Weightlifting is something that I’ve considered for quite some time. I bought a smallish set of weights (with barbell & dumbbells) about 7 or 8 years ago. Used it about twice, made myself feel terrible, and never really used it again. It got a passing glance every now and again with a ‘I’ll get stuck into that when I feel better” passing thought. The last few years have been a kind of living hell for me, not only with my health but my daughter’s too (but that’s a story for another post!), so with cortisol levels riding high it never seemed a good idea to try to utilise more energy lifting weights when my body couldn’t even cope with daily life. Over the last few years I did lose some weight but never intentionally and never from where I wanted it to be. Cortisol stripped my muscles from my legs and glutes (#sadtimes). So over this last year I’ve made a few changes that calmed me down and made me better able to cope with life. Stress is the best and worst part of life, depending on the stressor and how we deal with it. After all, weight training is a stress to the muscles that they then adapt to which makes them stronger. Stress in life can be a dreadful burden that raises cortisol and reduces muscles. Which brings me to one of my main reasons for weightlifting:
- To raise my metabolic rate. When we have a better metabolic rate we deal with stress better. This is a bit of a chicken and egg scenario though. If you try to lift heavy weights whilst still stressed and with a crappy metabolic rate then it’s probably not going to end well (like with me several years ago!). This is why I spent time trying to get to a better place before I started. I’m also still careful about when I lift, how much and for how long etc.
Although not my primary reason for starting, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hoped it would give me an: - Improved body composition. I’ll keep a record of how this is going from time to time on my blog. I’d obviously like to have bigger quads and glute muscles & a smaller stomach! I’m trying really hard not to make this the main focus because ‘nosce te ipsum’, which is written on my cover photo and means ‘know thyself,’ and I don’t want to pull myself down that rabbit hole when I have many other reasons for weightlifting. I don’t want to be staring at my arms or my belly every time I get undressed, wondering if they’ve changed at all!
The other main reason I like to get stuck into my weights is for: - Improving mental health. This is my time. I go into my conservatory, get my music pumping and enjoy lifting the weights. I feel happy and strong (both mentally and physically). Again this is something to watch, as if I overdo it then I can feel strong enough to take on the world and feel absolutely euphoric, as if I can conquer anything, but this is usually a sign that I’ve overdone it, stress hormones are pumping and I’m not getting any sleep that night 🤣 As long as I’m careful not to overdo things then I definitely feel it is good for me and isn’t causing any negative effects.
“...make the muscle know that it’s been active, warm it up a little but not enough to make you get out of breath or anything” - Dr. Ray Peat
So these are some of my reasons for wanting to lift heavy weights. There are many benefits to strength training though and the Strong Sistas have written an excellent article if you want to get more in depth information: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/blog/strength-training-is-one-of-the-best-things-you-can-do-for-your-health-and-longevity
I was going to start writing a longer piece with references but then I thought: a. I’m not in academia anymore so I don’t have to 😜, b. Why reinvent the wheel when others have already done it, and c. I’m not here to prove anything to anyone, just sharing my experience and ideas, so please never, ever take my word for anything!
In my next post I’ll share how I finally got started after a fair bit of dithering. I’ll try to keep things real and share all the info: the good, the bad, and the ugly, hence the ‘honestly’ in the blog name.
Lots of love,
Karen
So these are some of my reasons for wanting to lift heavy weights. There are many benefits to strength training though and the Strong Sistas have written an excellent article if you want to get more in depth information: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/blog/strength-training-is-one-of-the-best-things-you-can-do-for-your-health-and-longevity
I was going to start writing a longer piece with references but then I thought: a. I’m not in academia anymore so I don’t have to 😜, b. Why reinvent the wheel when others have already done it, and c. I’m not here to prove anything to anyone, just sharing my experience and ideas, so please never, ever take my word for anything!
In my next post I’ll share how I finally got started after a fair bit of dithering. I’ll try to keep things real and share all the info: the good, the bad, and the ugly, hence the ‘honestly’ in the blog name.
Lots of love,
Karen
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