The Real Benefits of Weightlifting by Victor Pride

The Real Benefits of Weightlifting  

It would be an understatement to say Percy Cerutty was a strong advocate of athletes lifting weights. What follows is an often overlooked reason why resistance training is beneficial---- " The real benefits of weight training have nothing to do with reducing body fat or a having nice build. The real benefits have everything to do with relieving stress, getting out aggression, building confidence, giving you a positive mental attitude, giving you pride, developing discipline, and giving you a rush like narcotics would do.
In an emasculated world there are precious few outlets for Men to get out aggression. Weight lifting is one of the best ways to relieve aggression. Therapy is an excuse to never actually do anything for yourself and a convenient way to blame others. Iron therapy makes you as mentally strong as it does physically strong. If you’re full of pent up aggression you go to the gym, pick up 135 lbs, and put it overhead as many times as you can. You turn on some music that lights a fire under your ass. You walk out the door and see how far you can run before you can’t breathe anymore. You don’t go talk to an emasculated psychiatrist who thinks ‘open communication’ is the key to getting out aggression. Put 200 lbs on his back and make him squat ’til he can’t move and see if he still wants to talk about his feelings. In our world we can’t go hunting woolly mammoths, but we can do the next best thing. Lift some weights and eat some steaks.
It’s impossible to feel stress after an hour of solid training. No matter how stressed you were when you got to the gym ,as long as you give it your all that stress will go away and be replaced by a testosterone fueled feeling of euphoria. The best rush in the world and all the narcotics in the world can’t give you that natural high.
There’s a confidence gained in the gym that people who never train cannot understand. When a guy first starts out and can barely bench 45 lbs and ups that to 225 lbs with steady, solid training the feeling of accomplishment is immense. When a guy starts out deadlifting 95 lbs and ups that to 405 lbs that’s a huge boost to the ego. That’s something you can be proud of. Even if no one else in the world understands where you came from it doesn’t matter, you have accomplished what you once thought impossible and no one can take that away from you.
Discipline comes along for the ride. If you never had any before, you will after you start training. Weight training requires you eat right. You won’t even want to eat junk food anymore, your body will crave the good foods and you’ll want to eat those good foods. Heavy weight training requires you get good sleep, and you will. Weight training requires you get up off the couch and go to the gym and accomplish something. If you can manage that you will see what all the hype was about."