Why I Like Lifting Weights so Much
And what I have learned from it
I had a "aha!" moment the other day, and I felt like it was something that was important enough to share. This moment came to me when working out in my home gym, which I then shared with my wife. If you know me, you likely know I enjoy lifting weights. If you did not know that about me, the title of this article likely gave that fact away. I have never really understood why I enjoyed the act of picking up heavy objects repeatedly so much. The goal of this article is to share the moment I started to understand the answer to that question, and what it can potentially mean for the other important aspects of my life.
Disclaimer: I am not a fitness coach or expert in any way. While I think there are physical, mental, and emotional benefits to lifting weights, most of this information is from my own thoughts and feelings. There are numerous scientific resources available if you want to dig into the research and studies behind this topic.
I pick things up and put them down
There are a few components to my "aha" moment. In no specific order they are:
The only way to get any kind of meaningful results is by putting in the work, consistently. Working out for 30 minutes, 3 days a week, for a year is likely going to beat out 3 hours every day for 3 months. I have been lifting weights for approximately 15 years at this point, and I am just now reaching some major milestones in my journey.
When you have been doing something for 15 years, you start to learn what does work and what does not work. I have reached the point where I can change up my workouts if I do not feel like I am getting the most out of them. If I really want to grow my triceps, I will change my chest/shoulders/triceps day lifts to target those muscles. If I read an article or watched a video that talks about a specific workout, I will try it. I can try something new and quickly determine if it is something that will connect well with me. Some things will work well, but others will not.
For example, I really do not like Romanian deadlifts. They do not feel like they are working my hamstrings and glutes like some other lifts I do. It might be because of my body composition, my shoes, or just poor form, but I do not feel the work to the specific regions like some other lifts. So I do not do them.
I am not sure what came first: my desire to learn more about working out or just working out because I thought I needed to. However, I really enjoy learning more about lifting weights now. I have watched countless hours of YouTube videos and read many articles on the subject. I have tried several different methods of tracking my lifting, and have even built my own app to track my progress at one point. I have really started to spend time learning more about the topic.
The lesson here is to excel at something, you have to find it interesting. Otherwise it is way too easy to give up along the way. I wish I knew the answer to what came first, because then I could replicate that in other parts of my life. I have been interested in the topic for a long time, so I have a feeling that it might just be something that clicks for me. Having said that, I am definitely more interested in the topic because I continue to work at it.
So whether you are interested in software development, machine learning, chess, kite design, or under water basket weaving, soak up all the information you can. If you find an itch or feel like you are being drawn to something, it just might be something you have been called to do.
Failure is where you grow. You need to push yourself to get better (or bigger/stronger). You are not going to make the progress you want if you are not putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. Lifting weights hurts (especially bulgarian split squats), but the burn means things are working. This is how I know I am progressing in my career as well - if I am comfortable, it is probably time to step things up a level.
Disclaimer: There is a difference between being sore/feeling the burn because you worked a muscle well and being sore because you hurt yourself! Understand the difference and talk to a professional if you do not.