There’s nothing like lifting weights
It’s different from any other form of exercise, and in a really significant way: Nothing else forces a person to hit his or her physical and mental ceiling so repetitively.
That’s what weight lifting is. It’s all about moving some weights with specific numbers on them in some direction as many times as you can. It’s so darn simple, and that’s why I believe it’s the ultimate mind builder. It forces you to confront and test your limits over and over and over again. What other sport does this so effectively?
When you run, you generally don’t fall over at the end of your run. You get home, catch your breath after a while, and then go on with your life. At no point did your body say “I truly cannot take another step” and then collapse. Every other sport is similar. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all extremely tough and I have a lot of respect for them. Personally, I’ve played and love many sports. But there’s something different about weight lifting.
Each weight exercise is an isolated event where you can push yourself to the extreme…to the point of complete fatigue. True, many people never reach that point, but many people do. These people generally become hooked on lifting because, whether they know it or not, they’ve managed to achieve a mind-body connection that is extraordinarily rare. They have tested their limits so many times that they truly know where their boundaries lie. And because progress in weight-lifting is easily measurable, people can push themselves continuously over weeks, months, and years. In most sports, when you get better, you don’t necessarily have clear, concrete steps in front of you that you can climb to reach the next level. In running, you can try to increase your pace, but by how much? Same goes for most exercises. But with weights, there’s no uncertainty. Once you can push out that extra repetition using the 45 pound dumbbells, then you know you’re ready for the 50 pound dumbbells. This leads to a life-long pursuit of one’s limits and a lifestyle of continuous self-improvement that extends beyond the weight room.
That’s what weight lifting is. It’s all about moving some weights with specific numbers on them in some direction as many times as you can. It’s so darn simple, and that’s why I believe it’s the ultimate mind builder. It forces you to confront and test your limits over and over and over again. What other sport does this so effectively?
When you run, you generally don’t fall over at the end of your run. You get home, catch your breath after a while, and then go on with your life. At no point did your body say “I truly cannot take another step” and then collapse. Every other sport is similar. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all extremely tough and I have a lot of respect for them. Personally, I’ve played and love many sports. But there’s something different about weight lifting.
Each weight exercise is an isolated event where you can push yourself to the extreme…to the point of complete fatigue. True, many people never reach that point, but many people do. These people generally become hooked on lifting because, whether they know it or not, they’ve managed to achieve a mind-body connection that is extraordinarily rare. They have tested their limits so many times that they truly know where their boundaries lie. And because progress in weight-lifting is easily measurable, people can push themselves continuously over weeks, months, and years. In most sports, when you get better, you don’t necessarily have clear, concrete steps in front of you that you can climb to reach the next level. In running, you can try to increase your pace, but by how much? Same goes for most exercises. But with weights, there’s no uncertainty. Once you can push out that extra repetition using the 45 pound dumbbells, then you know you’re ready for the 50 pound dumbbells. This leads to a life-long pursuit of one’s limits and a lifestyle of continuous self-improvement that extends beyond the weight room.
posted by markjacobs at 1:24 PM
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