Weightlifting

According to an article in The New York Times, lifting weights can prevent some disabilities, increase metabolism, and lower body fat.

[2] Using free weights, compared to machines, improves not only strength but muscle function as well, in high-functioning older adults.

There are records in many civilizations of feats of strength performed by great heroes, perhaps mythological, such as Heracles, Goliath, Orm Storolfsson and Milo of Croton.

[4] In Ancient China and Greece, men lifted stones to prove their strength and manhood.

[5] There is a tradition in Scotland of weight lifting competitions in Scottish Highland Gatherings, which have been annual events since the 1820s;[6] and these contests are forerunners of modern strength athletics.

[13] The 1950s and 1960s saw the sport of powerlifting developing, originating in competitions where athletes competed in different lifting events to those at the Olympics.

Strength training, bodybuilding, and working out to achieve a general level of physical fitness have all historically been closely associated with weightlifting.

Weightlifting induces the production of collagen proteins which helps build structure and strength of tendons and ligaments.

Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar.

[20] The two main methods of weight lifting to build strength and muscle mass are hypertrophy and overload.

A primary reason for this dichotomy has been a desire among women to avoid developing an appearance that is perceived as physically masculine, with a consequent focus on aerobic exercises over weightlifting activities.

[24] A new common trend among women is the replacement of cardio regimes with weightlifting for several reasons such as pursuing their idea of a perfect body, female empowerment, and plain enjoyment.