Weight training started today. Let’s be clear, I’m not a huge fan of weight training. I’ve got a pretty big frame and I have no desire to look like one of the cast of American Gladiators. Muscle, seeing as it weighs more than fat, can also make it harder to measure progress since you can be burning a ton of fat and the scale doesn’t move at all. You will feel different and, depending on where you are building the most muscle, you may see the difference but nothing quite beats that feeling of accomplishment you get by seeing the numbers on the scale drop. So why do it at all? Why not just stick to cardio and aerobic exercise? You could, and you would certainly see results if you stuck with it. You’ll certainly burn more calories in 30 min of cardio than you will with 30 min of weight lifting, but with more muscle mass you will burn more calories at rest. Now that is worth every uncomfortable moment as far as I’m concerned.
Weight training can discourage me faster than just about any other form of exercise. Going in to the gym a considerable amount of time away can be an eye opener and all respects, but none so much as at the weight machine or on the free weights. I remembered the weight levels that I could lift the last time I was a regular at the gym so I cut those in half and figured I’d just add weight from there until I was satisfied that I was at the right level. I did the first bicep curl…and halved the weight again. My heart sank, made worse after I got up and a man at least 20 years my senior sat down and started with triple the weight I had on the machine. I felt like I should just leave or go back to the elliptical machine on which I had done my warm up. I didn’t run away though, I went to the next machine and worried less about the weight and more about my form. I concentrated on fluid motions, breathing in deeply on contraction and out steadily on release. I started to feel more calm and at ease with myself. I realized that I had to look at things differently. I hadn’t lifted any weights yesterday, so everything I did was an improvement. I started to feel a lot better about the whole process and was almost disappointed when my 30 min time limit was up. Breathing and proper form go a long way toward helping your body get the most benefit out of any work out and it can greatly reduce the risk of injury. As a bonus, the added oxygen that your muscles go after like a fat kid on cake gives you an energy boost, a general feeling of well being, and (in some cases) euphoria. Good times.
I forgot to take a progress pic again this morning, but I did get on the scale at the gym this morning:
264.
I’m looking forward to seeing that go down.
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