Why Women Lift

I lift so when I get old I can continue to live independently.

1. for my bone health.
2. for the sexy body it will allow me to have once I shred the fat off
3. because I feel like a bad*** b**** when I lift those heavy weights! :bigsmile:

Because it's fun! Cardio is so boring. I get a rush when I lift. I love when I'm outlifting the guys around me .

It also makes my body look pretty awesome.

It's functional too. My parents were helping my Grandma move last weekend and they called ME to help. Not my brother in law, not my finace, not any of thier male friends. Just me .

I can carry all of my grocery bags in the house in one trip.

Once, when my nephew was falling from a pretty good height, I was able to catch him in my arms mid-fall and neither of us got hurt. You'd have had to be there, but I think some people would have broken an arm doing what I did.

I'm not afriad to be alone no matter where I am. I'm fast, strong, and know I'd put up a good fight if anyone tried to mess with me.

It also keeps me mentally sane. There's no better way to deal with the stress of the day than to push a sh*# ton of weight off your chest, literally.

A lot of people don't understand, and maybe it's just not for them. It's become a passion for me, a way of life. I think I'll be lifting into my 80's !

i lift to be strong , fit and for that big round booty

I can carry my two smaller children at the same time (5 & 3), or my 7 year old alone. My husband cannot due to his back issues.

I can carry large bags of dog food.

And yeah, pretty much all the reasons you listed. I can lift twice a week for 45 minutes and maintain my decent physique while eating 2300+ calories a day. I also feel more confident naked than I ever have at 33 years old and after having 3 kids.

I lift because it makes me feel like I can conquer anything. I also work with mostly men (always have), and I no longer have to ask them to move floor tiles or rack a 5U box or anything. I can do it all on my own... though sometimes I do need support because of the leverage involved if the pieces are too big (awkward, not heavy). Being able to move anything on my own is pretty awesome.

Most of all, I lift because I can, for all the years I was told I couldn't do anything physical at all. I have had severe asthma since I was 7. I never ran a mile until this year. I never ran 2 miles until last month. I couldn't do that UNTIL I started lifting. But lifting helped me get to the point where I could... as I can do that irregardless of my asthma.

I started working out 5 years ago due to being very ill and becoming severely underweight. The only way to get back the weight was to rebuild it, and I didn't want to be sickly anymore, and I didn't want to be flabby. I had never set foot in the gym, and it took me 3 1/2 years to start lifting progressively heavier. But it has been so very worth it, and I probably won't ever stop.

because it's awesome.... and I hate cardio.

I don't care about the health benefits- I love lifting. Period.

And muscles.

I love muscles.

Pretty much this. I feel like I'm dying when I do cardio. I feel empowered when I weight train.

And when I say "dying" I mean "dying of boredom because it sucks" not "dying because I'm out of shape."

Love all of this!

My reason: Showing my kids what a strong mama looks like. I don't want to be some stick or out of shape slob who can't play basketball, throw some softballs or run a foot race with her kids.

...oh, the bonus is that the hubby appreciates the look and feel of the muscles.

Because women that lift and have muscles are sexy!!!!!!

'Cause guys like big sammiches?

because it's awesome.... and I hate cardio.

I don't care about the health benefits- I love lifting. Period.

And muscles.

I love muscles.

Pretty much this. I feel like I'm dying when I do cardio. I feel empowered when I weight train.

And when I say "dying" I mean "dying of boredom because it sucks" not "dying because I'm out of shape."

^^This. ALL of this. Soooo all of this (JoRocka and Hollydubs)!!! Cardio, unless it's recreational, is pure hell.

because it gives me an *kitten* you can bounce a coin off of!!

I usually do Zumba for cardio but am interested in how to get started on lifting weights. I'm in my late 50's and don't want flabby arms or tummy. What's a good web site to learn from for beginners? Thanks!

Good for you for taking an interest :drinker: !

A couple good resources you can google:

- Starting Strength
- Stronglifts 5x5
- New Rules of Lifting for Women (book)

If you have access to a gym, I highly reccomend hiring a personal trainer for 3-5 sessions to get you started and teach you proper form. I would also come prepared with the workouts you want to learn (one of the above) so they don't start you off on the wrong foot (i.e. lifting pink dumbbells).

Good luck to you, you won't regret it!

Never too old to start lifting. I started last year at age 53. I want to be fit and fabulous when I grow up.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women Check out this mfp group.

I lift for the endorphins it gives me and everything that follows after. Better health, known strength, better performance, regulated hormones, uncontrollable sex drive, and looking good in my skin suit.

I still love my cardio too (especially spinning, kayaking and hiking outdoors) but the effects of lifting weights are the bomb. It always amazes me when women say they will start lifting weights after they lose weight since they have to concentrate on cardio thinking that weights will render this process. Lifting weights is great for practical things like daily chores and keeping muscle mass as you grow older .

However, if you are looking for real motivation think of the day you have lost inches and you look down at the sides of your thighs and see long sexy indents or you look at arms and see "guns" instead of "bat wings". All the hard work will seem like slowly unwrapping a gift to yourself. As someone else on MFP has already said "skinny girls look good in clothes, strong girls look good naked".

Some clothes at the gym will still be a good idea .