Going Back To Lifting Weights
I'm excited. I'm a little scared, but excited.
I've been inspired by some other obese folks on Instagram to get back into doing weights and hustlin' at the gym, rather than just hiding away rowing at home. They are brave and committed. I can be that way, too. I've decided that based on my previous programs which worked well for me, that jumping in to doing weights and cardio now will likely get me better body composition faster (let's loosen up those pant waist lines!) than just cardio alone.
I've given it some good thought. I'll basically be trading decreases on the scale for a few weeks for greater stamina and strength, but that's okay. In fact, that sounds pretty great! I mean, you should hear me huffing and puffing after making my way up the two flights of stairs to our apartment. The sooner I bring that to an end, the better!
My body responds very well to weight training - I've never been "bulky", no matter how hard I work, and have benefited from being firmer and more shapely. My mind also responds better to weighs and cardio than just cardio alone. You see, I kind of despise cardio. Don't get me wrong - I used to love running (when my knees could handle it) - but elliptical machines and the like bore me to tears. I love love love weight training, though. I don't know why! I just feel like it's so much more interesting and fun to push and pull weights around than walking in place for 30 minutes. And there's something about the "toughness" factor of lifting weights which makes me feel happy.
Besides those reasons, it's well known that cardio leads to weight loss of both fat and muscle. Considering that my big goal is the Spartan Sprint at the end of the year, it's super-important that I retain my muscle and lose the fat rather than losing both and then adding muscle back on later. That just seems backward to me.
OKAY - wish me luck on my first day back at weights!
I've been inspired by some other obese folks on Instagram to get back into doing weights and hustlin' at the gym, rather than just hiding away rowing at home. They are brave and committed. I can be that way, too. I've decided that based on my previous programs which worked well for me, that jumping in to doing weights and cardio now will likely get me better body composition faster (let's loosen up those pant waist lines!) than just cardio alone.
I've given it some good thought. I'll basically be trading decreases on the scale for a few weeks for greater stamina and strength, but that's okay. In fact, that sounds pretty great! I mean, you should hear me huffing and puffing after making my way up the two flights of stairs to our apartment. The sooner I bring that to an end, the better!
My body responds very well to weight training - I've never been "bulky", no matter how hard I work, and have benefited from being firmer and more shapely. My mind also responds better to weighs and cardio than just cardio alone. You see, I kind of despise cardio. Don't get me wrong - I used to love running (when my knees could handle it) - but elliptical machines and the like bore me to tears. I love love love weight training, though. I don't know why! I just feel like it's so much more interesting and fun to push and pull weights around than walking in place for 30 minutes. And there's something about the "toughness" factor of lifting weights which makes me feel happy.
Besides those reasons, it's well known that cardio leads to weight loss of both fat and muscle. Considering that my big goal is the Spartan Sprint at the end of the year, it's super-important that I retain my muscle and lose the fat rather than losing both and then adding muscle back on later. That just seems backward to me.
OKAY - wish me luck on my first day back at weights!
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