How to Look Like an Olympian? – Weightlifting in a Nutshell
Have you ever thought about going to the gym? Well, I did about 3 years ago, and it was one of the best decisions in my life! I haven’t just got stronger and better-looking, but my posture and cardio have improved drastically as well! And these are just a few of the benefits that training with weights have. While you’re sitting on the couch following the Olympics, you might realise how desperately you need some physical exercise yourself!
Why lifting?
So, why would you want to go into a crowded place to pay for a membership to lift heavy weights for long periods of time? I’ll tell you why!
Is it good for you?
First of all, lifting as a type of strength training is an amazing way to get fit and strong, lose some weight, and gain muscle mass at the same time! Second of all, lifting greatly improves endurance and as shown in many studies, reduces stress significantly, because it increases endorphin production. All this while at the end of each workout you will feel more and more confident about yourself and your body, and something that might surprise you: it even helps with both anxiety AND depression, too.
Is it dangerous?
Now you might ask me “Are there no risks or drawbacks in weightlifting?” – I can safely say that weight training will not harm you until you do it in a reasonable and conscious way. Speaking of risks, I would say that in today’s gyms there is specially designed training equipment that almost nullifies any risk potential if you use them properly.
As for more complex exercises or training with heavier weight, you should probably get help from a trainer or someone who has experience in these exercises to avoid any possible (minor) injuries and keep a good body posture. Once you’ve got into the basics of weightlifting, you can try plenty of new, harder and more complex exercises as you progress.
Are gym people rude?
If you ask me, the common stereotypes about the big and bulky muscular guys in gyms being jerks to people are entirely false. In my experience, I would even say it’s the complete opposite. Stronger-looking guys I’ve met in gyms under my 3 years of working out were rather helpful than aggressive.
Bodybuilding or Powerlifting?
When you hear about bodybuilding, a big guy who’s flexing his muscles coated in maple-like syrup probably comes to your mind. But what if I told you that the first day you start working out, you actually start bodybuilding as well? You do the exact same thing as those guys, just on a smaller scale, and if you want to, with hard work you can get to that level too.
Bodybuilding basically means that you work out to look better and more muscular, and to have more defined muscles. On the contrary, in Powerlifting your goal is not necessarily to get a more defined, muscular overall physique, but to increase your strength and the ability to lift heavier and heavier weights.
And this is where the differences between the two types of weight training come in. While in bodybuilding you do a high amount (10-14) of reps (repetitions) with a moderate amount of weight, in powerlifting you do a lower amount of reps (4-8) with a higher amount of weight.
So in short, when you’re bodybuilding, you mostly train to achieve a certain type of physique, and when you’re doing powerlifting, you mainly train for strength.
Never. skip. leg day!!
You don’t wanna end up like those people who only train their upper body and come into the room with chicken legs, now do you? Training your legs is just as important as training your upper body! They support your whole weight and get you from point A to point B every single day, so don’t leave them out of the fun! Plus if you want to lose some extra weight, you should probably train your legs at least once a week, because every time you work out your leg, you accelerate testosterone production, which contributes vastly to fat loss and muscle growth, not only in your leg, but in every part of your body!
Calisthenics
Oh yes, we can’t leave out the old-school style of weightlifting: that is, lifting your own bodyweight. Calisthenics, in short, is a form of strength training consisting of a variety of movements that exercise large muscle groups. These exercises are often performed rhythmically and with minimal equipment, such as bodyweight exercises.
This could sound pretty simple and easy to do, but if you try to do just a few pushups or pullups in the park on a Saturday afternoon, you’ll notice that it’s not that easy-peasy as you’d think. In fact, a lot of people can’t or barely can pull their own body weight for example hanging from a pullup bar.
The reason why it’s hard to do calisthenics is that unlike in the gym, you can’t isolate any muscle types. You have to use your whole body, all your muscles, and core strength to perform a bodyweight exercise. That has both its ups and downs. On the one hand, it’s bad because it’s really hard to do, and it requires a good overall base strength. On the other hand, for people that are stronger and used to heavier weights, this is a really good type of exercise as it utilizes all of the little parts of your muscles and you can work out every small bit.
So in comparison to traditional weightlifting, it’s much harder to get into calisthenics because of the starting weight, and you can’t isolate-train any muscle type, but the tradeoff is that you can do it anywhere easily, without any special equipment, and of course it’s free!
Push until the last rep!
As you can see, there isn’t really anything to be afraid of when considering whether or not you should go to the gym. I can only say good things about lifting, It has changed my lifestyle, made me persistent, more confident and most importantly stronger both physically and mentally. For people who decide to get into it, I have one last tip: whether it be reaching a goal in looks, strength or weight, never give up and you will achieve it indefinitely!
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