What made you fall in love with lifting?

245

Replies

  • jessspurr
    jessspurr Posts: 258 Member
    I'm gathering the sense of pride and accomplishment is a big theme. I have actually noticed that. I am already very strong and always have been so I am able to lift more than some and it does feel kind of awesome to be the only girl in the weight room.

    you know what's awesome is when you break through the "i'm the only girl here" superior attitude... and realize you're in there busting your *kitten* with the guys who look like pro's and THEY respect you... THAT's an awesome feeling.

    it's nice to know you rule the roost- it is- there is no denying that- it's neither bad nor good- but there is a level of awesome above that. When you start to get head nods from professionals- it's way more satisfying.

    Now go forth....

    and be fabulous!!!

    QFT.
  • abickford82
    abickford82 Posts: 207
    You'll grow to love it...all I can say is it takes time. I started lifting in April, and did it inconsistently till August. According to my BodyMediaFit by just walking alone after lifting weights I burn 8 cals a minute (I burn 10-12 a minute RUNNING w/o doing weights before) vs. before lifting I only burned 4-5 calories a minute. It's kind of boring at times, but I look at the long term, and what it's done for body recomp. and it's so worth it. Stick with it!
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    Seeing muscle definition made me like lifting.
    Staying the same weight or gaining weight but fitting into smaller clothes made me like lifting.
    Everyday tasks becoming easier because I lift weights.
    Improved my running.
    Less jiggle.
    Feeling like a bada$$

    ^^THIS.

    It's a different kind of high than what I get from running (which is its own great feeling). The sense of power and confidence from lifting a weight I couldn't budge a few months before. The progression to heavier and heavier weights is awesome.

    It shows in my day-to-day life. The things i can move, lift, and just do that were harder before is amazing.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    I'm in year 2 of lifting and I don't love it while I'm doing it. It's hard work, tiring, it hurts (not like bad-hurt but I-can't-barely-get-this-last-rep-in hurt), and I look like a crazy woman doing it. It's a chore to get to the gym, and a chore to get through the workout.

    I do love how I look and feel every other waking moment due to lifting. And since I spend roughly 47 times more of my life not lifting than lifting, I suck it up and do it.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I'm gathering the sense of pride and accomplishment is a big theme. I have actually noticed that. I am already very strong and always have been so I am able to lift more than some and it does feel kind of awesome to be the only girl in the weight room.

    you know what's awesome is when you break through the "i'm the only girl here" superior attitude... and realize you're in there busting your *kitten* with the guys who look like pro's and THEY respect you... THAT's an awesome feeling.

    it's nice to know you rule the roost- it is- there is no denying that- it's neither bad nor good- but there is a level of awesome above that. When you start to get head nods from professionals- it's way more satisfying.

    Now go forth....

    and be fabulous!!!
    I would add to that. When other women start to try it out because you have shown them that we can do it, that's a whole new level of awesome right there too!

    For myself, I don't think I fell in love with lifting until this year. I had done it for years, because of its health benefits, and I even liked it tremendously on occasion.

    I think lifting the 150 pound Atlas stone was the straw that broke the camel's back. I think that was the moment when I was in deep smit and now I can't get enough. Last night during a rest in between deadlifts, I literally thought of wanting to hug the bar! :love:
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
    At first, the fact that I could up my weights every time, or could go for an extra rep every time was what kept me going. It was progress, and that's exciting.

    Then, I found friends on here who are into lifting. Felt like a community, I got to learn a lot from them, see them progress, and that's exciting.

    Later on, I noticed my body getting smaller, my arms stopped being flabby and soft and I started seeing muscle definition. That's exciting.

    Moved from lifting at home to going to a gym. Met more people who taught me stuff, i see them work hard and it makes me push harder. That's exciting.

    My biggest issue with my body was my legs. Thick, but soft, jiggly, flabby, lots of cellulite, etc. I would not wear shorts ever. My legs are now solid. I find myself touching them all the time and it makes me proud and happy. If that's not exciting, i don't know what is.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    Putting on my summer dress and noticing that I have a collar bone again! And shoulder muscles...oooohhh :love:

    Being able to do WORK around my farm, rather than just following the hubby and being "pretty" (which he is OK with, but damn.)

    QUADS.

    Groping said quads under my desk at work.

    The way my legs look in heels.

    The fact that I get results without spending ridiculous amounts of time on the hamster wheel (what I call the treadmill. I am NOT a fan of cardio).

    And my alpha female ego LOVES to deadlift 235# and watch the bros eyes get real big. :noway:
  • She_Hulk
    She_Hulk Posts: 277
    It just makes me feel so strong. Like I can accomplish anything. I totally get that whole "beast mode" thing now. lol! Cardio is good and I do enjoy it, but it's a different feeling. Also, I'm leaner than I've ever been. My legs are rock hard too. I love that and so does hubby. :wink: So it motivates me to lift even heavier. No jiggles, hard body, happy husband, happy me. :happy: Good luck and keep at it! You'll see results. :flowerforyou:
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    I enjoy the way it makes me feel, the way it makes me look, and the way it makes me strong.

