"Lifting Weights Is The BEST THING You Can Do"

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  • Jesi0725
    Jesi0725 Posts: 92 Member
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    Lifting weights has changed my outlook on exercise. I started off doing only cardio in May because I was scared to try lifting weights. My go-to machine was the treadmill, and I was working on the C25K program week 5. I lost weight (calories in vs. calories out), but my body shape didn't change. I was just a smaller version of the heavier me. Plus, I ended up with horrible shin splints.

    I started lifting weights about a month ago, and I have seen a change in the way my body looks. I am stronger, and my muscles are firmer. I have lost inches and pounds. I still do some cardio, but it's not my sole purpose at the gym anymore. I decided to run the other night just for the heck of it, and I was very surprised that I could run for many minutes straight without being winded or having my legs hurt. Lifting weights has made me a better runner.

    So I agree. Lifting weights IS the best thing you can do. I did take advantage of two free sessions with a personal trainer to find out how to use all of the weights and to develop a plan of action. That got me over the initial nervousness. Now I lift no matter who is at the gym, and I love every minute of it. It's the only form of exercise that I will crawl out of bed at 5am for. Just sayin'. :happy:
  • kelleygi
    kelleygi Posts: 650 Member
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    Yes!! Lifting transforms your body!! I am living proof and I LOVE IT!! I don't have gym membership but use dumbbells. All of a sudden I started getting really nice arms (which I have NEVER had) and I find it almost therapeutic!!! :smokin:
  • kclarkss
    kclarkss Posts: 69 Member
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    So what should I be doing? What kind of weights? Should I use machines? Should I use free weights? What is the best plan or routine to follow? I would like to start lifting. I do some machines, but I feel I get nowhere. I probably am not doing it right. By that I mean not lifting enough or reps or something of the sort.

    I am a type of girl that needs to follow a plan. Are there any apps, websites or books to follow from?
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    I was an absolute skeptic about resistance training but now I'm a convert.

    I just do some bodyweight stuff at home (push ups, pull ups, squats, etc) but it's working for me. Never been in a gym.

    I like low level cardio (i.e. walking) but I do it more for pleasure than fat loss.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I'm starting weight lifting because of all of the incredible results I've seen on here.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    I agree. Lifting heavy has changed my body more in a shorter time than cardio alone. Cardio is good for you though, I recommend a mix. I don't do a lot of cardio, but I do still do it.

    yup. i was doing great with cardio, mostly cycling, but when i started strength training, i really noticed a huge difference.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    I cannot agree enough with that statement.

    That is exactly what happened to me. And chronic cardio just made me crave sweets.... then hate myself.

    Weightlifting has not only changed my body, but changed my mind. It has helped me feel powerful.

    I wish more women would find their own power under the barbell.

    ETA: Don't get me wrong, I LOVE running! Love it. But it is not the best tool if you want a strong powerful body. It is only one small tool. Not the ONLY tool.
  • Jules2Be
    Jules2Be Posts: 2,267 Member
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    So what should I be doing? What kind of weights? Should I use machines? Should I use free weights? What is the best plan or routine to follow? I would like to start lifting. I do some machines, but I feel I get nowhere. I probably am not doing it right. By that I mean not lifting enough or reps or something of the sort.

    I am a type of girl that needs to follow a plan. Are there any apps, websites or books to follow from?

    Starting Strength...simple straightforward...build your strength gradually
    New Rules of Lifting for Women...a good read...excellent program...more complicated than the above but well worth doing.
  • Madux1818
    Madux1818 Posts: 307 Member
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    Weight lifting, if you over eat, you build muscle, if you are in a deficit, you lose fat. It's like a magic pill that is really hard to pick up!


    You nailed it, dead on!!!!
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    I've noticed a huge difference in the appearance of my body since I started lifting, and I'm only giving it a half-hearted attempt some weeks.
  • SteveTries
    SteveTries Posts: 723 Member
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    No. I don't believe it is.

