Men's Fitness: Why You Have to Lift Weights

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

13 Dec 2006 09:25 AM

Are you the weight lifting type? Do you look in the mirror and see Atlas? You know the old advertisement that used to be in the back of magazines and comic books of the well-defined musculature on the tall figure and more. We see the weight lifting type when we look Arnold Schwarzenegger and at professional wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and more.

It's important to understand that weight lifting, weight training, resistance training and strength training are interchangeable because they all involve stressing your muscles, tearing your muscle fibers in order to have them repair and become stronger. So let's talk about why you have to lift weights.

Lifting Weights

You have to lift weights to build strength for your every day life. If you don't exercise regularly, including lifting weights, you will lose as much as 30 to 40 percent of your muscle mass by the time you are 65. The change is not a natural part of our biology, it's almost a direct result of being sedentary.

You have to lift weights to build and maintain healthy bones. Regular exercise helps to burn toxins out of your system while building stronger bones. When your bones begin to deteriorate without regular exercise, they can become porous and fragile - leading to breaking easily and conditions such as osteoporosis - this happens to people who begin to lose bone mass over years.

You have to lift weights to help prevent injuries because when your muscles and bones are stronger, you are less likely to injure yourself. You have to lift weights, because on a base level you will feel better and you will look better over all. Your health will improve and your metabolism will increase because muscle burns more calories than anything else.

So the question here is not why should you lift weights nor is it are you the weight lifting type, but why aren't you lifting weights now?

Related Articles:

Men's Fitness: Why Our Men Need Their Workouts

Men's Fitness: How Does He Feel About His Body?

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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