    I have always been "unique" and even though weightlifting for women is gaining more popularity (which is great!) it's very rare to see a women that looks like she SERIOUSLY lifts and of course does so - hence the uniqueness of it. It's also something I do mostly @ home & am in competition only with myself to get stronger, which is a cool thing for me.
  • jmadams111
    jmadams111 Posts: 145 Member
    1 - the ability to set and reach simple measurable goals for weight and reps gives you a feeling of accomplishment!
    2 -seeing actual real muscles when I wear a "muscle" shirt.
    3 - at age 66 having a guy half my age comment on the fact that I am lifting more than he is!

    Vanity all, but life is short.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    ahhh where do I start?

    I have 3 herniated discs in my back, so running or anything high impact has been out of the question. Every time I have tried I wind up on the sofa for months.

    SO my ortho told me to do yoga in addition to my PT...in PT i did a few strengthening exercises and I liked them

    FF a few years and I wake up 40 and fat....i said SELF, hell no...i started watching what I ate and lost 30 pounds. I joined MFP and read and learned.

    I started lifting and never looked back. It has made my back stronger and I recover more quickly when it goes out.

    BUT i love it most because of the feeling of POWER. I love the music in my ears...I love approaching the bar. I love the challenge of pushing my self a little bit more...i feel like a SUPER HERO.

    I love sculpting my body.

    I love knowing I am strengthening my bones.

    I love it because I CAN.

    /sappy ramble
  • SofaKingRad_II
    SofaKingRad_II Posts: 591
    What made me fall in love with lifting is all of the wonderful support I received on MFP when I was a New Year's Resolutioner! TOTALLY put me over the top with enthusiasm. What can I say? You guys are the BEST here! I LOVE YOU ALL <3<3<3
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I think lifting the 150 pound Atlas stone was the straw that broke the camel's back. I think that was the moment when I was in deep smit and now I can't get enough. Last night during a rest in between deadlifts, I literally thought of wanting to hug the bar! love

    LMAO- yeah- I feel that way about deads. And pull ups. Equally. Deep deep love for them. :D

    I hug my bar- but it's usually looks more like a molestation/collapse issue going on LMAO
    Groping said quads under my desk at work.

    legit... I have a weird habit of putting my hands on the crease of my butt and the top of my thigh- I tend to bounce my butt from there- not sure why- it's a mindless habit I think I started in dance class. But yeah- totally coping a feel on your own muscles is fine :D
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Nothing.

    I've lifted since I was 16 - I'm 42 now.

    I've been miserable during every single weight training workout I've done. But I think lifting is too important to my health to not do, so I suck it up and power through what I feel I must do.

    that is really upseting, that you've been doing something for almost 30 years that you don't like.

    No need to be upset for me. I'm OK with it. Some things in life you do because you enjoy, others because you must/should. :flowerforyou:

    My health is important to me, and I'm willing to be miserable for 45 minutes, 2-3 times a week to reap the health benefits I get from lifting. I also don't like going to the dentist, getting mammograms, or having routine bloodwork done but I do those to tend to my health as well.
  • arghbowl
    arghbowl Posts: 1,179 Member
    Endorphins, lifting heavier than the next guy, being a total bad *kitten*, DOMS, being all swole up, and finding my swag.
  • hmjohnson25
    hmjohnson25 Posts: 100 Member
    I'm a beginner so I'm not lifting tons of weight yet. But there's something about looking at these chunks of iron that you just lifted off the ground or put on your back - and totally did the work! No machines are helping you, it's all you. If there's a better confidence booster, I don't know what it is.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    I like what it does for my body. I've gone down one size just from lifting heavier than I used to. Before I used to think 3-5 pounds was all I had to lift as a woman and that I would get too defined if I lifted any heavier.
    I like being able to surprise people with how much I can lift. I get a sense of accomplishment from beating my own personal records. There are many women on MFP who lift far heavier than I do. They do weights I can only dream of, but I've had at least two women at the gym start bench pressing after seeing me.
    I feel like a badass. :laugh:
    I put on my music and I have my spotter (my husband), I'm good to go. It's almost relaxing...
    After the workout, I know I've done something good for my health and mental well-being.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    Speaking as someone who had to start with a ten pound studio bar, ummm...*sigh* empty, last February because I was pretty freaking weak, I can't rattle off fast enough the things I love about lifting weights:

    Besides the obvious bone health benefits, there is the whole weight loss-thing. Pretty much the majority of my weight has been lost through lifting only, because I am NOT cardio's biggest fan, LOL.

    I love when I can put five more pounds on that bar and pull some serious weight off the floor for a new PR, and how the girls that don't lift get that big eyed look when I throw out that last number that I squatted.

