Lifting for the inside or outside health?
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Posts: 2,048 Member
I have seen a lot of topics about heavy lifting and weight training. My question is for those of you that are doing the lifting is it for the health on the inside such as your heart and other organs or is it simply done to look good on the outside? This is a question I have wanted to ask for sometime now, but was somewhat concerned about the back lash I would receive. I had huge biceps and arms back in high school because of my job and I personally didn't like the way they looked. I understand that muscles protect our bones and joints, but what specifically does lifting do for one's heart?
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I'm sure I'll get corrected if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that weight lifting is for the bones, muscles, tendons, etc etc, and cardio is how you exercise your heart. Both are important, but it doesn't take the hours upon hours of cardio most people think it does to keep your heart healthy.
Now as far as other organs go...I have no idea how to exercise my gallbladder.
ETA: Also, lifting isn't just to look good on the outside...that's just the byproduct.
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Thank you for the response. It is most appreciated and I agree they are both important.0
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I think they both go hand and hand together to some degree, as most peoples sense of pride and esteem improve as well when their body is changing for the better0
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Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.0 -
Both or neither. I lift because I enjoy it and the challenge of reaching a goal. For now. Until something else catches my interest. But I think that applies to most people and their exercise. Doesn't it?0
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Both.
The health benefits are great, especially protecting bone density.
I can't lie, I love seeing muscle definition on my body...to think I never used to like 'muscles' much, lmao!!
I honestly thought I'd hate lifting, I am amazed how much I enjoy it and have mfp to thank for introducing me to it. :flowerforyou:0 -
Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.0 -
I do it for both.
I don't want to be old and fall and break my hip because my bones are weak. Weight lifting helps with that along with a lot of other things.
As for the outside...
Yah I like when I raise my arms the definition in my shoulders and arms, I like the tight butt squats give me, I love the definition in my back from lifting, my biceps...all of it.
As well it's great for mental health. I can having a bad day, go bench 110 (I hope tomorrow) and come out of my room smiling and not remeber why I was upset.
As well self confidence, imagine hitting a wall and busting past it...I did that this week, stuck at OHP @ 80lbs for weeks now, if I got them all out form was off or I failed. Imagine busting through that, it's like RAWR I knew I could beat your *kitten* Yes...
I see no down side to lifting...oh wait the callous on my hands...that could be one but who looks at them anyway...*shrugs* too busy looking at my tight bum.
edited for horrible grammer.....0 -
"There are numerous benefits to strength training regularly, particularly as you grow older. It can be very powerful in reducing the signs and symptoms of numerous diseases and chronic conditions, among them:
arthritis
diabetes
osteoporosis
obesity
back pain
depression"
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/growingstronger/why/
"Strength training also helps you:
Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body begins to burn calories more efficiently. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.
Boost your stamina. As you get stronger, you won't fatigue as easily. Building muscle also contributes to better balance, which can help you maintain independence as you age.
Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including back pain, arthritis, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Sharpen your focus. Some research suggests that regular strength training helps improve attention for older adults."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01710
http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/the-unquestionable-benefits-of-strength-training
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14552938
And there are more research/reading if you do an internet search for the benefits of strength training.0 -
Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.
Do you have pictures of this? How was your body fat % and weight during this time?0 -
I think it's about what you said and more.
As it was stated above, lifting is good for your bones and joints, it also looks good up to a certain amount.
But also, at least in my case, it gives me a sense of ability or usefulness and opens opportunities to practise other sports, like parkour.0 -
Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.
Do you have pictures of this? How was your body fat % and weight during this time?
No pictures and I have no idea how much body fat % I had as it was 20 plus years ago. But I did weigh between 135 and 138 at 5'4. As a nurses aide my job required a lot of dead weight lifting of patients, so my arms just naturally got very muscular. Guys would always ask me what I was doing to get them that way.0 -
Thanks for everyone's input and for answering my questions!0
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Thanks for the input! Great read!I do it for both.
I don't want to be old and fall and break my hip because my bones are weak. Weight lifting helps with that along with a lot of other things.
As for the outside...
