One of the most underused activities at the YMCA is actually one which should be used by everyone, and that is the weight room. Now some of the usual reasons for not doing so are as follows: it will make you bulk up and get bigger, there are a lot of musclebound guys strutting around, you might get hurt or you don't know what to do with those machines or weights. Strength however is the foundation of almost every sport or activity, even those activities that are basic to our life such as getting out of a chair. If you want to get stronger, the weight room is the place to do so.
I will come back to the weight room in further blogs, but first lets address some of the misconceptions. If an "old dog" like me can feel comfortable there, you can too. During the late afternoon and evening you will see young guys there, but the reality is that most of the true weightlifters train elsewhere so the weight room at the Y is usually pretty free. This is especially during the day hours and even the young guys are cool with "old dogs" being around. Second, you won't bulk up if you follow some basic rules. I train for cross country skiing so I don't want a lot of extra bulk, yet want to be strong so I lift weights that I can do 15-20 repetitions with. If I want size I would lift heavier weights less times. The weight lifters mantra is "go big to get big." By using lighter weights and the machines, you train the entire body, can improve your range of motion, get stronger and contrary to popular opinion lose weight. You see by working your entire body and improving your strength you also raise your metabolism and then you are burning calories 24/7.
Who is the weight room for? The answer is everyone. It is not the most fun activity but not unenjoyable either. The difficulty depends upon how much weight you decide to lift and how many times. It can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be and the machines are a lot easier to figure out than you think.
Next activity: The fitness test
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