Why Every Man Should Lift Weights

erm...not so hardcore..

From Briankim

If you're a first time visitor, I highly encourage you to click here to learn more about this site in order for you to get the very best value out of it. Thank you for visiting!ggggggggggggggggAs I’ve mentioned in previous articles, I’m a big fan of weight lifting, but by no means am I like Arnold or Ronnie (Ronnie Coleman).

Weight lifting has definitely changed my life. Ask any person who has taken up weight lifting and you will get the same response. I guarantee it.

So why should every man lift weights?

Testosterone.

Testosterone. Yes, that one hormone that literally defines our masculinity.

Biologically speaking, the root definition of being a man is simply having lots of testosterone. All human fetuses are set by default to develop into a female, but only when they are flooded with testosterone does that fetus become male.

Now, I know that mainstream society has cast a bad light on testosterone.

When we hear the word, we think of crazy, angry, uncontrollable males who go into fits of rage and punch the daylights out of each other while breaking furniture at the local bar. Sadly, the maxim that states that it only takes a few rotten apples to spoil the bunch is true in this case.

The problem with these men is that they have too much the testosterone and can’t control it. It controls them. Then, you got the guys on the other end of the scale, who have very little testosterone. You can tell who these guys are. They are the ones who are not quite male, and not quite female. It seems that all the life has been sucked out of them and they behave like docile cows. They are too afraid of doing anything and live a mediocre life. You definitely don’t want to become like them. Let’s take a look at some of their qualities.

Depression
Irritability
Fatigue
Inability to concentrate
Easily weak and tired
Difficulty coping with stress
Sleep disorder

These are all symptoms of low testosterone.

Do you really think that you can achieve your goals and dreams if you have any of the above symptoms? I seriously doubt it.

Would you be able to achieve your goals and dreams if you had the exact opposite of the above symptoms? Absolutely.

How can we do so?

By increasing testosterone levels.

Testosterone helps you achieve your goals period.

How can we increase testosterone levels?

By lifting weights and gradually increasing the resistance on a consistent basis.

The following are the benefits I have reaped from sticking to a consistent program of weight training. I hope it will encourage those who have been sitting on the fence about this or have not considered making it a part of their lifestyle. If you are not currently doing this, you’re missing out on one of the biggest investments of your life. I kid you not.

Enough talk; on with the benefits (in no particular order).

Improved concentration and focus.

When I workout, gone are the days when I would be passive and do a little bit of one thing and then move on to another thing, do a little bit of that, and then listen to some music, maybe surf the net or watch TV, and come back and do a little bit of it more, etc. Instead, I would stay focused on the task at hand and complete it on the spot.

This habit was instilled through my consistent program of weight lifting. When you pick up that weight, you’re focused on completing x number of reps per set. Nothing else matters. Nothing else has your focus. It’s just you and the weight. You lift it once, twice, three times, four times, the muscle is burning, you’re becoming fatigued, five, six, seven, eight, and then you muster everything inside of you to get that last rep, nine, and then you pull even more from within you that you did not think you had possible, ten.

You don’t lift once, twice, stop, get a drink of water, talk with the boys, go to the bathroom, and then do three, four, then change the song on your ipod, five, six, stretch, take a break, seven, eight, make a call, nine, ten. No. You go through the whole set on the spot till you finish period.

You will find this skill to be very useful. A lot of people get distracted when it comes to focusing on a task, but by lifting weights, you learn to cancel out all distractions and focus on you and the weight. That’s it.

If you’ve watched the Legend of Bagger Vance, this same piece of advice is given to Matt Damon to help with his golf game. Just focus on you and the hole. Erase all the other distractions. The noise, the people, the competition. It’s just you and the hole.

Laser-like focus on completing a task from start to finish is one great by-product of lifting weights.

Sleep like a baby

Whenever I lift, I get quality sleep. I don’t have any trouble sleeping at night. Forget about the warm milk, forget about counting sheep jumping over the fence, forget about sleeping pills, just lift. Lifting weights is the cure for all insomnia. And because I sleep like a baby, I….

Wake up early

Whenever I lift, I always wake up early and refreshed. Gone are the days where I would open my eyes, hit the snooze, and sleep one more hour. If you want to wake up early, pick up the weights. It’s that simple.