Yah I like when I raise my arms the definition in my shoulders and arms, I like the tight butt squats give me, I love the definition in my back from lifting, my biceps...all of it.
As well it's great for mental health. I can having a bad day, go bench 110 (I hope tomorrow) and come out of my room smiling and not remeber why I was upset.
As well self confidence, imagine hitting a wall and busting past it...I did that this week, stuck at OHP @ 80lbs for weeks now, if I got them all out form was off or I failed. Imagine busting through that, it's like RAWR I knew I could beat your *kitten* Yes...
I see no down side to lifting...oh wait the callous on my hands...that could be one but who looks at them anyway...*shrugs* too busy looking at my tight bum.
edited for horrible grammer.....0 -
Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.
Do you have pictures of this? How was your body fat % and weight during this time?
No pictures and I have no idea how much body fat % I had as it was 20 plus years ago. But I did weigh between 135 and 138 at 5'4. As a nurses aide my job required a lot of dead weight lifting of patients, so my arms just naturally got very muscular. Guys would always ask me what I was doing to get them that way.
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.0 -
Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.
Do you have pictures of this? How was your body fat % and weight during this time?
No pictures and I have no idea how much body fat % I had as it was 20 plus years ago. But I did weigh between 135 and 138 at 5'4. As a nurses aide my job required a lot of dead weight lifting of patients, so my arms just naturally got very muscular. Guys would always ask me what I was doing to get them that way.
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
This!... No one accidentally gets "bulging biceps" from random lifting. :noway: :huh: :yawn:0 -
I do it for both but also for a vain reason as well.....I work a physically demanding, male dominating job and it gives me a sense of pride that I can keep up with and in some cases beat the pants off of the guys at work.0
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I do it for both but also for a vain reason as well.....I work a physically demanding, male dominating job and it gives me a sense of pride that I can keep up with and in some cases beat the pants off of the guys at work.
Mmmm... Male dominating... Always wanted to experiment with that. Not sure if it's my thing but they have cool outfits.0 -
I lift for several reasons: to be stronger, to suppliment my running and to look good. So I do it for both. I like the looks I get when I can just pick up and toss that heavy case of bottled water into the car. And I like the fact that my lifting routine helps to support my running by making my core stronger. A strong core is a happy core when running, and that leads to proper form support during my half marathons or long training runs. And of course it is to look good. I want to be able to flex my arm and be like, "Bam! That just happened!"0
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Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.
Do you have pictures of this? How was your body fat % and weight during this time?
No pictures and I have no idea how much body fat % I had as it was 20 plus years ago. But I did weigh between 135 and 138 at 5'4. As a nurses aide my job required a lot of dead weight lifting of patients, so my arms just naturally got very muscular. Guys would always ask me what I was doing to get them that way.
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.0 -
Lifting has a profound effect on quality of life in almost every population. The longer you do it the greater the benefits.
There are no drawbacks, other than those embarrassing biceps bulges.
Bulging biceps aka guns on a girl in high school was quit embarrassing. It is something I don't aspire to, but for those who do I get it.
Do you have pictures of this? How was your body fat % and weight during this time?
No pictures and I have no idea how much body fat % I had as it was 20 plus years ago. But I did weigh between 135 and 138 at 5'4. As a nurses aide my job required a lot of dead weight lifting of patients, so my arms just naturally got very muscular. Guys would always ask me what I was doing to get them that way.
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.
Yeah for some weird reason I prefer to believe in things when I have some evidence they actually happened.0 -
I only lift for the sex.0
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No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.
Yeah for some weird reason I prefer to believe in things when I have some evidence they actually happened.
20 years ago I had "bulging biceps" I was in my early 20's and in a male dominated trade in the military. After going through boot camp and then trades training I could easily do 7 chinups, pushups up the wazoo and lift the 100lb bullet up 4ft to place it on the tray. I was not purposefully working out but most definately eating a lot of food to keep up with the activity I was doing...
I was 5 ft 7, weighed about 155lbs not sure of bf% because I wasn't even aware of that 20 years ago
True story but no pics of those guns (I have pics of the guns I worked on) but to be frank my physical transformation didn't really phase me and I didn't think to take pics...so no pics but it did happen, true story.
