Weightlifting is one of the best things us teens can do! With regular sessions, the gym provides students with near-instant results. They not only get more physically fit, but also learn about the importance of consistency and discipline.
Students may have noticed an increase in the number of their peers going to the gym, which can be attributed to the increasing prominence of bodybuilders on social media. While some argue that it may cause body dysmorphia and hurt teens’ self-esteem, these negatives are not from bodybuilding itself. The activity promotes confidence; the harmful effects are instead from problematic creators.
Boston Latin School is stressful, especially with midterms coming up. Luckily, weightlifting is a path to relaxing and “getting into the flow.” The joy of thinking about the iron you are pumping clears everything from your mind. Weightlifting becomes a moving meditation — suddenly, everything is not so stressful, the world seems like a better place and you feel like a better person.
The confidence that lifting and bodybuilding brings is superb. With weightlifting, you achieve results by making a little progress every day that you and others are able to see. The feeling of your body shaping to your will is one that you have to experience to understand.
Weightlifting is great because it is one of the few endeavors where you can see your future progress before you get there. There is something in weightlifting called the “pump.” The pump is when straining the muscles causes more blood to flow to them. Another benefit is that your muscles will look huge! Seeing the pump provides instant gratification, encouraging novices to keep going.
BLS English teacher Ms. Keri Orellana, who has coached basketball for 20 years, believes that strength training is “something that everyone should do.” She recommends progressing gradually and starting with calisthenics or bodyweight exercises.
While achieving results is a part of weightlifting, it also teaches one to be more accountable in other areas of life. Students who lift often have healthier diets and a more organized schedule so that they can include workout sessions in their day.
If you are still hesitant to start lifting, you are not alone. You might have been given the impression that when you join lifting, you need a clear goal or a vision of your future accomplishments. Mr. Eric Cordeiro, coach of the BLS powerlifting team, remarks, “Everyone is a little different. Most don’t know what they’re necessarily getting into, and I don’t think they necessarily have main goals originally.”
He also remarks that students who lift “learn to have confidence in themselves and work as a team together.” Powerlifting promotes teamwork and trust, as there are spotters you rely on to help you with your lifts and members of the community cheering you on.
You may have seen the switch between powerlifting and weightlifting throughout the article and wondered, “what is the difference?” Powerlifting is a type of weightlifting that seeks to maximize strength using the heaviest weights. Aidan Mak (II), a member of the BLS powerlifting team, says, “I started doing bodybuilding stuff at first, but then I found that I really liked maxing out and lifting heavy, so I looked into powerlifting and decided to join the school club.”
Concerns about the cost of gym memberships and trainers are valid, but this is mitigated by the fact that BLS and many universities provide gym facilities for students at no cost. Those who want to lift when school facilities are closed can use homemade dumbbells or help with chores that require lifting of some kind, like carrying groceries.
Many, especially parents, may be concerned that weightlifting stunts growth. This notion, however, stems from a faulty study in the 1970s, and has since been disproven by scientists. Not only does weightlifting not stunt growth, but it actually strengthens your growth plates and allows you to grow marginally taller. Your bone density also increases, which means you are much less likely to get injured.
Some may say that lifting is toxic and drug-ridden, but in reality, when you lift you become empowered. You can see your progress and feel the blood rushing through your veins. There is purity in the simplicity of lifting that is hard to replicate. Although some of the lifting community is problematic, the vast majority is positive and endlessly supportive. At the end of the day, try lifting and see if you like it!