Getting up early is also a big time benefit. When the world is sleeping, that’s when you can take the most action for your goals. It’s nice and quiet. It’s a perfect time to visualize, to meditate, to count your blessings, etc. You can read that self improvement book, you can brainstorm ideas, and get a TON done if you wake up early. It’s a huge benefit. It’s also a good time to lift as well.

Energy

Weight lifting gives me so much energy. Energy to go the extra mile. Energy to take the weights to the next level. Energy to accomplish my goals. Energy to do anything I wish. You can literally feel the energy coursing through your veins throughout the day. It’s a great feeling. It’s like igniting jet fuel. It’s that good.

Happiness

Whenever I feel the blues coming, there’s nothing like hitting the weights to bring me back up. I can thank my endorphins for that. Whenever I feel down, the very first question I ask myself is if I had lifted recently. The answer is always no. The solution? Lift. Problem solved. Works EVERY time. Guaranteed.

Mental toughness

Mental toughness. If you read Teddy Roosevelt’s autobiography, you will see the direct correlation between mental toughness and physical training. He made it a point to exercise every day. He boxed, climbed mountains, lifted weights, etc., on a consistent basis. I urge you to take a look at all the things that Teddy Roosevelt has accomplished. I guarantee you that his dedication to physical training was a major cause of getting them done. Because of his physical conditioning, he was able to focus, he got things done, he was always happy, he woke up early, and he had a ton of energy. Sound familiar?

Another example of mental toughness in one word: Arnold. Enough said.

Lifting weights and upping the resistance every so often builds your ability to handle bigger things. When you can lift a measly 5 pounds more than the last time, it’s a huge accomplishment. May not seem like a lot, but it is. Every weight lifter knows what I’m talking about.

Lifting strengthens the psychosomatic link between mind and body. When the body is strong, so will the mind be.

Lifting also helps you train your mind to summon all your strength to lift that last rep when you don’t think you can. I cannot tell you how helpful this has been to me when there were times when I didn’t think I could accomplish my goals, even though I was so close to doing it. Lifting has conditioned me to dig deep and go that extra inch, and you will find that in life, it makes all the difference.

Great habit

When you start lifting weights and begin to see all the positive benefits, there’s no going back. The benefits will drive you to keep on doing it, which continues the cycle, which then inevitably installs a great habit. You’ll feel more happy, energetic, focused, tough, accomplished and you won’t want to let go of the cause.

Males today, (in American society at least), sit in cubicles all day and then go home and sit in front of the TV or computer. If they are hungry, they get in a car, sit again in a seat, go to Carls Jr. to get a double western bacon cheeseburger combo, supersized, with a strawberry cheesecake. Then, they come back home and sit down again. Or even worse, they don’t even get up all. They just call Pizza Hut.

This lifestyle fosters a habitual lack of exercise, which in turn contributes to low testosterone and low quality of life.

Build the testosterone by consistently lifting weights and upping the resistance till you become like a bull and charge your way through life knocking down every obstacle and wall on the path toward your dreams.

You won’t regret it.

I guarantee it.

Top 9 Fitness Myths

Think you know the facts about getting fit? You may be surprised to learn how many are really fiction.

By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

It's easy to fall into the trap: A workout buddy passes along an exercise tip, and then you pass it on to several folks you know. One day, you're at the gym, and sure enough, you hear the same tip repeated, so you figure it must be true. But experts say that in the world of fitness, myths and half-truths abound – and some of them may be keeping you from getting the workout you need.

"Some myths are just harmless half-truths, but many others can actually be harmful," says professional triathlete and personal coach Eric Harr, author of The Portable Personal Trainer. "They can cause frustration in working out and sometimes even lead to injury," he notes.

One reason myths get started, says Harr, is that we all react to exercise a little differently. So what's true for one person may not be true for another.

"In this sense you sometimes have to find your own 'exercise truths' – the things that are true for you," says Harr.

That said, experts say there are also some fitness myths that just need busting, and the sooner the better!

To help put you on the path to a healthier, safer, and more enjoyable workout, WebMD got the lowdown from several top experts on what's true and what's not when it comes to exercise tips.

Fitness Myth No. 1: Running on a treadmill puts less stress on your knees than running on asphalt or pavement.

"Running is a great workout, but it can impact the knees -- and since it's the force of your body weight on your joints that causes the stress, it's the same whether you're on a treadmill or on asphalt," says Todd Schlifstein, DO, a clinical instructor at New York University Medical Center's Rusk Institute.

The best way to reduce knee impact, says Schlifstein, is to vary your workout.