So just cause there are no pics etc don't discount what people remember, I know I was strong then, I know I had "bulging biceps" as my sister used to make me flex for her friends...hehe...bulging being subjective of course.0 -
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.
Yeah for some weird reason I prefer to believe in things when I have some evidence they actually happened.
20 years ago I had "bulging biceps" I was in my early 20's and in a male dominated trade in the military. After going through boot camp and then trades training I could easily do 7 chinups, pushups up the wazoo and lift the 100lb bullet up 4ft to place it on the tray. I was not purposefully working out but most definately eating a lot of food to keep up with the activity I was doing...
I was 5 ft 7, weighed about 155lbs not sure of bf% because I wasn't even aware of that 20 years ago
True story but no pics of those guns (I have pics of the guns I worked on) but to be frank my physical transformation didn't really phase me and I didn't think to take pics...so no pics but it did happen, true story.
So just cause there are no pics etc don't discount what people remember, I know I was strong then, I know I had "bulging biceps" as my sister used to make me flex for her friends...hehe...bulging being subjective of course.
Thanks SezxyStef for somewhat coming to my defense. Not sure what else I can say to prove my story was true. I lifted dead weight patients my junior and senior year of high school some times working double shifts. That meant from the bed to their chairs and rolling them over. The end result was biceps that were developed to say the least that got comments from my guy friends. It was my job and a hard one that was very physically demanding.0 -
The majority of clients I've trained did it for vanity reasons. Currently most of them do it for health and rehab reasons. What I do find is that it may start out as a vanity goal, but for those who stick with it, they also start being more intrinsic and do it for overall health.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.
Yeah for some weird reason I prefer to believe in things when I have some evidence they actually happened.
20 years ago I had "bulging biceps" I was in my early 20's and in a male dominated trade in the military. After going through boot camp and then trades training I could easily do 7 chinups, pushups up the wazoo and lift the 100lb bullet up 4ft to place it on the tray. I was not purposefully working out but most definately eating a lot of food to keep up with the activity I was doing...
I was 5 ft 7, weighed about 155lbs not sure of bf% because I wasn't even aware of that 20 years ago
True story but no pics of those guns (I have pics of the guns I worked on) but to be frank my physical transformation didn't really phase me and I didn't think to take pics...so no pics but it did happen, true story.
So just cause there are no pics etc don't discount what people remember, I know I was strong then, I know I had "bulging biceps" as my sister used to make me flex for her friends...hehe...bulging being subjective of course.
Thanks SezxyStef for somewhat coming to my defense. Not sure what else I can say to prove my story was true. I lifted dead weight patients my junior and senior year of high school some times working double shifts. That meant from the bed to their chairs and rolling them over. The end result was biceps that were developed to say the least that got comments from my guy friends. It was my job and a hard one that was very physically demanding.
5'7", 155 lbs and doing 7 chinups? loading 100 lb shells overhead?
that would put you in a very small group of women who have that kind of upper body strength. I would indeed expect some nice guns on a girl like that! (sexy as hell, btw)0 -
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.
Yeah for some weird reason I prefer to believe in things when I have some evidence they actually happened.
20 years ago I had "bulging biceps" I was in my early 20's and in a male dominated trade in the military. After going through boot camp and then trades training I could easily do 7 chinups, pushups up the wazoo and lift the 100lb bullet up 4ft to place it on the tray. I was not purposefully working out but most definately eating a lot of food to keep up with the activity I was doing...
I was 5 ft 7, weighed about 155lbs not sure of bf% because I wasn't even aware of that 20 years ago
True story but no pics of those guns (I have pics of the guns I worked on) but to be frank my physical transformation didn't really phase me and I didn't think to take pics...so no pics but it did happen, true story.
So just cause there are no pics etc don't discount what people remember, I know I was strong then, I know I had "bulging biceps" as my sister used to make me flex for her friends...hehe...bulging being subjective of course.
