In the summer of 2017, I agreed to do a 6-week personal training as an introduction to weightlifting in the article.
As a lifestyle journalist, I’ve always tried different things, but they were mostly a momentary interest in content.
But strength training was different. When I agreed to write the article, I never thought it would ignite my passion for lifestyle.
I never picked up a barbell when I started, and I’ve loved dancing and netball since I was a teenager, but I didn’t think of myself as a “fitness man.” Occasionally, I was exposed to boring stints on Cardio Machine.
But five years later, the discovery of strength training changed not only my body, but my entire life. Fitness is now my specialty as a journalist and I have a healthy relationship with food. Also, I am stronger, healthier, and leaner.
“Strength training is the key to almost every training goal,” personal trainer Luke Wassington told insiders earlier.
I’ve been weightlifting consistently for five years and it makes me feel empowered and I’m excited to go to the gym instead of seeing exercise as a punishment.
In the process, I learned valuable lessons that would be useful when I started. That exercise alone does not lose a significant amount of fat and does not “get in shape”.
1. Exercise is overrated for fat loss
Despite exercising more than ever, I haven’t lost weight for nearly two years since I embarked on my fitness trip. I actually gained weight, and some were muscular, but they were also fat. I just ate too much (and drank too much).
I didn’t lose fat until I learned about calories and minimized overeating. By strength training and eating a high-protein diet, I was able to maintain my muscles as well.
After losing body fat and dropping 35 pounds, people mistakenly thought I was just in fitness. But I was already strong (I was able to deadlift 255 pounds) and I just didn’t fit the image of most people associated with those who work.
Personal trainer Graham Tomlinson previously told insiders that formal exercise is only 5-10% of the calories an average person burns a day. That’s why I train to be stronger, healthier, and empowered myself, rather than burning calories. If you want to lose fat, try a diet that is low in calories.
2. Lifting the weight does not make it bulky
Contrary to common misconception, lifting weights does not automatically make women “bulky”. Building muscle is actually a really difficult and slow process, especially if you aren’t eating with excess calories.
“If you do it three times a week, most people won’t notice any muscle gain,” personal trainer Sarah Carr told insiders earlier.
According to Kerr, the female weightlifter’s physique is the result of hard training and devoted nutrition, and genetics also plays a role.
Five years later, I love the muscles I have and it’s still not bulky.
3. Toning is a myth
Lifting heavy weights helps create the “tone” physique that many women crave. However, it is a myth that you can tone your muscles. Muscles only grow or contract.
A “tight” look basically means that you have some muscle mass and you don’t have enough body fat to see it, personal trainer Pete Gerasimo told insiders earlier. rice field.
The way to achieve that is to build muscle through strength training and lose fat with a slight calorie deficiency.
4. Consistency is better than perfect
Not all training is great. One day I find my training more difficult than others. Sometimes I don’t want to go to the gym. But 90% of the time I go, I show up and do something.
Knowing that I don’t always feel motivated to train and sometimes I have to push myself to go to the gym is the key to staying consistent and achieving my fitness goals was. Even with occasional light training, I won’t beat myself.
Overtraining does not help you reach your goals faster. Sometimes we take extra rest days, but by recognizing that consistency is more important than perfection, we have made progress and made fitness a part of our lifestyle.
5. Changing training is good, but the basics always work
Every time I changed my training style (from bodybuilding programs to CrossFit style training plans), my body adapted.
This often leads to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is mistakenly considered a sign of effective training. So we don’t change our training every month for DOMS.
My training always includes basic movements such as squats, hinges (deadlift), pushes (bench press), pulls (pull-ups), lunges and carry.
The basics are the basics for reasons, and in order to progress, we need to apply progressive overloads and train them consistently, Warsington said.
6. Anyone can be a “fitness person”
I used to think that “fitness people” were born that way, but otherwise there was no hope.
The last five years have shown me that it is not true.
Finding a way of traveling that I am actively enjoying has changed everything for me. Not everyone likes weightlifting, but that doesn’t mean there’s no exercise type for you. You may not have found it yet.
