What is weight training? When people think of weight training, they usually think of big bulky men that work- out at the gym for six to eight hours a day- that is only partially true. James Hesson, author of Weight Training for Life, defines weight training as adding resistance to the body's natural movements in order to make those movements more difficult, and encourage the muscles to become stronger (13).
Weight training has many benefits to ones body and health. By lifting weights one can significantly improve their body structure. For example, many people who want to loose weight exercise with weights in order to turn the fat into muscle. By improving their body structure, they also feel more confident and better about themselves. Athletes train with weights in order to improve speed, endurance, and strength. It was thought before that muscles would slow an athlete down, but over the years research has shown that it does quite the opposite. A stronger muscle works better and faster when running long endurance races and helps the athlete to not get tired too easy. Apart from athletes and people who want to loose weight, many people exercise with weights for many different reasons.
Many men exercise with weights for a particular number of reasons. For many young men, they want to look "bulky" in order to be able to defend themselves if ever the circumstances were to occur. Another reason why young men lift weights is because it is advertised in the media all the time. They always see an image of a fighting man, such as Rambo, doing everything in his power to stop the swarming army of enemies. Older men exercise with weights because they want to look and feel younger. Another reason why older men lift weights is because they want to live a healthier and longer life. Research done by various medical organizations show that people who exercise tend to live longer lives, with weight lifting being the best way.
