The Lifting Conversation: An Inside View

I have always had struggles with my weight. But, when I went on a mission for my church, I finally decided to drop the weight I had accumulated over the last few years. One of the reasons I wanted to lose it so badly is that I want to have successful relationships with people that I am attracted to. So, like my mom always told me, I need to become as good as the person I want to be with. Another big factor is that if I am overweight I lose self-respect because I am not taking care of myself. It’s important to me to be fit. Losing weight takes a lot of work. But, I, like anyone else, have a really difficult time getting started into running and aerobic fitness. The whole running, jiggling sweaty mess I turn into when I’m overweight and trying to run is not appealing to me or anyone else. Thus, enter the weight lifting community.

My first compadre on my mission trip was obsessed with getting huge, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson huge. He had been skinny his whole life and wanted to get some massive, vein-popping muscles. So, each day he was up at that time in the morning when you open your eyes and it’s like you’re tripping on acid, including the hallucinations, minus the fun. His dedication started to rub off on me as he would tell me facts about how you burn more fat doing heavy weight lifting than running a mile, or that with more muscle mass you burn more resting calories, etc. Of course, with my goal of finding a fit lady, it didn’t take much convincing for me to be up with him breaking out sets in the wee hours of the morning. He taught me about calorie deficits, heavy weight sets and many other important terms.

I learned that being well versed in lifting isn’t just about not looking like an idiot in the gym. Understanding the biology behind lifting is essential to creating a correct routine for your goals. Not understanding how to properly rest muscles or how lifting affects muscle growth can lead to great injury. Becoming educated in each of these subjects is a great way to be able to communicate in the community. There is lots of opportunity to trade information in or out of the gym about how to achieve goals, physiology and effectiveness of workouts.

Fundamentals of lifting don’t just include the micro-science behind it though, it’s how you lift. At the gym, it’s easy to spot newbies or experts by how they lift. For example, I was doing squats the other day and between sets I noticed that a guy next to me was squatting a lot of weight. It’s taboo to watch other people lift, so I sneakily leaned up against the rack, side eyed him and rested for a minute. He kept his back as straight as a board and sat his hips down toward his ankles, all while not moving the angle of his chest. His knees hit a 90-degree angle, and he grimaced as he power lifted the bar back to its starting position. This stiff form and how far he went down are not only essential to effective reps, but also very impressive for how much weight he was lifting. They communicated to me that he’s in the gym often and well versed. I understand what good form looks like, but I am always looking to learn more. So, I introduced myself and asked him to help me with my deadlift form, which is lacking.

One of my favorite things about this community is that no matter where you are at on the experience spectrum, people are willing to encourage and help you learn. They are very cordial about it. I showed him my dead-lift a couple times with my heavy weight. He noticed I was barely arching my back and taught me to take a deep breath at the bottom to help keep it straight. He gave me an example by lifting the weight. He pulled the bar up like it was nothing and carefully set it down. To give you a little perspective, I am six feet tall and mildly chubby. We were working with as much weight as I weigh. In comparison, it was like he was picking up me like it was nothing. He explained that with better form I would be able to lift more weight and have more success in my workouts. I was so grateful for his input because I want to continue to be successful. Getting injured doesn’t fit in that plan. Lifting with bad form causes injuries. He was so nice and helpful in the way we interacted, that I feel comfortable asking for help again, if I need it.

I think that one of the most important part of this community is mutual respect. My experience would have been a lot different if I was cocky while I talked with him or had been annoying while I was lifting. People can be really intimidated by some of the gym sharks in your local Gold’s. But, they don’t realize that those shredded monsters used to look just like a normal person. They are not as scary on the inside as they are on the outside. Gym sharks recognize that everyone is a starter at some point and that there’s always someone bigger out there. They love the sport, and most are willing to help others. The most discrimination usually comes from the newbies who feel intimidated and want to prove themselves. Usually, those are the people throwing things, dropping weights, screaming each rep out, leaving equipment a mess, and surprisingly, giving the condescending side glances. Those are the people that annoy the experienced people. If you’re at the gym, don’t be obnoxious for attention. You can gain respect by consistency and of course as you achieve your goals. People see the results and your commitment. The obnoxious fools usually take a while to simmer off. They get the same self-respect as some of the older members, if they stick with it.

I have really enjoyed being exposed to the community, and all the help that people have given me. The people are very supportive, kind, and encouraging. There is a ton of opportunity learn and grow. Each person’s experience in the community is specific and individual, because everyone has different goals, as well as different genetics. There’s always new science and studies being done, so, there is lots of opportunity for discourse on lifting, and getting the best results. I love my experience in the community and what I’ve learned.