why is heavy lifting so f**** important?!

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  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    every thread i read is "heavy lift this and heavy lift that, honestly!! what if some of us cant go to a gym or cant afford the equipment are we all doomed??? isn't strength training using your own body weight good enough???

    Body weight is more then enough. You can get a ton of health benefits and build an impressive physique with body weight alone.

    now thats what i like to hear :smooched:

    You might be interested in Mark Lauren's plans-laid out in his books Body By You (specifically for women) and You Are Your Own Gym. NO extra equipment at all, besides things like a chair, counter ledge etc. All about the body weight :) I got Body By You for under $20 at Barnes and Noble.

    i heard about that book, and heard good things about it, problem is our local barnes and noble is no longer open :( is it possible that they have these books at a local library or other book stores?

    My local library has them, otherwise Amazon has them for cheap
    http://www.amazon.com/Body-You-Guide-Womens-Fitness/dp/0345528972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385433483&sr=8-1&keywords=body+by+you
  • princesstoadstool82
    princesstoadstool82 Posts: 371 Member
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    every thread i read is "heavy lift this and heavy lift that, honestly!! what if some of us cant go to a gym or cant afford the equipment are we all doomed??? isn't strength training using your own body weight good enough???

    Body weight is more then enough. You can get a ton of health benefits and build an impressive physique with body weight alone.

    now thats what i like to hear :smooched:

    Obviously I'm chopped liver.

    thanks for your input as well... not trying to dis respect anyone


    listen to this woman!!!! her progress is amazing!!
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    I do not lift heavy because I have degenerative disk disease and my docs say nothing over 25lbs. I do use resistance bands for PT, but I don't even log that as exercise. That's a functional necessity for me and I never break a sweat doing it.

    i was thinking about using those bands too! saw some the other day at the store, and i regret not picking one up
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    every thread i read is "heavy lift this and heavy lift that, honestly!! what if some of us cant go to a gym or cant afford the equipment are we all doomed??? isn't strength training using your own body weight good enough???

    Body weight is more then enough. You can get a ton of health benefits and build an impressive physique with body weight alone.

    now thats what i like to hear :smooched:

    You might be interested in Mark Lauren's plans-laid out in his books Body By You (specifically for women) and You Are Your Own Gym. NO extra equipment at all, besides things like a chair, counter ledge etc. All about the body weight :) I got Body By You for under $20 at Barnes and Noble.

    i heard about that book, and heard good things about it, problem is our local barnes and noble is no longer open :( is it possible that they have these books at a local library or other book stores?

    My local library has them, otherwise Amazon has them for cheap
    http://www.amazon.com/Body-You-Guide-Womens-Fitness/dp/0345528972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385433483&sr=8-1&keywords=body+by+you

    thank you!!
  • Lisselinde
    Lisselinde Posts: 11 Member
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    A lot of 'fitspiration' blogs seem to make it okay to look down on those who don't lift - I totally know where you're coming from. They say "Oh, you don't lift?" as if it's a reason to feel embarrassed about yourself. I don't get it either. Fine, you can go ahead and love lifting if you want, but don't rub it in our faces as if it's some kind of moral issue. Lifting isn't absolutely necessary for someone to live a healthy lifestyle. What more, some of us (like me) can't afford gym memberships to go 'lift'. I go to after school classes to raise my GPA, but I don't go around to people saying "Oh, you don't take extracurricular classes? Tsk tsk."

    Everyone has their own definition of what 'fit' is. I lost a load of weight doing cardio and eating a lot of healthy food. But that's not good enough yet? Some of us choose to prioritize the extra time we have to do other productive things. I'm not going to pass this job interview because I have steel abs.
  • gingabebe
    gingabebe Posts: 165 Member
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    every thread i read is "heavy lift this and heavy lift that, honestly!! what if some of us cant go to a gym or cant afford the equipment are we all doomed??? isn't strength training using your own body weight good enough???

    Body weight is more then enough. You can get a ton of health benefits and build an impressive physique with body weight alone.

    now thats what i like to hear :smooched:

    Obviously I'm chopped liver.

    thanks for your input as well... not trying to dis respect anyone

    Just admit you was just staring at the profile pic of the one :blushing:
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    every thread i read is "heavy lift this and heavy lift that, honestly!! what if some of us cant go to a gym or cant afford the equipment are we all doomed??? isn't strength training using your own body weight good enough???

    Body weight is more then enough. You can get a ton of health benefits and build an impressive physique with body weight alone.

    now thats what i like to hear :smooched:

    Obviously I'm chopped liver.

    thanks for your input as well... not trying to dis respect anyone

    Just admit you was just staring at the profile pic of the one :blushing:

    lol duh!
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
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    sure don't lift.. just stay flabby.
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    sure don't lift.. just stay flabby.

    so im gonna be flabby for not heavy lifting???
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    In order for your muscles to grow...

