How many of us dread when someone asks us if we have gained weight recently?
Imagine the plot twist when someone asks us how much weight can we lift instead.
The second question is more likely to take place among gym buddies or those who are into fitness and muscle-building through weightlifting.
Nowadays, it's a norm to hit the gym and lift weights as a physical activity, whether you're a male or female. In fact, many people see it as a great way to wind down before you call it a day.
In this article, we will look at why weightlifting is gaining more popularity and is worth exploring through five main reasons.
Reason 1: A Wholesome Muscle Strengthening Exercise
Are there any Running Man fans in the house?
Some of you probably know where this is leading. There is only one person that comes to mind when we talk about muscles aka Mr Sparta Capable, Kim Jong Kook.
Widely known for his tremendous physical strength and prowess, his muscles are often viewed as his superpowers, making him a formidable opponent during strength-demanding missions.
Obviously, his muscles are not made in a day. It's due to constant and consistent days spent in the gym, lifting weights and using various equipment to stimulate muscle growth, which in turn leads to an increase in muscle size and strength.
What happens when you start to lift weight? When our body's initial muscle state receives a repetition of weight stimulation, it actually causes damage or injury to your muscle fibres. From there, the body begins to repair the muscles by fusing them — eventually making your muscles grow. This phenomenon is also known as muscular hypertrophy.
If you are new to weightlifting, you can perform several lifting exercises from lighter to heavier weights depending on your pace.
Once you have achieved a certain rhythm and momentum, you can gradually increase the intensity by switching to heavier weights at a more regular interval. You can also alternate between different muscles (upper body or lower body) to allow sufficient rest and recovery in between.
You can always learn about the different weight classes and basic regulations of competitive weightlifting.
Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash
Reason 2: An Effective Way To Shape and Build Lean Muscles
Apart from growing muscles for strength, many turn to weightlifting for aesthetic purposes too.
It is a universal fact that as we age, we tend to lose our muscles and that's why we tend to get all flappy around our arms and thighs if we do not exercise regularly. As the popular saying goes, "If you don't use it, you'll lose it."
While some go into weightlifting with a desired muscle physique in mind (for instance, competitive weightlifting or joining a beauty pageant), most of us probably see this as a fitness workout to have a more balanced and toned physique. The goal is simpler — to look good and feel good in different outfits without relying on filters and photoshops.
The key to having lean muscles is essentially to lose fat by burning more calories and improving your overall body composition.
Of course, you are bound to burn calories during the weightlifting session because of the energy released. But the major takeaway of making weightlifting a regular fitness activity is this:
When your muscle tissues are constantly activated (through weightlifting), your muscle mass also gradually increases, which in turn improves your resting metabolic rate — it means your body is literally burning calories even during rest, resulting in a decrease in body fat percentage.
Also, it's important to remember that a decrease in weight doesn't necessarily translate to a healthy body composition. Sometimes, a person may weigh less while still having a high body fat percentage. Losing weight without having a strong muscle mass will not give you a toned appearance.
Having said that, a balanced body composition takes time. Remember, every body is different when it comes to muscle gaining rate, or metabolism rate for that matter.
Observe and pay attention to the various functions of essential weightlifting gears as you train and practice.
Reason 3: Strengthen and Improve Bone and Joint Health
Don't be surprised by the bone connection when it comes to weightlifting.
Your bones and muscles have an important partner relationship to produce smooth movements — moving against gravity and adjusting to different weight intensities.
The act of weightlifting will promote bone growth and increase your overall bone density. A healthy bone density will reduce the risk of osteoporosis (a condition of weak and brittle bones). In the long run, it would also help to prevent the occurrence of fractures as you age.
Not only that, weightlifting can also help to strengthen the structures of your bones. Like your muscles, new bone tissues are also formed, leading to a stronger and more sturdy structure. Also, let's not forget about the bridge between different bones of your body — the joints.
As the muscles around your joints are strong, it helps to alleviate any joint pain and inflammation (especially near your knees and hips). As a result, your joint function and mobility will improve in the long run.
Intrigued by what you're currently reading? You might want to test this in real life and get a glimpse of an introduction to weightlifting with the help of a Superprof tutor.
Superprof is a tutoring platform that connects passionate learners and dedicated tutors across different fields of study, including sports.
In just a few clicks, you can find an experienced tutor who specialises in weightlifting from your current location (cities in Malaysia). The wide selection of tutors' profiles on the Superprof Malaysia homepage allows you to find the perfect tutor according to your preferred teaching qualification, teaching experience, teaching style, and even hourly rates. Everything is clear and totally transparent!
The user-friendly interface allows you to get all the important information of your desired tutor all at once and connect them easily through the messaging feature.
The best part? You get to finalise the details of the lessons in terms of payment methods, duration and location of the lessons in the comfort of your home before starting the actual lessons! How convenient, right?
It's never too late to strengthen your muscles and bones with weightlifting!
Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash
Reason 4: Boost Overall Physical Health and Life Quality
True fitness is not just about looking good, but actually feeling good from the inside out. The benefits of weightlifting reflect this.
First and foremost, weightlifting is a great form of anaerobic exercise — exercises that revolve around short bursts of energy. This means, your cardiovascular system needs to work well to ensure smooth blood circulation to every part of the body. In the long run, it will strengthen the muscles around your heart too.
Secondly, weightlifting can help to improve your stamina, and performance and strengthen your endurance. It's important to note that this only comes through regular practice, balanced with the right intensity and right techniques.
When your stamina improves, you can engage in other physical exercises like cycling, and swimming for a longer period without getting tired. You might also notice that you have better speed, reflex time and power when you're playing sports too.
Anaerobic exercises are also known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, and type 2 diabetes — which in turn lowers your cholesterol level, the occurrence of heart diseases and stroke.
With better physical health, you'll also notice an increase in your energy level with less fatigue to go through work and other errands throughout the day. You'll be motivated to engage and participate in more activities where you feel healthier and more confident.
The more consistent you are at learning and practising, the better you will be at lifting weights with the right techniques.
Reason 5: Enhance Mental Health and Wellbeing
We've come to our last point.
Weightlifting is an activity that not only offers relief to our bodies but also our minds. It serves as an outlet to release stress and tension in the most healthy manner.
Think about this. You can let out a grunt or even a scream during your weightlifting exercise as you release your pent-up emotions and stress and that's totally fine. Nobody will judge you. You'll feel a sense of relief after each lifting session.
Not only that, you can also put your heart and soul into every training session where you solely focus on the weights in repeated laps. That way, you get a temporary escape from your surroundings. Imagine having a long day at work. Your mind gets to rest and recalibrate. You'll be more prepared to face whatever that's coming your way. Your mood will improve.
Photo by Gursimrat Ganda on Unsplash
Perhaps, the most important reason why we engage in physical activities like this is to enhance our self-esteem and self-confidence. As you progress through different weight intensities while you are lifting them, it serves as a reminder of how far you have come, how much you have improved and the various "obstacles" that you have overcome along the way.
For instance, you will be more confident and more empowered as you see an improvement in your muscle mass which results in a better physique and energy level through your persistent effort. It's the time and dedication that you have invested in this activity to make things work. It offers you a new perspective and a healthier self-image too.
Exercises like weightlifting are also known to improve cognitive function and maintain mental sharpness due to an increase in blood flow to the brain. Isn't that amazing?
As you can tell from this article, incorporating weightlifting as part of your fitness routine can be a game-changer.
Whether it is to strengthen your muscles, shape your muscles, enhance your bone strength and also to boost your physical and mental well-being, any reason is a good reason to give weightlifting a try today.
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
