Don’t Fear the Weights

Appetizer
Weight training should be a part of everyone’s fitness plan.

Main Course
I often see people approach weight lifting with a bit of hesitation, or even avoid the weights altogether, when they decide it’s time to get fit. Really, weight training can help almost every everyone reach their fitness goals, most notably because lean muscle boosts metabolism. Every barbell-averse person has their own reasons, but two major ones I see are split by gender.

Ladies – You often say that you just want to lose weight and look lean, and don’t want to get “bulky,” so you stick with a combination of cardio plus either pilates or yoga when designing their fitness plan. And there’s nothing wrong with that, because it’s possible to get very fit with a regular yoga or pilates routine. But the human body craves variety, and including a bit of weight training here and there might actually help you reach the look you want faster. And don’t worry, there’s no way you are going to get large, bulging muscles by lifting dumbbells. Women simply don’t have the hormone balance for that to be possible.

Fellas – You sometimes think that intense weight training is only done by meatheads who want to “get huge” and start every conversation with “Whattya bench?” But lifting weights doesn’t just have to be about seeing how big you can make your muscles. A good weight training routine can help you burn fat faster, improve endurance, increase bone density, and help you get a toned, lean look.

Besides that, people are sometimes wary of the weights because they just seem more complicated than going for a jog or attending a pilates class. Trust me though, after just a little education on proper technique, you will be doing dozens of effective exercises and handling weight plates like a pro.

Dessert
I admit it, when you start weight training, especially if you have been sedentary for a while, you might find it a bit painful. If your hands hurt from lifting weights, you should consider investing in a good pair of lifting gloves. As for the muscle soreness, well, that just goes away with time.