    I love the fact that I can functionally put strength to use. My husband has some spinal issues and isn't supposed to pick up anything more than 25 pounds. So I carry things like the huge bags of birdseed and/or dog food, the bags of concrete and the lumber when we're doing an outdoor project; stuff like that.

    That whole BAMF feeling that comes over me after I lift isn't bad, either...:laugh:

    Still have quite a way to go to be the way I want to look, but I'm a whole lot closer than I was, even before I got fat, LOL...
  • jazi719
    jazi719 Posts: 150 Member
    I prefer lifting to cardio any day. I love the definition it gives me. It makes me look healthy. I love watching how much stronger I have become. It makes cardio/running easier because your legs are stronger.
  • cats847
    cats847 Posts: 131
    For me it's about fulfilling my potential as a human being.

    I'm only going to have my body once, why not make it the strongest and most badass body that I can?
  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
    OP, sorry to hear that you haven't truly seen the benefits from lifting. I love it for most of the reasons that other people love it, I love feeling bad *kitten* when I break my own records for weight and when I discover new muscles when I look in the mirror.

    Right now, I love it because it gives me a chance to work out. I can't do cardio at the moment due to a severe ankle injury (ok, I could swim, but I can't lie. I'm not into swimming). I used to love doing zumba and had gotten into running before I busted my ankle, now I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to do either again. But I can lift. And it's really empowering to know that even though the most cardio I have done since July is to ride an exercise bike for 10 minutes at a time in PT, I haven't gained any weight and since I revved up my weight training at the end of October, I'm losing inches again. I don't know if I will run again (right now, I'd say hell no, but that's because it's cold and my ankle is super stiff), but I'm actually ok with that prospect, as long as I can lift.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
    It's amazing what it does for your body. Lifting not only helps you look strong but you feel strong as well. I'm a runner at heart but weight lifting has kept me injury free to continue running. Lifting weights has helped me bust through plateus and keeps my metabolism running high. I get an amazing high from both running and lifting.
  • agggie550
    agggie550 Posts: 281 Member
    The weight room is my happy place, I go there as often as I can... and not blow my gains that is :D
  • Leather_N_Lace
    Leather_N_Lace Posts: 518 Member
    The idea of being able to benchpress my hubs when he is being a mouthy pr!ck.. :)


    Seriously,
    To build lean muscle and increase my endurance. I want lower BF% and muscle definition.
    I don't focus on the scale, but more on inches. Since May I have went from a size 16 to a size 11... :)
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    A tiny waist and a round butt!

    Ok, I like being stronger too.
  • Greg50by50
    Greg50by50 Posts: 11
    I know that when my sister in law was into lifting, she would come over and armwrestle with me. (She is 5'10" and was naturally athletic and I am 5'9" with little athletic ability) Now, I was able to beat her pretty fast at first. But as she kept going it was taking me longer to win.

    We made it a game, if she could go 10 seconds without me winning it was considered a win for her. Then she would keep track of how long it took and when the time it took went up, she got really motivated.

    It probably would have been better if both of us had been dead even to start, but it motivated the heck out of her when she could see improvement.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I love lifting, but I am not going to get crazy on you and talk to you like I'm under some kind of spell, like lifting is the only way to get what you want out of life. Some people love it immediately, some people really struggle to like it until they get the mechanics down and begin to truly understand it. And some people never love it.

    Very simply, it did more to change the shape of my body in 3 months than an entire year of cardio had done. Of course this was in combination with a calorie deficit. Lifting heavy weights allowed me to hold on to the muscle mass I already had, ensuring that most of the weight I lost was fat. Cardio alone just doesn't give you that. Seeing such a drastic change in the way I looked made me a believer. From that point, what I grew to love about lifting was getting really, really strong. It is fun to move a huge amount of weight and realize that there are plenty of grown MEN who can't do what I just did. It also allows me to eat a lot (because I have a lot of lean mass to support) without having to spend hours on a treadmill every day.
  • bryannakay
    bryannakay Posts: 198 Member
    The IDEA of what my body will look like in the future! Every time I lift a weight I think...sculpted, lean, defined, and sexy!!!!! Plus, I LOVE the fact that my stomach started to growl more after I started weight lifting so I know that my metabolism is going crazy!!! It's like a weight lifting party in my body!!
  • trimom10
    trimom10 Posts: 388 Member
    Seeing my body transform with more definition is why I love lifting. Additionally, I love :love: looking at muscular guys, so that's the place at the club to gaze around during sets. If you've been lifting lighter weights with more reps, you aren't going to get the bulky muscles. You need to lift heavy, with less reps if you want to build muscle. Coming from a cardio background, I echo the others that you won't get the runner's high with strength training.
  • BranMuffin86
    BranMuffin86 Posts: 314 Member
    I just started lifting about 3 weeks ago and I love the feeling. I just feel strong while I'm doing it. Now I'm waiting for the external results because I feel myself stronger already.

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