    Muscle growth is not the same as muscle strength.

    I understand why people want to increase strength - it is not nearly as clear why people want to add muscle growth when they haven't even achieved peak strength with the muscles they have. Most people I see lifting weights have more muscle mass than their bodies were designed for, and less strength than they should have for the amount of muscle mass. And that isn't a healthy combination.
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    In order for your muscles to grow...

    Muscle growth is not the same as muscle strength.

    I understand why people want to increase strength - it is not nearly as clear why people want to add muscle growth when they haven't even achieved peak strength with the muscles they have. Most people I see lifting weights have more muscle mass than their bodies were designed for, and less strength than they should have for the amount of muscle mass. And that isn't a healthy combination.

    :drinker:
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Get a suspension trainer. Trust me. About $80 and its all you need. It does WONDERS for it and is a great alternative for weights, MUCH better than resistance bands. Sandbags are another great option.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    We lose muscle as we lose weight and as we age (Sarcopenia). Resistance training (not just weights) with enough load helps prevent that.

    It also make you stronger, strengthens your bones and joints.

    Many of the same benefits you get from cardio you can get from resistance training.

    http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/101/7/828.full

    Cardio and Strength training benefits side by side.
    http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/101/7/828/T1.expansion.html


    I find it curious that so many people find it offensive when someone suggest they should be doing some form of resistance training. Its almost 2014. There is so much more that we know about the benefits and myths when it comes to strength training yet people still seem to be in the dark.

    "Heavy" is relative to a persons experience but there are lots of people that claim to "lift weights" and then you find out they are using something extremely light. That is not what is going to get you results and this is why people make sure "heavy" is specified.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    I don't lift heavy and I'm pretty much exactly where I want to be in terms of cardiovascular fitness and body composition. I follow an endurance-focused, medium weight/higher repetition program. It's helped me to maintain my lean body mass and it gives me the stamina I need to keep up my love of hiking/backpacking.

    I had tried lifting heavy for a while, but I found that my endurance wasn't as good as it had been, so I went back to my other program. Also, heavy/deep squats really irritate one of my knees. My orthopedist told me that with my specific issues, I really shouldn't go beyond parallel, and I really shouldn't go that heavy.
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    Get a suspension trainer. Trust me. About $80 and its all you need. It does WONDERS for it and is a great alternative for weights, MUCH better than resistance bands. Sandbags are another great option.

    i may sound silly, but what is a suspension trainer?
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    I don't lift heavy and I'm pretty much exactly where I want to be in terms of cardiovascular fitness and body composition. I follow an endurance-focused, medium weight/higher repetition program. It's helped me to maintain my lean body mass and it gives me the stamina I need to keep up my love of hiking/backpacking.

    I had tried lifting heavy for a while, but I found that my endurance wasn't as good as it had been, so I went back to my other program. Also, heavy/deep squats really irritate one of my knees. My orthopedist told me that with my specific issues, I really shouldn't go beyond parallel, and I really shouldn't go that heavy.

    is ur exercise something that may be done at home?
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    A lot of 'fitspiration' blogs seem to make it okay to look down on those who don't lift - I totally know where you're coming from. They say "Oh, you don't lift?" as if it's a reason to feel embarrassed about yourself. I don't get it either. Fine, you can go ahead and love lifting if you want, but don't rub it in our faces as if it's some kind of moral issue. Lifting isn't absolutely necessary for someone to live a healthy lifestyle. What more, some of us (like me) can't afford gym memberships to go 'lift'. I go to after school classes to raise my GPA, but I don't go around to people saying "Oh, you don't take extracurricular classes? Tsk tsk."

    Everyone has their own definition of what 'fit' is. I lost a load of weight doing cardio and eating a lot of healthy food. But that's not good enough yet? Some of us choose to prioritize the extra time we have to do other productive things. I'm not going to pass this job interview because I have steel abs.

    THANK YOU!!! thats EXACTLY what i mean!!! u r the best!
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
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    I don't seem to have to do any out of my way in regards lifting...but then I am naturally quite muscular in build. I just treadmill, and a little aerobics, and daily life stuff...I tone right up.

    see! thats what i mean! in order to tone, its not necessary to lift but i keep getting bit in my a** from those who do, saying its a must. thank you hun :)
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    Heavy lifting is great, but not essential .... However, adding some sort of strength training (Pilates (reformer), Ashtanga yoga, body weight ecxercises, resistance bands, etc.) , is important to: prevent osteoporosis, preserve (or gain) lean body mass, reduce BF% I.e. make you less "fluffy", etc. ...
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    THIS is why lifting heavy means so much to so many:

    http://jasonferruggia.com/how-to-get-a-body-like-jessica-biel/
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