I was having a conversation with a friend involved in partner acrobatics about lifting weights. He has a background in sports and athletics, so I asked him if he still lifts weights. His response surprised me.
The basic summary was that he didn’t lift weights anymore, because the only reason to lift weights is to lift heavier and that’s unproductive after a certain point, since you can’t lift heavier forever.
This had me laying in bed thinking all night. Why does almost everyone look at lifting weights with an end goal orientation? Where is the attention to detail? Where is the pursuit of quality movement mechanics? Where is the joy in getting lost in the challenge of developing an ever increasingly complex relationship with your movement? Where is the respect for the increased physical capacity that allows you to be more functional in the real world?
It is pretty clear that training with weights provides physiological benefits to muscle integrity, joint stability, and body composition as we age. And I don’t think my friend was arguing against any of these more scientific benefits of lifting. But these are real factors that regularly lifting weights will positively influence. You don’t need a new personal record to experience these benefits either.
What is also a factor is the functional side of lifting weights. Being strong has serious impacts on how you relate to the world around you. Can you push your car to the side of the road if it breaks down? Can you lift a loved one into a car and drive them to the hospital if they are injured or sick? One of my first ever clients had this very experience and had to sit with her husband face down having a heart attack until the ambulance arrived because she was too weak to even roll him over. This is serious shit.
The important factor about these tasks is not that they require a certain level of strength, but that they require much less strength if you know how to get into a quality position to maximally express the strength that you have. If you can get your spine aligned and push with your legs you can do a lot of work without being very strong.
We have become so concerned with measurable progress that we forget about the execution itself.
Developing consistent and quality execution requires mental focus. It is harder than physical effort, because it is optional. Unlike a handstand, where you fall over if you don’t focus, you can still lift weights with shitty form. This dedication to becoming better, educating yourself on how to move better, and demanding that you do so every time is the point of lifting. It develops pride and respect for yourself. And when you start being good at it, I dare you not to have fun as well.
