I keep seeing "you NEED to lift heavy"

If you don't enjoy lifting, don't lift. If your exercise time is scarce, use it for running if you like that better.

There are ways to incorporate resistance training into your schedule, if you decide you want to, that don't involve lifting heavy weights inside a gym as well. Different strokes and all that. I think it's just a case of people being enthusiastic about an activity and recommending it to others. You can take that advice or leave it.

Its not a "must" nothing really is, but in the grand scheme of health & fitness, increasing your strength is pretty darn high up on the list. The most efficient way to do that is lifting heavy.

That said, strength training can come in numerous forms, not just heavy barbell lifts. What matters most is that you tax the muscles enough to elicit and adaptation to make you stronger. Strength training makes every other physical endeavor easier. If it's not a priority for you, then don't do it. But you should consider trying one of the many forms that it comes in. You don't even need to dedicate that much time.

Also another reason it gets suggested so much is people will want a specific goal and often times strength training is going to very much be crucial to achieving it most efficiently.

It's just what's popular right now - 5 years ago you'd have heard a ton of crossfit, in the 80s people would have recommended aerobics, etc etc.

Weight-bearing exercise/resistance training is a good idea especially for women to strengthen bones against old age, but goodness knows a progressive lifting program isn't the only route to great health and overall fitness (and it's not even the only route to visible musculature.)

If you want a body like a fitness competitor, yes, then you have to train like one. If you want a body like a swimsuit model, then you have a lot more options for how to achieve that IMO.

ETA: for the record, I'm with you. I hate my weights sessions and am always convincing myself to shorten or skip them in favour of running. I only do it for my bone health, pretty much, and don't like the aesthetics of a lot of visible musculature on myself, so I doubt I'll change my mind and start a lifting program anytime soon.

JenHuedy wrote: »

xjessicaxrx wrote: »

It just seems to me the way some people put it across on posts that your doing everything wrong if you're not lifting ! I see it every time I come on here lol

The only time I see people being told to lift heavy is when it fits the goal they want to achieve. If they want to change body composition they are advised to find a lifting program. If they want to run a marathon they are advised to get on a solid running program. If they want to lose fat they are advised to eat at a deficit. It's all about the goals.

This. Sometimes cardio and a moderate calorie deficit isn't the best option, especially if someone is very close to goal weight with a high body fat %.

I personally lift to preserve as much muscle as I am losing weight. I found a program that I like and am happy. Lifting is also great for us women as it protects us from osteoporosis.

Resistance training/strength training is extremely valuable, but it doesn't need to be "heavy" (80% of your 1 rep max) and it doesn't need to use barbells. Dumbbells, bodyweight, and TRX (suspension training) all are effective. I'm living proof.

You can absolutely be thin and healthy with great cardiovascular fitness without ever lifting weights, and pretty strong without ever lifting anything other than yourself.

What exercise you choose depends on your goals, and what you like to do.

But no, no, no you do not have to do anything in particular and there is no magic workout. I was fit, skinny, lean with just Jazzercise. Any road can get you to reasonable fitness, if you are consistent about exercising.

I think you are right that there is a cultish devotion to weights, but that's because people see results they like, and become devotees. It doesn't come from nowhere.

The fiance only does lifting, that's what he enjoys. He's done this for thirty years. So he can pick up things I cannot imagine ever being able to, he's strong and has big arms, is fit in this way. But I can run farther than him (he's faster over a short distance but I will pass and keep going), and he says yoga kicks his *kitten* because he can't hold the positions I can, even though he is stronger, measurably, all over.

So there's different kinds of fit, but I would personally argue that running does more, because it's great for cardiovascular fitness and heart health is really important to you as you get older, and running does build muscles in your legs (mine got bigger by 1" when I changed to running from the jazzercise) and is good for your bones because you are bouncing up and down.

I would never tell someone who only cares about losing pounds that they must lift to lose weight and I've only ever seen that rarely here. What I will say, however, is that it's a very good idea. I see far too many posts from women and men who reach their goal weight, take a look at themselves and decide they still aren't happy. They don't look like they thought they would at that weight; there's still "too much flab" or their belly isn't flat. At that point, they get told to lift weights to decrease their body fat percentage and firm up. Rather than wait until later many of us recommend strength training now. It's better, and easier, to maintain muscle you already have while losing weight at least in part because increasing muscle mass involves gaining weight.

When we lose "weight" the pounds we lose are made up of a combination of water, fat and muscle. The faster you lose weight, the more of that lost weight will be from muscle because our bodies are looking to preserve as much stored energy as possible against a future starvation period and unused lean muscle mass is an easy target. As you shed pounds, you need less muscle to move your mass around so your body will break it down and it'll be gone. That means that when someone quickly loses weight they lose muscle mass. When they stop dieting and start gaining weight again (which will now be easier since their metabolism is just a bit slower due to the reduced muscle mass) that new gain will be almost all fat resulting in a higher body fat percentage than before. That makes it even harder to lose the weight the next time around.

Strength training forces us to use our muscles in such a way as to signal to the body that we need them. This limits muscle breakdown for energy while eating at a deficit and helps to retain more of the muscle you already have. Those who have a significant amount of weight to lose actually have a bit of an advantage here because their current muscle mass is significantly greater than someone who is smaller. Some of that extra weight they are carrying is muscle that was built up so they could simply move around their extra weight. Why not try to keep that if you can?

Running is great, and it will help you remain trim and healthy.
Would you get additional benefit from lifting? Sure. It is a different kind of physical challenge.
But why worry about doing something you don't like doing anyway?
I wouldn't.
Probably better to focus on doing what you like doing, and doing it more and better, than forcing yourself to do something you don't like, and might even stop. You'll get better benefit doing something you can commit yourself to.