"If you mix running with other cardio activities, like an elliptical machine, or you ride a stationary bike, you will reduce impact on your knees so you'll be able to run for many more years," says Schlifstein.

Fitness Myth No. 2: Doing crunches or working on an "ab machine" will get rid of belly fat.

Don't believe everything you hear on those late-night infomercials! Harr says that while an ab-crunching device might "help strengthen the muscles around your midsection and improve your posture," being able to "see" your abdominal muscles has to do with your overall percentage of body fat. If you don't lose the belly fat, he says, you won't see the ab muscles.

But can doing ab crunches help you to lose that belly fat? Experts say no.

"You can’t pick and choose areas where you’d like to burn fat," says Phil Tyne, director of the fitness center at the Baylor Tom Landry Health & Wellness Center in Dallas. So crunches aren't going to target weight loss in that area.

"In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength-training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content," including the area around your midsection, he says.

Fitness Myth No. 3: An aerobic workout will boost your metabolism for hours after you stop working out.

This statement is actually true -- but the calorie burn is probably not nearly as much as you think!

Harr says that while your metabolism will continue to burn at a slightly higher rate after you finish an aerobic workout, the amount is not statistically significant. In fact, it allows you to burn only about 20 extra calories for the day. While there's a little bit more of a metabolic boost after strength training, he says, it's still marginal.

"It doesn't really count towards your caloric burn," he says.

Fitness Myth No. 4: Swimming is a great weight loss activity.

While swimming is great for increasing lung capacity, toning muscles, and even helping to burn off excess tension, Harr says the surprising truth is that unless you are swimming for hours a day, it may not help you lose much weight.

"Because the buoyancy of the water is supporting your body, you're not working as hard as it would if, say, you were moving on your own steam -- like you do when you run," says Harr.

Further, he says, it's not uncommon to feel ravenous when you come out of the water.

"It may actually cause you to eat more than you normally would, so it can make it harder to stay with an eating plan," he says.

Fitness Myth No. 5: Yoga can help with all sorts of back pain.

The truth is that yoga can help with back pain, but it's not equally good for all types.

"If your back pain is muscle-related, then yes, the yoga stretches and some of the positions can help. It can also help build a stronger core, which for many people is the answer to lower back pain," says Schlifstein.

But if your back problems are related other problems (such as a ruptured disc) yoga is not likely to help, he says. What's more, it could actually irritate the injury and cause you more pain.

If you do have back pain, get your doctor's OK before starting any type of exercise program.

Fitness Myth No. 6: If you're not working up a sweat, you're not working hard enough.

"Sweating is not necessarily an indicator of exertion," says Tyne. "Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself."

It's possible to burn a significant number of calories without breaking a sweat: Try taking a walk or doing some light weight training.

Fitness Myth No. 7: As long as you feel OK when you're working out, you're probably not overdoing it.

One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make when starting or returning to an exercise program is doing too much too soon. The reason we do that, says Schlifstein, is because we feel OK while we are working out.

"You don't really feel the overdoing it part until a day or two later," he says.

No matter how good you feel when you return to an activity after an absence, Schlifstein says you should never try to duplicate how much or how hard you worked in the past. Even if you don't feel it at the moment, you'll feel it in time, he says -- and it could take you back out of the game again.

Fitness Myth No. 8: Machines are a safer way to exercise because you're doing it right every time.

Although it may seem as if an exercise machine automatically puts your body in the right position and helps you do all the movements correctly, that's only true if the machine is properly adjusted for your weight and height, experts say.

"Unless you have a coach or a trainer or someone figure out what is the right setting for you, you can make just as many mistakes in form and function, and have just as high a risk of injury, on a machine as if you work out with free weights or do any other type of nonmachine workout," says Schlifstein.

Fitness Myth No. 9: When it comes to working out, you've got to feel some pain if you're going to gain any benefits.

Of all the fitness rumors ever to have surfaced, experts agree that the "no pain-no gain" holds the most potential for harm.

While you should expect to have some degree of soreness a day or two after working out, Schlifstein says, that's very different from feeling pain while you are working out.

"A fitness activity should not hurt while you are doing it, and if it does, then either you are doing it wrong, or you already have an injury," he says.

As for "working through the pain," experts don't advise it. They say that if it hurts, stop, rest, and see if the pain goes away. If it doesn't go away, or if it begins again or increases after you start to work out, Schlifstein says, see a doctor.