# Why don’t you lift weights? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** diet-weight-loss\ **Created:** [August 15, 2020, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144 "2020-08-15T01:48:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/141 "2022-02-20T01:10:50Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > If you are in your mid-50s there’s zero chance you will have to tote around an additional 50 lbs of muscle just by lifting weights, unless you take PEDs AND eat a substantial caloric surplus. heh. Yeah, that’s obviously true. Although I suppose people mean different things by “lifting weights”. I have a set of hand weights, and I lift them repeatedly in a variety of awkward angles, along with doing some basic core strength exercises. I’m sure I didn’t gain any noticeable muscle mass when I starting working out with weights. But I guess if you lift the heaviest weights you possibly can, you might build a little mass, even if your fifties. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/142 "2022-02-20T04:54:35Z")
If you are a man who has never experienced the initial gain of muscle from starting lifting, on the order of 5-15 pounds, in your lifetime, you can experience this gain by properly lifting weights and eating even in your 50s or 60s. Most women have much lower levels of testosterone and more challenges in building muscle. Certainly they tend to work harder and smarter, and eat better than many men. But they won’t turn into Linda Hamilton with a few weeks of lifting weights. Unfortunately, nor will they likely get Michelle Obama arms. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/143 "2022-02-20T07:22:37Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > If you are in your mid-50s there’s zero chance you will have to tote around an additional 50 lbs of muscle just by lifting weights, Sorry, I was talking about over my entire lifetime, not just now. > [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Not wanting to do it and being fine with your current body and health is more than fine though, don’t get me wrong. Yep, I have nothing against people weightlifting, it just wasn’t something I enjoyed or saw any use for. Not everyone shares the same goals for being in shape, and that’s fine. Do what you enjoy and you are likely to stick with it long term. ---
**Author:** ![LivingGhost371](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@LivingGhost371](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LivingGhost371)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/144 "2022-02-24T02:14:02Z")
They’re heavy. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/145 "2022-02-24T22:53:34Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yup, running is dull as ditchwater. Your mileage varies from mine. I like to go for long runs (11-16 miles) on Saturday mornings, and one of the best aspects of my hobby exploring my city; finding a stone labyrinth, a stand of endangered pitcher plants, or even just a neighborhood I would have no other reason to visit. One time, a detour led me to a colorful Vietnamese temple, with a graveyard and a tall statue of the Buddha. Had no idea it was there, but it was a wonderful bit of serendipity. In addition, Atlanta is well-supplied with trails, so running shows me sights I simply could not access via car. It has practical benefits, too - a while ago I spent a year running every street in the small in-town suburb in which I dwell. Now I’m working on other streets around my home. All this has given me a pretty rock-solid grasp of the geography of the 10 or so square miles around my house. Running on a treadmill is dull as ditchwater, yes; but street running is fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/146 "2022-02-24T23:47:03Z")
Up until March of 2020 I went to the base gym three days a week to lift weights. And then Covid hit. I haven’t lifted since. ☹ The gym is back open, but contractors aren’t allowed to use it. I _really_ need to lift weights again. This evening I stopped by a gym on the way home. It’s a big place, as it used to be a YMCA. The price was around $50/month, and I would have to sign a one year contract. But that price incudes everything… pool, courts, etc. I just want to lift free weights, and that price seems pretty high to me. Plus I don’t want to sign a contract. For that amount of money, I would think it would be a lot cheaper to buy a bench and some free weights from a seller on Craigslist and work out at home. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/147 "2022-02-25T03:29:23Z")
Probably depends on how heavy you lift. At my level and what I do a home set up is pretty cheap and the convenience of just going downstairs to exercise before I shower in the morning is hard to beat. Currently I get by with just a good set of dumbells. My eldest son however power lifts. A set up that includes ability to do deadlifts at 525 to test personal best aint so cheap. Plus at that level there really is a need for a partner. I can’t see him ever not belonging to a gym. Are you closer to me or him? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/148 "2022-02-25T03:37:57Z")
You could make a decent home gym with a pull-up bar, a decent knowledge of bodyweight exercises, adjustable dumbbells and a hex bar with enough weight to combo squat-deadlift. A serious lifter could add a bench and squat rack. You can jog and bike without cardio equipment, but there is that too. A gym obviously has much more equipment and weights and often a better atmosphere. It has costs and requires travel. It probably offers training and a wide variety of aerobics classes. It probably has treadmills, stairs, rowing and other cardio machines which are expensive and take up lots of space. All of these are tools. Some are nice to have. You can get by without most of them. I think the variety of machines and communal atmosphere, not more weights, are the biggest advantage. But powerlifters are much more focused than general weightlifters and dropping a barbell at home may be harder. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/149 "2022-02-25T04:24:59Z")
