident, more self. We have a small and committed group of superhumans who care not only about developing strong bodies and minds, but also about contributing to the world. Our community is filled with people who are challenging themselves to become better physically and who are excited about helping the people around them at the same time.
Imagine if you spent your entire day surrounded by people like that? What would your world look like? Get the Benefits of Weight Training. If you’re already a weightlifter, keep at it.
If you’re not, get started. You are on this planet to do amazing things, and I honestly believe that lifting weights can help you do those things better. Happy and healthy people have a better chance to live with confidence and contribute value to the world than anyone else. Don’t take that for granted.
The Benefits of Weight Training. By WLR's John Litchfield.
Cardiovascular exercise on machines such as treadmills and exercise bikes burns more calories than lifting weights, so is it just a waste of gym time to add strength training to your workout? The simple answer is no. Working your muscles as well as your heart and lungs can improve your health and help you drop a clothes size faster.
I can burn far more calories doing light cardiovascular work than heavy lifting, shouldn't I just stick to the treadmill? You'll even be burning extra calories while you're sleeping or sitting on the couch watching Eastenders. Aerobic exercise may burn a few hundred extra calories for dinner, but for every additional pound of muscle you gain, your body burns around 5. Research has shown that regular resistance training can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate by up to 1. So for someone burning 2. Mars bar, burned every single day.
Do not be disheartened if initially you seem to be staying at the same weight or gaining slightly. Muscle weighs more per square inch than fat, so whilst your weight might not be dropping very quickly, your clothes are feeling baggier and you are seeing a healthier, slimmer and better toned you in the mirror. That's far more important than anything those nasty scales have to say, any time.? I loved Terminator, but being 5ft. I'm not sure Arnie's muscles would suit me. Many women are wary of taking it up for fear that increased muscle means increased masculinity, this is not the case.
Testosterone is a very important factor in the development of muscle shape, so as women have very low levels of this hormone their muscles develop differently, meaning a little resistance training will not lead to a bulky, butch physique. After the age of thirty there is a loss of 3- 5% of muscle mass per decade, making day to day tasks gradually harder to perform and slowing down metabolism - increasing the risk of weight gain. Research shows that just two 1. I'm not talking about lifting 1. Start slowly and work your way up.
Even using tins of baked beans as makeshift dumbbells or using light ankle weights is a good start. Over the course of your sessions, use exercises that work all the muscle groups and do 8- 1. Be sure to use a suitable weight so that the last rep really feels like hard work. Don't overdo it and make sure that you leave a day or two to recover in between sessions. Muscles grow while resting, so pushing yourself as hard as you can seven days a week won't do you any favours. A little effort will reap big benefits. You can feel healthier and look better, which in turn will make you feel better about yourself and the benefits can last for the rest of your life.