    I spent the whole of my 20's lifting then the early part of my 30's lifting on and off. I've moved away from it in recent years altogether. Now I do cardio only.

    So do I believe cardio only is the best way? Nope not at all. Honestly I don't think it matters if you're bodybuilding, powerlifting, swimming, running, dancing or doing yoga - the thing that makes the difference is consistency, pushing yourself fairly hard and good nutrition. Setting targets and goals helps massively too.

    Weight lifting has many benefits and I wholeheartedly recommend it - I just don't agree that anything is "best". Best is in fact just to do something.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    Cardio made me flabby. Strength training changed my body completely.

    This. An important aspect, though, is the type of lifting you do. These days, it's been pretty well established that multiple joint weight lifting (squats, deadlifts, etc. - pretty much the Olympic and power lifting exercises) have the most positive impact. Start low, start slow, and grow. (And yes, lose fat.) It's ok to do some isolation exercises, but as a foundation, do the bigger body movements to establish a more complete body improvement in all around strength. And keep stretching.

    Ok, I'm done.
  • ATclassof2021
    ATclassof2021 Posts: 232 Member
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    I do both, run 5 days and lift 4 days....best of both worlds. Cardio works the most important muscle in your body......your heart.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    So what should I be doing? What kind of weights? Should I use machines? Should I use free weights? What is the best plan or routine to follow? I would like to start lifting. I do some machines, but I feel I get nowhere. I probably am not doing it right. By that I mean not lifting enough or reps or something of the sort.

    I am a type of girl that needs to follow a plan. Are there any apps, websites or books to follow from?

    Starting Strength...simple straightforward...build your strength gradually
    New Rules of Lifting for Women...a good read...excellent program...more complicated than the above but well worth doing.

    Starting Strength - completely agree. Great book.
  • skulcherry
    skulcherry Posts: 25 Member
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    Thank you for your post I am starting to incorporate weight lifting and at 38 I know it is going to take longer to get the results I want but seeing your pics has inspired me!
  • chosengiver
    chosengiver Posts: 1,493
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    I'm gonna start lifting when my trainer feels better.

    Obviously, I am the only one who caught this!! :noway:

    WAIT..........WHAT????????

    Really????
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Can doing regular cardio hinder weight loss though?
  • Joannie30
    Joannie30 Posts: 415 Member
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    The more muscle your body has, the more energy it needs to sustain it therefore the more calories your body has to burn. I have recently started using a bit of weight and have seen changes which i never saw doing cardio alone. I wouldn't say don't do cardio, just do weights cos cardio is- as the name suggests- good for your heart. Do both.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    My metabolism has skyrocketed -- more so than any study ever suggested it should or would -- by doing all of the major compound exercises in the 5 - 12 repetition range. The positive hormonal response has been manifestly obvious as well.

    If I could only do one exercise, it would be deadlifts; alone, it has done more for me than everything else combined.

    However the question worth pondering....

    Has your metabolism in fact skyrocketed or are you seeing the effects of grossly underestimating the calorie burn of strength training and recovery?

    I thought that as well, however if I take time off from weight training for any reason my metabolism quickly drops back to normal, which indicates that it is not metabolism. It is simply that strength training burns way more calories than people are led to believe.

    I could reconcile all of my results just fine if I used MFP's set point for me (which works great when I take time off from strength training), and use about 1500 cal/session as a rough estimate for calorie burn, but this is highly frequency dependant. Really I see it burning about 700 calories per hour PLUS a 15% rise in non-exercise TDEE for all days where recovery is occurring.
  • runnerchick69
    runnerchick69 Posts: 317 Member
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    When I started running the weight really came off. Weights are something I do a couple times a week because it is important to work the muscles in different ways and obviously when I run my lower half benefits much more than my upper half. I had a program put together by a trainer at the gym and every few months we change it up. Lifting is not my favorite thing to do but it is necessary to keep me strong so I can run farther and faster :smile:

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