Persuasive Essay On Weightlifting
Jake Bushey
Mr. Krafthefer
English 12A
December 9, 2013
Weightlifting is More Than Muscles A loud clank fills the weight room. A clank of pure satisfaction. A clank of many long, hard hours. The athlete counts his reps as he works through the pain and suffering as he knows the person who works the hardest will benefit the most. Every drop of sweat, blood, tears that have fell on that gym floor he knows is well worth it. Proud of his work-out session the athlete looks at himself in the mirror and in that mirror he sees pure satisfaction as he heads out to the basketball court. Day in and day out the athlete puts hours in doing what he loves to do. The athlete feels his muscles and brain tense as he takes off at a full sprint at the rim, with only one intention in mind. He soars through the air with aggression without breaking a sweat as he slams the ball to its home, all because of weightlifting. Dedication to weightlifting gives the athlete the upper hand, an advantage. Though weightlifting is somewhat overlooked, its physical and mental benefits make it one of the few activities everyone should do to maintain a healthy body and mind. The …show more content…
sport of weightlifting has a long history. The earliest evidence of weightlifting dates to China 's Zhou Dynasty, which took place from the 10th century B.C. until 256 B.C. During this time, military recruits were required to pass weightlifting tests before they were accepted into the military. Various sculptures from ancient Greek civilizations also portray the sport, showing Greeks lifting heavy stones. The ancient Egyptians even lifted heavy bags of sand for exercise as well. Olympic weightlifting first started in 1896, but the first champion in weightlifting was crowned in 1891. Today, Olympic weightlifting is still an exciting sport to watch. For example, in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece Hossein Rezazadeh, of Iran, set the world record for the lift, the clean and jerk. Hossein clean and jerked 263 kilograms, which is about 580 American pounds. When people talk about weightlifting the first thing that may come to a lot of peoples mind is big, muscular, fit people in a small tight packed gym jamming out to hard rock music and slamming out sets. But that isn’t always the case. “There are three common types of weightlifting” (Hankin). The first one is your basic weightlifting. This has to do with people wanting to not go out and gain maximum muscle mass but to gain a healthier and stable body while burning fat and gaining muscle. Training tends to be focus on one specific body section every other day in groups of three sets of fifteen to twenty reps with weight varying. This type of training would be the most common and beneficial to people to maintain and have a healthier lifestyle. A second type of weightlifting is bodybuilding. This is the type of weightlifting that people stereotype most weightlifting athletes to. Bodybuilding has to do with the person focusing heavily on one muscle group per day usually rotating and breaking every eight to twelve reps. The purpose of bodybuilding is to gain maximum muscle mass as the athlete has maximum strength in mind not athleticism. A third and final type of weightlifting is circuit training. This is where the athlete forces themselves to maximum weight and maximum reps in a limited amount of time. The purpose of this is to not only gain muscle and to trim fat but to gain endurance and agility. Although everyone may not want to be a body builder or a circuit trainer these two types of weightlifting will benefit some people and are important. The basic weightlifting training is a program that would benefit everyone and help people obtain and maintain a healthier lifestyle. The first thing we need to talk about is safety. Without the proper safety when weightlifting you can do serious harm to your body. Without knowledge of safety precautions you can find yourself in pain. Before you start you need to know the safety. When you know the rules you can began your journey to a healthier body. The first thing you need to know is stretching. Most doctors recommend five to fifteen minutes to warm up which gives the muscles and blood flow going. The main purpose of this is to prevent injuries. Another safety precaution is breathing. With proper breathing you are getting air through your body and aren’t short changing your muscles and lungs from air. With proper breathing you will prevent black outs. A third and final precaution is hydration. Doctors recommend at least seven ounces every fifteen minutes (Bally). Don’t wait till you seem thirsty as this may trigger dehydration and black outs. With proper safety and knowledge of weightlifting, you will have an option to a healthier body and lifestyle.
