10 Great Things Weightlifting did to me

When I first touched an olympic bar, I couldn't even lift it; the weight was 35lbs., standard size for an olympic bar. 3 years after, I can now deadlift and squat more than my weight. I feel better about myself, discovered a lot about myself, and I've never been this courageous, really.

Weightlifting has changed a lot in my attitude and the way I view things in ways more than one; here are ten of them.

1. I'VE REALIZED THAT WOMEN CAN BE JUST AS PHYSICALLY STRONG AS MEN

- I'm currently working out at Central Ground Crossfit, BGC. I lift every time I work out and this has allowed me to work my way up in terms of the weight I lift; I can lift just as heavy as some guys in there and with some, even heavier. So the next time you think men are stronger than women, remember this! :)

2. MY FOCUS HAS IMPROVED...A LOT!

- I tend to lose focus fast and refocus slowly; this leads to less productivity and poor decision making. Weightlifting has helped improve my focus by a huge lot because lifting weight, especially damn heavy weight, requires 100% attention or else, you will end up with a very bad lift or worse, an injury.

3. I'VE LEARNED TO LISTEN TO MY BODY MORE

- A lot injuries stem from not being in tune enough with your body; our body always shows signs of fatigue, of limitations, of pain, but most of the time, we listen to our minds and ego more, and this is when bad stuff happens. With the intensity and demands weightlifting imposes on me, it encouraged me more to listen to my body more so I can lift more and get stronger better.

4. MY MIND-BODY CONNECTION HAS IMPROVED

- The way I see good mind-body connection, it's being able to utilize both your mind and body to achieve a common goal and it's more powerful and effective; it's also a state wherein your mind and body understand each other so well that they complement each other's strengths and supplement each other's weaknesses. 

This connection is important in weightlifting and it should strong. With poor mind-body connection, you won't be able to lift heavy weight or properly; in life, you may be thinking that you're confident, but your body doesn't show it. Consistent weightlifting has helped me improve this connection and now, whenever I work out or go about my daily duties in life, my mind and body are working together to help me achieve everything!

5. I HAVE BECOME MORE POSITIVE

- When you start to increase in weight, a lot positivity is just as important as a lot of strength. On heavy lifting days, I always tell myself that "I CAN LIFT THIS", a preparatory mantra that has helped me a lot in increasing the weight I lift. This mindset has spilled over to my life as well: whenever I am faced with a tough situation that I think I can't do, I just go back to the times when I was able to lift more than my weight, take the triumphant feeling from that moment, and apply it to the situation.

6. I HAVE BECOME RELENTLESS

- Another mantra I tell myself, most especially when I'm nearing lifting 200 lbs. is "HOW BAD DO I WANT THIS?"; it's a powerful mantra as well that supports my mantra on #5. To be positive is not enough; you should want something so bad as well if you want to achieve it. I'm consistently trying to apply this mantra in life, especially at work; I've still a lot to improve on and the mindset I got from weightlifting is helping me with this day after day.

7. I'VE BECOME CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO DEFEND MYSELF FROM PREDATORS

- Sexual abuse on women is rampant nowadays; no one is exempted from it. How I wish rape and these offenders will go away, but there's only so much we can do. There are laws against this, but sadly, these are not enough to stop it. I pray for a world where women can walk on empty streets at night without the fear of being abducted, raped, and killed, but while this is still on its way (I hope!), I encourage women to take matters into your own hands; make yourself strong enough that you can defend yourself.

Weightlifting has made me stronger: my body feels stronger, more solid, more flexible, and my endurance has improved by a huge lot as well. I can walk the streets with lesser fear knowing that I can defend myself if someone tries to touch me. I even shut down a cat caller because I know that if he tries to attack me, I can defend myself.

Predators smell fear and when they do, they attack. If they sense that you will not back down, then they think twice about attacking. It's basically primal behavior that you've probably learned from school in one of your science lectures; trust me; it works. ;)

8. WEIGHTLIFTING HAS MADE ME APPRECIATE THAT THE PERFECT LITTLE DETAILS MAKE UP PERFECT BIG THINGS

- Let's use Deadlift as an example, which happens to be my most favorite among the 5 big compound movements; it may seem like it's just one big movement, but did you know that it's comprised of 8 small movements? To be able to execute a deadlift flawlessly, you have to perfect the 8 small movements and know them like the back of your hand to be able to do a single deadlift.

Weightlifting has made me realize that little things truly make up the big things, and when you've perfected the details, you don't even have to ask or wish, expect that the bigger thing/outcome is perfect!

9. WEIGHTLIFTING KEEPS THE WEIGHT OFF AND IS THE KEY TO ABS!

- Fat loss is greatly dependent on calorie expenditure; sadly, we tend to eat more than what we can burn. They say cardio is key to fat burning, but you gotta know that weightlifting is key too; in fact, when you lift heavy weight, you can burn the same amount of calories (or even more) in half the time compared to an hour at the treadmill. How is this possible? Lifting heavy weight requires explosive movement, therefore it requires a lot of calories; just 6-8 sets of 3 reps of heavy weight and you can call it a day; that's how time- saving weightlifting is!

10. WEIGHTLIFTING MAKES YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR LIMITATIONS ARE OKAY

- The thought of being limited frustrates a lot of people; as people, we try to please everyone and try to master everything; we all know that this is not possible and yet we cannot accept it because that's just what we are! Weightlifting has taught me that we are limited and that is okay, and actually, it's a beautiful thing. Limitations humble you, put things in perspective, let you ponder on lessons better, and help you plan your next big move. Thanks to weightlifting, I've come to embrace my own limitations.

So these are my learnings from the workout so far. Weightlifting has done more good to my life overall; not just my strength.

Remember, it all starts with willingness and with something small. If you want to try weightlifting, just pick up the barbel and lift; don't think about plates first; don't think about putting on weight; don't think about what other people will say. Pick up that olympic bar and discover your true inner strength.

I'd love to read your weightlifting/workout experiences at the comments section! :)