Thanks SezxyStef for somewhat coming to my defense. Not sure what else I can say to prove my story was true. I lifted dead weight patients my junior and senior year of high school some times working double shifts. That meant from the bed to their chairs and rolling them over. The end result was biceps that were developed to say the least that got comments from my guy friends. It was my job and a hard one that was very physically demanding.
5'7", 155 lbs and doing 7 chinups? loading 100 lb shells overhead?
that would put you in a very small group of women who have that kind of upper body strength. I would indeed expect some nice guns on a girl like that! (sexy as hell, btw)
you I can believe. The other one, not so much.
I don't even understand where your snide remarks are coming from and why. I know what my arms looked like when I was lifting and moving dead weight patients almost on a daily basis for two years. Just because I wasn't working my arms out the way you do, doesn't mean that there wasn't something there. I was asking questions about the health benefits of lifting and what their motivation for doing it is.0 -
No, seriously, I was being sarcastic.
Vague stories aside about how 20 years ago you accidentally had bulging biceps, but don't remember a single other detail about your physique, nobody gets accidentally ripped.
There were tons of cameras in 1993. Let's see these bulging biceps. My bet is: either they never existed, or they were attached to so someone with rather high body fat who accidentally ate a lot while accidentally building muscle.
Your sarcasm was lost on me, but that's ok. It doesn't really matter to me if you believe the story or not. Have a nice life with all that lifting! For those of you who have been nice enough to answer my questions with knowledge and your own personal experiences I thank you.
Yeah for some weird reason I prefer to believe in things when I have some evidence they actually happened.
20 years ago I had "bulging biceps" I was in my early 20's and in a male dominated trade in the military. After going through boot camp and then trades training I could easily do 7 chinups, pushups up the wazoo and lift the 100lb bullet up 4ft to place it on the tray. I was not purposefully working out but most definately eating a lot of food to keep up with the activity I was doing...
I was 5 ft 7, weighed about 155lbs not sure of bf% because I wasn't even aware of that 20 years ago
True story but no pics of those guns (I have pics of the guns I worked on) but to be frank my physical transformation didn't really phase me and I didn't think to take pics...so no pics but it did happen, true story.
So just cause there are no pics etc don't discount what people remember, I know I was strong then, I know I had "bulging biceps" as my sister used to make me flex for her friends...hehe...bulging being subjective of course.
Thanks SezxyStef for somewhat coming to my defense. Not sure what else I can say to prove my story was true. I lifted dead weight patients my junior and senior year of high school some times working double shifts. That meant from the bed to their chairs and rolling them over. The end result was biceps that were developed to say the least that got comments from my guy friends. It was my job and a hard one that was very physically demanding.
I think most people know how much adults weigh and could do the math if they felt like it, so maybe the confusion comes in because it involves a profession that is female-dominated. You know those nurses never could have had guns all those years, being female and all. They don't even know a barbell from a dumbbell; how on earth could they have big biceps?
Dude, do they even lift?
My sister had enormous biceps and I have no idea what she was doing. I never asked her, but hers were just crazy big for no apparent reason, lol. She did work on her car, so maybe something involving that. In pictures she never flexed and never wore sleeveless things, so I don't know what that would prove anyway.0 -
For me, btw, I lift for health first and foremost. I have a back problem, and it staves off the arthritis that can set in. Then I have a genetic thing that affects my tendons, so lifting is very important to stabilize my joints. I also find that the relatively few numbers of reps is very helpful on my tendons compared to very repetitive things.
Then for looks! I really like the shape of muscles compared to flabby bits, be they flabby fat or flabby muscles. I don't need to see the muscles completely clearly, but I like seeing a certain amount of definition, just aesthetically 0 -
For me, btw, I lift for health first and foremost. I have a back problem, and it staves off the arthritis that can set in. Then I have a genetic thing that affects my tendons, so lifting is very important to stabilize my joints. I also find that the relatively few numbers of reps is very helpful on my tendons compared to very repetitive things.
Then for looks! I really like the shape of muscles compared to flabby bits, be they flabby fat or flabby muscles. I don't need to see the muscles completely clearly, but I like seeing a certain amount of definition, just aesthetically
Well, it sounds like you have very good reasons for lifting, thanks for your responses.0
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