How did weight training improve your life?

[1newname]

I run on and off but need a kick up the arse with weight training.

Please motivate me by sharing all the amazing ways weight training has changed your life!

Well if you’re me it won’t. I tore my rotator cuff.

I'd like to know what all the people on here mean by weightlifting. I go to the gym and do cardio and weights (machines) and I have got stronger, but no miraculous body transformation like you hear about on hear. (I am already slim though)

It completely changed my physique (for the better!). But then I pulled something in my back and I can’t even walk comfortably any more, let alone run. Proceed with caution.

I definitely feel stronger.

it has helped my metabolism a lot more

i have less aches and pains and that was my main goal. I was waking up everyday with my body feeling stiff and bad back and just tired and i don’t anymore which is great.

the endorphins are great.

weight lifting if done correctly will have so many benefits for later in life esp with stronger bones.

i hate cardio so this is a great way for me to exercise, you won’t get a massive transformation unless you’re eating a good diet and getting enough protein etc so dont start and expect to look extremely toned.

Gosh, I was expecting more positive experiences 😂. Ok, so I need to be cautious how I train.

Would love to other people's stories!

I've started to do cardio because my fitness is low and the boringness of it persuades me not to eat more than I should so I can eventually move back to weightlifting.

I bloody love it. Nothing better than lifting something heavy and proving your strength to yourself. The only problem is I became like Eddie Hall. Very strong and very fat. I love the way people who weight lift look but it takes years of solid work which most people won't do.

Thoughts and prayers @Tribevibes DP did that and it's horrifically painful. He needs surgery but won't get it because he'll have to take time off training... 🤦🏼‍♀️

It’s given me more energy

@ReturnOfTheRainMac

Thanks. I had a personal trainer as I wanted to avoid injury and use correct form etc but when an injury does happen, you can do it in style 🤦‍♀️. I wish I had just stuck with my cardio to be honest.

Strengthening my legs has fixed my knee pain. I also do Pilates and I can manage more challenging exercises because I’m stronger.

I mean free weights, like:
Deadlifts
Back squats
Bench press
Rows
All using a barbell.

I've been lifting for about 8 years.

My posture is better, I'm more toned with visible muscle definition in my arms and legs, my weight is stable, my mental health is improved. I absolutely love it!

I can do pull ups and everyone thinks I'm cool.

My shoulders look so good.

A man made a bicep curling motion and then the 'OK' symbol at me in the street.

Solid additions to my life.

Machines can also be really good if used properly. If you want bigger transformations, lift heavier.

15 years ago, I had massive back surgery and was told by the surgeon this was as pain free as I could ever hope to get. I was still in pain to the extent that it would make me up several times a night.

When I got pregnant, I had tonnes of physio, did Pilates, had my back and hips taped up, and was still in pain.

after kids, I tried by best to lose weight and get active but was always in pain

2 years ago, I started doing proper big weights. I’m pretty much pain free.
I can deadlift and squat 125% of my body weight for sets of 8 reps

If my kids run at me and jump into my arms, I don’t wince or recoil. I catch them and carry them

I’m not particularly slim or mega toned but I bloody love my body for what it can do

Follow ‘this woman lifts’ on insta
Her videos and captions about the benefits of weights have been really motivating for me

Do you mind sharing which exercises helped to strengthen your legs? Asking because I also have knee pain but all I can do to strengthen is leg lifts. Squats and lunges definitely make my knee pain worse :(

Same here. I can now run without developing knee pain because of the stronger legs. So strength training has enabled other forms of exercise.

All sorts of functional benefits. I work somewhere which involves lifting heavy boxes down from high shelves. I feel much safer doing this now I have some muscle. Also easier to lift my cast iron casseroles, carry a heavy suitcase up and down stairs, move furniture, open jars etc.

Shallow, but building shoulder muscles has balanced out my large thighs. My thighs are never going to be slim but at least they now don’t jiggle. I have bought a pair of shorts for the first time in decades.

Better posture
I look amazing, toned and fit

My lower back pain has gone as has my shoulder pain
I can eat more and still remain the same size
I’m strong
I feel better and more confident
I’m a good role model to my children
I enjoy it

I am easing myself slowly into getting fit again - weight lifting is defo something I want to do because, as an older woman, I'm worried about frail bones etc. I follow a woman on Tiktok called Billie Steele - she's transformed herself in the last 2 years. Her

I am in the best shape of my life (late 30s).

I feel like I have a control and ownership of my body that is like nothing I've ever experienced, and that gives me huge confidence.

I look fantastic and have a much wider range of clothes to choose from that'll look good on me.

I have more energy.

I have better circulation so not constantly cold.

I am strong and that makes me much more independent day-to-day.

It's a great feeling when men under-estimate your strength and you see them proved wrong.

The beautiful, sexy part-time model trainer at my gym told me I had, and I quote, "Very good arms, really sexy".

LuckyLuchi speaking for myself, my knee pain was more on impact so I could still do lunges and squats.

If you can’t then I would actually recommend a good Barre class for leg strengthening. It won’t act as fast as a weights programme but it will challenge and strengthen your legs without the strain heavy weights might create. Then later you might find you are able to do squats etc.

58, no aches or pains, nice hourglass figure built from lifting weights (started 2 years ago) and Pilates. No bingo wings anymore either. Strong all over. Great health stats. Only upsides from me.

Also second - better posture, more confidence, etc. Can easily lift big bags of compost and garden slabs etc too, so much more independent as a keen garden person.

I have the best physique I have ever had even though i am 45 and menopausal. I have challenged my body (and mind!) to squat, bench press and deadlift weights I never thought I could do and I am pushing on for more.

I am building muscle and strength and constantly challenging myself and my performance in the gym. I no longer obsess about how I look in a bikini, although i look the best I ever have and I am excited about what the coming months and years will bring.

Weightlifting is amazing!!

Lifting as described by @WhatAreYouWaitingFor has cured an ankle injury, improved my posture, has given me great arms, shoulders, arse and legs (abs are a WIP!), improved my mood, makes me really happy and strong in the moment and after. Also stops me drinking during the week (as I’ll do a class in the morning).

I do a mix of the lifts described, along with kettlebell work outs, battle ropes, atlas balls etc etc. I do small classes of about 8 people (which will include some short bursts of cardio such as AMRAP or similar) or free weights and machines on my own.

I love it.

For me, no more back ache. I used to wake up and get back spasms, I haven’t had that since.

Also, strengthening my leg muscles has helped my weak knees.

My bum is more toned with less cellulite.

I like being able to generally lift things more easily without worrying I will put my back out, as my muscles are all much stronger.

I’ve only been doing it since January so I have a long way to go before I look muscular but I am taking the slow and steady approach.

I'm always been slim but since weight training my shape has really changed, I have visible abs and my arms and legs look toned and defined.