There are four hormones that are released when people weightlift (Draper). The first one is the growth hormone. The growth hormone, which is produced in the pituitary gland, is responsible for building muscle and telling the body to burn fat. The growth hormone cooperates well with insulin and testosterone in the muscle-building process. A second hormone released is testosterone. Testosterone is the super hormone in men mainly responsible for his sexuality and male characteristics. It is to a much lesser degree present in women. It plays a powerful role in muscle building and fat burning, and like growth hormone, declines in production with age. Another hormone is glucagon. Glucagon is a product of the pancreas yet is exactly opposite of insulin in its action. Glucagon converts glycogen to blood sugar and insulin converts blood sugar to glycogen. Glycogen is unused glucose stored in muscle tissue or the liver to serve as energy when necessary. A fourth and final hormone is Insulin. Insulin is the hormone created by the pancreas In which its primary purpose is to transport blood sugar or glucose, derived primarily from carbohydrates, into the cells for energy and moves amino acids into the tissues. These four hormones are very important when released in the process of getting healthier.
Equipment is also a very big key in getting healthier and being able to have a healthier lifestyle. With proper use of equipment and a specific routine the athlete can have substantial growth in health. But to counteract the unknown use of equipment can hurt the athlete (Johnson). Some equipment can hugely benefit the athlete into getting healthier. Dumbbells are the first example of this. Dumbbells with steel handles work the best and are not only easy to store or find but are cheap in price as well. Another excellent equipment piece is just your average bar. A typical bar weighs 45 pounds and has over twenty-five exercises that come with it. Like the dumbbells it’s cheap, easy to find, and has numerous benefits to health. Proper equipment with proper knowledge is a key combination to the growth of a healthier body and lifestyle.
When talking with Ronda Johnson Owner, personal trainer, and physical therapist of Park Avenue Fitness in Cloquet, MN she started of with saying, “weightlifting and exercise are two things that people should do every day.” “Getting into a routine of weightlifting has benefits the human body” (Johnson). Being an active member in the Park Avenue fitness club I see people tending to push their bodies to limits that shouldn’t be pushed. “I couldn’t tell you the number of people I have seen go down with pulled muscles and or significant injuries,” says Johnson. “Going through weightlifting is a huge benefit to life and when used properly and efficiently, you should not be injured but instead see improvement in health.” When talking with her and from past experience athletes need to keep in mind that without a good healthy diet weightlifting and having benefits is very hard.
During a study of 100 athletes, those who used weightlifting and exercise had more benefits compared to those who didn’t.
The first benefit weightlifters gain is more muscles mass. This is very important as you can start losing your muscle mass as early as twenty-five. Another benefit is bone strength as your bones are the central pieces holding your body together and weaken over time. A third benefit is stability. Stability which in cases of falls can be deadly can lead to stronger muscle fibers and increased balance. Final benefits are daily activities such as movement, running, sleeping and even blood pressure. Blood pressure benefits as you have better blood flow to areas in which your heart and muscles don’t have to work as hard. Benefits significantly benefit those who weightlift compared to those who
don’t.
In conclusion there are numerous benefits from taking time out of your day to weightlifting and make you and your body healthier. In America now we are facing a time where kids and even adults are sticking to eating fast food and playing on their technologically advanced devices when really all we need to do is get out and exercise and most importantly weightlift. There are very important hormones that are released when you weightlift and important mental and physical benefits. Weightlifting and exercising are not activities that should be pushed and being overused, and you should definitely talk to a doctor before weightlifting if you have any medical conditions. With the proper equipment, diet, and plan people should never get hurt and yet in fact gain muscle and burn fat. If serious enough when weightlifting and you find it a passion you may be able to set a world record like Hossein. It is an activity that is normal overlooked in not taken seriously but yet all people should weightlift and exercise to maintain and obtain a healthy body and state of mind.
Work Cited
1. "5 Benefits of Lifting Weights." The Oz Blog. N.p., 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.
2. Bally. "BFIT® Weight Training Safety Tips." Weight Training Safety Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2014.
3. Draper, Dave. Bodybuilding.com - Weight Training And Hormones - The Amazing
Connection! Body Building, 16 Aug. 2005. Web. 11 Dec. 2013
4. Hankin, Josh. "Bodybuilding.com - Weightlifting 101." Bodybuilding.com - Weightlifting 101. N.p., 07 Aug. 2003. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.