Never lifted until I joined a dragon boat team and we workout in a warehouse with a few benches and free weights a couple of times a week. I just wasn’t exciting for me but since it’s part of the team training then I’ve gotten to where I like it. There is an inexpensive trainer who works out of his house. I’m waiting for a group to form to join there ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/150 "2022-02-25T17:27:53Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > This is mostly a myth. I mean, you can rely on the bike to do everything, but I guarantee you can get a killer workout with an e-bike. I now have one and I can go 22-25 miles in one hour (this includes hills). I am getting a workout and have the heart data to prove it. Well, consider my ignorance fought. I also hadn’t thought about how it could open up other routes. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/151 "2022-02-25T17:46:44Z")
I have a couple mile commute to work but the direct route is on main arterials. I can now add a few miles and take very quiet roads that have a couple steep hills and still get there in less time. I live in a fairly small city, but if I lived in a larger, busier city, I could see this being a really large benefit. I’m very comfortable riding in traffic so this isn’t a concern to me but my wife still doesn’t like riding on busy roads so it is a large factor on how she commutes or gets to stores when we ride. And we are riding for groceries far more now. Well, it is extremely cold right now so we’ll probably take the car this weekend…I still commuted to work by bike though. I’ve commuted by bike every day for over a year except for one day that I walked due to a very heavy snow that left a foot of snow/slush on the roads. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2022, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/152 "2022-03-01T13:53:51Z")
> **[Muscle strengthening lowers risk of death from all causes, study shows](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/28/muscle-strengthening-lowers-risk-of-death-from-all-causes-study-shows)** > > Half an hour a week of activities such as gardening, sit-ups or yoga a week could help reduce the risk of dying from any cause by a fifth ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/153 "2022-08-26T01:28:45Z")
More data linking strength training to longer lifespans. > **[People Who Do Strength Training Live Longer — and Better](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/well/move/cardio-strength-training-benefits.html)** > > A consensus is building among experts that both strength training and cardio‌ are important for longevity. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/154 "2022-08-31T15:52:38Z")
I DO life weights, but not as much as I used to, or should. The main reason is post exercise soreness. I used to hardly notice it, but once I turned 50, I realized that I would be quite sore for days after a lifting session. Even if I just do upper body, my legs ache! Still, I generally manage 1 - 2 x a week. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/155 "2022-09-03T04:49:49Z")
Well, my cat’s pretty damned heavy – does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/156 "2022-09-03T05:09:32Z")
I’m an OG weight lifter, in that I frequently carry heavy stuff to move it from one place to another. Including backpacks and bags of groceries transported on the bus, garden labor, etc. Likewise, yoga poses can provide excellent strength training just supporting part of one’s own body in an unaccustomed position. I don’t use weightlifting equipment in gyms because I don’t like gyms. Besides, as noted above, I have plenty of opportunities to strength train on physical labor that actually accomplishes a task while I’m at it. I would not be happy to abandon garden digging, snow shoveling etc. in order to devote that time to repeatedly picking up and putting down otherwise useless heavy objects in a noisy smelly gym. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/157 "2022-09-28T02:23:08Z")
> **[Exercise with weights linked to lower risk of early death, study says](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/27/exercise-with-weights-linked-to-lower-risk-of-early-death-study-says)** > > Older adults could benefit from routine including aerobics and strengthening activities, according to researchers ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/158 "2022-09-28T03:52:48Z")
So, I have contractors redoing a retaining wall. And they left a lot of sacks of cement in my garage. And the cement was seriously in my way. So I moved the sacks. i learned that I can lift and carry a 75 pound sack of concrete without too much trouble, but a 94 pound sack is really too heavy for me. I basically dragged those. After moving the first two of them, I was about to give up, in fact, when I looked more closely and saw that all but one of the remaining sacks were lighter. Anyway, one reason to lift weights is so you are strong enough to lift crap when there’s crap you want to lift. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/159 "2022-09-28T04:05:05Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > So, why don’t you lift weights? I’m not entering any [beauty contests](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bodybuilding-a-sport/970845/61). (Link to SDMB thread.) I kid. I haven’t lifted weights in years because I didn’t exercise years. Since 2020, I’ve started walking, I started jogging last week, and so far I’ve lost about 60 pounds. I’ve been thinking about breaking out my weights and using them again. I’m interested in getting down to about 200 pounds, and I think lifting weights will help. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144/160 "2022-09-28T22:51:31Z")
Do kettlebells and clubs count? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-lift-weights/918144.md?page=9)