//// Why Do You Lift Weights? | shannonsnutrition

Why Do You Lift Weights?

Why do you lift weights? Why do you do Powerlifting? Why do you do Strongwoman?

As a female, I find these very common questions and usually I don’t know how to answer them. The stereotype that women who lift weights are bulky testosterone filled she-men is now dying, but we still always get asked why we do this?

I don’t think I really have a good answer to give people, sometimes I don’t think I even know myself because I don’t think there is a quick sentence you can give to explain why we do this

My life pretty much revolves around training and the gym. Soooo why have a scarified and change so much of my life for what most people would call a hobby?

It is fun – to me throwing heavy shit around is so much fun – but so is watching a good movie or riding bike or watching a show, but I wouldn’t want to do that every day like I do with lifting – its more than just being fun though.
It keeps you fit – this is usually why most people think we do it – it keeps me fit, yeah it does but so would going for a morning jog but I will chew my own leg off before I agree to do that every day.
It allows you to eat more – fuck yes!!! But people still annoy me when they say ‘you go to the gym you can eat what you like’ –, I could rant about that all day
It makes you look good – another reason why most people think we do it, but if I wanted to look good I would just be a bodybuilder , strongman and powerlifting isn’t really a sport you get into for aesthetics. Note: if I say I compete in ‘X’ strength sport DON’T ASK ‘IS THAT WHERE YOU POSE ON STAGE IN A BIKINI’ NO JUST NO! this is so frustrating and also so is saying ‘oh you don’t look like you lift’ cheers mate!
Because I can stand in front of a barbell and get angry, scream my fucking head off, stamp like a raging bull and not look like a psycho bitch! 😊 (I’m a lovely person honestly haha)

The above are quite basic reasons for doing it (except reason 5 haha) and usually the reasons why people get into strength sports, but it’s not the reason you stay in them

Having a focus and beating yourself is one of the things I love about strength training, that feeling when you hit a PB that you have worked so hard for is just indescribable. It’s something most people don’t understand, we sleep eat and breathe for it. We play that moment in our heads 100 times before we even do it, we imagine the celebration of that lift, we do everything within our power to get it. Then when we finally get it for real it is such a buzz. The adrenaline pumping before that big lift is insane, there is nothing that will get in my way, I’ll puke , poo or piss but I’m having that lift …. Que the sexy pissing deadlift face

When you ask some people why they do it you often get ‘I want to be a world champion’ or ‘I want to be the strongest woman in the word’, its great to aim high but you have got to enjoy the journey. I would love to win some big titles and be known for this, but this can easily become too much pressure and make you rush your training and no longer enjoy it. The moment I stop enjoying my training is the moment when I should reconsider what I actually want from it, sure titles are amazing but its more amazing to absolutely buzz from your training, to get excited about it , to keep that fire and hunger burning, and to have fun with it.

I think my easy answer for why I got into lifting, is just because I fell inlove with every aspect of it.