Have you ever experienced the sheer joy of lifting more weight than you could have ever imagined? Take it from us—it’s pretty amazing!Be careful, though. We’re not telling you to go and tackle the heaviest barbell you can find & load up. Instead, we want to tell you about powerlifting, which is a specific type of weight training that requires discipline, consistency, and a great deal of effort.Sounds difficult? For the most part, it really is, but the payoffs it could bring are immense! Here are a few examples of what we mean:
1. It makes you stronger- Let’s start with the obvious. Powerlifting makes you physically stronger. The exercises that are commonly associated with this sport target all your major muscle groups, but it also engages most of your body’s stabilizing muscles that need plenty of conditioning, too.Movements like the deadlift and bench press are designed to tax your muscles, pushing them to grow stronger. What this means for you in practical terms is that you’ll be able to overcome any physical challenge that gets in your way.
2. It slows the aging process- Powerlifting targets more than just muscles. It also strengthens your bones. The movements involved in this sport encourage bones to become denser, making them less susceptible to injury, disease, and aging.When you participate in regular powerlifting, you effectively fight off common ailments that plague many elderly people. This lets you enjoy an active lifestyle well into adulthood and even past the retirement age.
3. It improves your posture- To progress in powerlifting, you need to develop a good form that allows you to safely lift heavyweights. You would also need to address muscular imbalances that might be holding you back. In doing these, you effectively allow your body to correct its own postural problems.Let’s go back to the deadlift. This is an exercise that works almost your entire posterior chain. From your neck and back down to your hips and legs—the exercise targets many problem areas that contribute to a weak posture.
4. It allows you to shed excess fat- Exercise, as we all know, is one of the keys to losing weight. Cardiovascular activities are a good example of this, but you can supplement this with a powerlifting routine that ramps up their effectivity.This is because powerlifting not only burns calories, it also makes your muscles burn more energy even when you’re resting. Think about it: lifting tremendous amounts of weight will require a ton of energy—not to mention the recovery stage that takes place after that. This means you’d be burning more twice or thrice as much fat than you would otherwise.
5. It makes you feel better- If you’ve never experienced the satisfaction of beating a personal powerlifting record, then you’d be missing out on one of life’s greatest joys. Now, that might not be a priority for you, and that’s totally fine. However, you should know that exercise has been proven to boost mood and reduce stress for most people.Powerlifting can do this for you. It can release chemicals in your brain that affect your brain in different ways. You might experience things such as better mood, lower stress, greater motivation, and deeper contentment. These are things that can contribute to a happier life.
Conclusion- As you can see, powerlifting has many benefits that are impossible to ignore. The best part is that anyone can enjoy these benefits, as the sport is open to everyone who’s willing to give it a shot.We are a 24/7 gym in Beresfield, NSW, and we offer weekly gym memberships, personal training and powerlifting classes for everyone who’s interested. Get in touch with us today if you’d like to learn more.