5. Johnson, Ronda. Personal interview. January 3. 2014.
6. "The Effects of Strength Training Exercise And Dieting." / Fitness / Body Building. Fitday, 2000. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
7. “Weightlifting and Weight Training.” Weightlifting and Weight Training. N.p., 27 Sept. 2001. Web. 08 Jan. 2014
Mr. Krafthefer
English 12A
December 9, 2013
Weightlifting is More Than Muscles A loud clank fills the weight room. A clank of pure satisfaction. A clank of many long, hard hours. The athlete counts his reps as he works through the pain and suffering as he knows the person who works the hardest will benefit the most. Every drop of sweat, blood, tears that have fell on that gym floor he knows is well worth it. Proud of his work-out session the athlete looks at himself in the mirror and in that mirror he sees pure satisfaction as he heads out to the basketball court. Day in and day out the athlete puts hours in doing what he loves to do. The athlete feels his muscles and brain tense as he takes off at a full sprint at the rim, with only one intention in mind. He soars through the air with aggression without breaking a sweat as he slams the ball to its home, all because of weightlifting. Dedication to weightlifting gives the athlete the upper hand, an advantage. Though weightlifting is somewhat overlooked, its physical and mental benefits make it one of the few activities everyone should do to maintain a healthy body and mind. The …show more content…
sport of weightlifting has a long history. The earliest evidence of weightlifting dates to China 's Zhou Dynasty, which took place from the 10th century B.C. until 256 B.C. During this time, military recruits were required to pass weightlifting tests before they were accepted into the military. Various sculptures from ancient Greek civilizations also portray the sport, showing Greeks lifting heavy stones. The ancient Egyptians even lifted heavy bags of sand for exercise as well. Olympic weightlifting first started in 1896, but the first champion in weightlifting was crowned in 1891. Today, Olympic weightlifting is still an exciting sport to watch. For example, in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece Hossein Rezazadeh, of Iran, set the world record for the lift, the clean and jerk. Hossein clean and jerked 263 kilograms, which is about 580 American pounds. When people talk about weightlifting the first thing that may come to a lot of peoples mind is big, muscular, fit people in a small tight packed gym jamming out to hard rock music and slamming out sets. But that isn’t always the case. “There are three common types of weightlifting” (Hankin). The first one is your basic weightlifting. This has to do with people wanting to not go out and gain maximum muscle mass but to gain a healthier and stable body while burning fat and gaining muscle. Training tends to be focus on one specific body section every other day in groups of three sets of fifteen to twenty reps with weight varying. This type of training would be the most common and beneficial to people to maintain and have a healthier lifestyle. A second type of weightlifting is bodybuilding. This is the type of weightlifting that people stereotype most weightlifting athletes to. Bodybuilding has to do with the person focusing heavily on one muscle group per day usually rotating and breaking every eight to twelve reps. The purpose of bodybuilding is to gain maximum muscle mass as the athlete has maximum strength in mind not athleticism. A third and final type of weightlifting is circuit training. This is where the athlete forces themselves to maximum weight and maximum reps in a limited amount of time. The purpose of this is to not only gain muscle and to trim fat but to gain endurance and agility. Although everyone may not want to be a body builder or a circuit trainer these two types of weightlifting will benefit some people and are important. The basic weightlifting training is a program that would benefit everyone and help people obtain and maintain a healthier lifestyle. The first thing we need to talk about is safety. Without the proper safety when weightlifting you can do serious harm to your body. Without knowledge of safety precautions you can find yourself in pain. Before you start you need to know the safety. When you know the rules you can began your journey to a healthier body. The first thing you need to know is stretching. Most doctors recommend five to fifteen minutes to warm up which gives the muscles and blood flow going. The main purpose of this is to prevent injuries. Another safety precaution is breathing. With proper breathing you are getting air through your body and aren’t short changing your muscles and lungs from air. With proper breathing you will prevent black outs. A third and final precaution is hydration. Doctors recommend at least seven ounces every fifteen minutes (Bally). Don’t wait till you seem thirsty as this may trigger dehydration and black outs. With proper safety and knowledge of weightlifting, you will have an option to a healthier body and lifestyle.
