Just one step

I opened my eyes for a split second; as the woman prepared herself for lift.  Not a weight lift but a lift to get herself up on the first step of the sauna.  I was in my after workout Zen moment in the sauna; the five minutes I give myself to sweat a bit more and think about my life in general as I listened to Beyoncé.  The whole wooden structure shakes when someone hops up or down.  But this woman was only in preparation mode.  She was older but if she'd been lifting for all these years that I'd seen her at the gym, she could have hopped right up there.  It is after all just one step, but one step can seem like a mountain when you don't have great muscle tone.

Being strong is a wonderful thing.  What?  You don't want to look like a man?  Maybe turn into one of those women who look like a guy but are apparently still a woman?  Then don't take steroids.  Being physically strong enables you to do so much more in life.  It helps with your posture, your metabolism and so much more.  As we age we lose muscle tone, fact.  The only way to combat that loss is to gain.  How much you gain is all up to you.  If you are afraid of the idea of becoming a man because you are strong; and lift the 2 lb dumb bells on the rack, well not much is going to happen.   Many bags of groceries weight more than 2 lbs. 

To build strength you must call on your body to stand ready for a challenge.  Come on, you can do it.   When I am required to lift a 45lb dog up and down the stairs; I'm freaking happy that I lift weights and am strong.  Are you up for the challenge?  Of course, the only person you should be competing with in the gym is yourself.  I do it on a regular basis; as I stand looking at the wrack of iron I consider the next notch.  From 100lbs. to 110lbs for lat (latissimus dorsi ) pull downs is a huge step; but I've challenged  myself to pull 125 so I'm on my way.  With regular working out; building up your strength, it is amazing how you can get there. 

Challenge your muscles.  Legs are really strong; don't wimp out on them.  I'm at my max on the leg press now with 3/45lb plates on each side.  Challenge wisely, know your limits, but push.  To get stronger you must ask your muscles to lift heavier than what they are accustom to.  So when I see women lifting the 2 lb weights I want to take it out of their hand and replace it with a 5lb.  2 lbs.. is nothing for anyone, except maybe a baby.  Think about the things that you regularly pick up and move around and go heavier than those.  But don't go too heavy or lift what you see other people lifting until you are ready.  Lifting too heavy can result in injury or incredible muscle pain which may require more time to recover than you want. 

It doesn't take long to feel the difference.  Once you start to lift and get strong; you can get stronger.  Where you stop is entirely up to you.   But don't under estimate yourself; don't go for the 2 lb dumb bells.  Think about what you can lift already, before the challenge of getting stronger when you reach for a weight.  Test the weights and if you have and doubts, go lighter.  You can always add more.