There are four hormones that are released when people weightlift (Draper). The first one is the growth hormone. The growth hormone, which is produced in the pituitary gland, is responsible for building muscle and telling the body to burn fat. The growth hormone cooperates well with insulin and testosterone in the muscle-building process. A second hormone released is testosterone. Testosterone is the super hormone in men mainly responsible for his sexuality and male characteristics. It is to a much lesser degree present in women. It plays a powerful role in muscle building and fat burning, and like growth hormone, declines in production with age. Another hormone is glucagon. Glucagon is a product of the pancreas yet is exactly opposite of insulin in its action. Glucagon converts glycogen to blood sugar and insulin converts blood sugar to glycogen. Glycogen is unused glucose stored in muscle tissue or the liver to serve as energy when necessary. A fourth and final hormone is Insulin. Insulin is the hormone created by the pancreas In which its primary purpose is to transport blood sugar or glucose, derived primarily from carbohydrates, into the cells for energy and moves amino acids into the tissues. These four hormones are very important when released in the process of getting healthier.
Equipment is also a very big key in getting healthier and being able to have a healthier lifestyle. With proper use of equipment and a specific routine the athlete can have substantial growth in health. But to counteract the unknown use of equipment can hurt the athlete (Johnson). Some equipment can hugely benefit the athlete into getting healthier. Dumbbells are the first example of this. Dumbbells with steel handles work the best and are not only easy to store or find but are cheap in price as well. Another excellent equipment piece is just your average bar. A typical bar weighs 45 pounds and has over twenty-five exercises that come with it. Like the dumbbells it’s cheap, easy to find, and has numerous benefits to health. Proper equipment with proper knowledge is a key combination to the growth of a healthier body and lifestyle.
When talking with Ronda Johnson Owner, personal trainer, and physical therapist of Park Avenue Fitness in Cloquet, MN she started of with saying, “weightlifting and exercise are two things that people should do every day.” “Getting into a routine of weightlifting has benefits the human body” (Johnson). Being an active member in the Park Avenue fitness club I see people tending to push their bodies to limits that shouldn’t be pushed. “I couldn’t tell you the number of people I have seen go down with pulled muscles and or significant injuries,” says Johnson. “Going through weightlifting is a huge benefit to life and when used properly and efficiently, you should not be injured but instead see improvement in health.” When talking with her and from past experience athletes need to keep in mind that without a good healthy diet weightlifting and having benefits is very hard.
During a study of 100 athletes, those who used weightlifting and exercise had more benefits compared to those who didn’t.
The first benefit weightlifters gain is more muscles mass. This is very important as you can start losing your muscle mass as early as twenty-five. Another benefit is bone strength as your bones are the central pieces holding your body together and weaken over time. A third benefit is stability. Stability which in cases of falls can be deadly can lead to stronger muscle fibers and increased balance. Final benefits are daily activities such as movement, running, sleeping and even blood pressure. Blood pressure benefits as you have better blood flow to areas in which your heart and muscles don’t have to work as hard. Benefits significantly benefit those who weightlift compared to those who
don’t.
In conclusion there are numerous benefits from taking time out of your day to weightlifting and make you and your body healthier. In America now we are facing a time where kids and even adults are sticking to eating fast food and playing on their technologically advanced devices when really all we need to do is get out and exercise and most importantly weightlift. There are very important hormones that are released when you weightlift and important mental and physical benefits. Weightlifting and exercising are not activities that should be pushed and being overused, and you should definitely talk to a doctor before weightlifting if you have any medical conditions. With the proper equipment, diet, and plan people should never get hurt and yet in fact gain muscle and burn fat. If serious enough when weightlifting and you find it a passion you may be able to set a world record like Hossein. It is an activity that is normal overlooked in not taken seriously but yet all people should weightlift and exercise to maintain and obtain a healthy body and state of mind.
Work Cited
1. "5 Benefits of Lifting Weights." The Oz Blog. N.p., 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.
2. Bally. "BFIT® Weight Training Safety Tips." Weight Training Safety Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2014.
3. Draper, Dave. Bodybuilding.com - Weight Training And Hormones - The Amazing
Connection! Body Building, 16 Aug. 2005. Web. 11 Dec. 2013
4. Hankin, Josh. "Bodybuilding.com - Weightlifting 101." Bodybuilding.com - Weightlifting 101. N.p., 07 Aug. 2003. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.
5. Johnson, Ronda. Personal interview. January 3. 2014.
6. "The Effects of Strength Training Exercise And Dieting." / Fitness / Body Building. Fitday, 2000. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
7. “Weightlifting and Weight Training.” Weightlifting and Weight Training. N.p., 27 Sept. 2001. Web. 08 Jan. 2014