If you could do one thing to significantly improve your health, boost your mood, and overall promote a healthier lifestyle, then prioritizing fitness is something every person should value. 

Whether your goal is to build strength or improve physique, prioritizing fitness has a wide range of benefits that can be significantly impactful to a person’s quality of life. To name a few of the most common forms of exercise–bodybuilding, powerlifting, CrossFit, and varying forms of anaerobics are most often utilized. However, it is important to recognize your goals and examine your personal fitness to determine the way you train. 

BODYBUILDING

For instance, bodybuilding is a more traditional form of lifting that focuses on isolation exercises at a higher volume and intensity in order to increase optimal muscle growth. To be successful, it is vital to master proper form, prioritize nutrition, increase quality of sleep, and set attainable goals. Another major part of achieving physical success is what you fuel your body with. What you eat before and after your workout has a significant impact on your performance and ability to get optimal results.

It is important to eat a healthy, wholesome diet that includes a lot of protein and carbohydrates, as well as maintaining a high water intake. Working with a trainer or professional is important to developing a plan that will bring results in an appropriate way. However, being successful is not only determined by what you do in the gym. Weightlifting requires and builds personal qualities which will then lead into physical success. 

“I think it really starts with a work ethic,” Coach Alford, coach of boys varsity football and girls varsity powerlifting, said. “A good athlete is somebody who comes in and is willing to put in the work it takes to get stronger every day. It’s one of the things in life where you get out what you put in. You’re gonna have a better quality of life if you lift and take care of your body.”

POWERLIFTING

In contrast, powerlifting is a very competitive form of weight lifting that focuses on raw strength. Powerlifting is a sport that consists of three attempts at maximum weight on three different lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. At a meet, you compete against same gender lifters in your individual weight class. The heaviest squat, bench press, and deadlift that are successfully performed are added up to give the athlete a “total”.

This is what is used to rank lifters within a weight class. Form is vital for any successful powerlifter. Without proper technique, it is almost impossible to succeed in a competitive environment. Appropriate nutrition, good sleep, and proper hydration is key to a successful season. Powerlifting is an incredible sport that allows you to push yourself mentally and physically, as well as provides an atmosphere to positively compete against yourself and others. It is something that anyone should consider joining, regardless of participation in other sports. 

“One of my favorite parts of powerlifting is getting to accomplish goals that I never thought would be possible,” junior powerlifter Drew Ragland said. “As well as getting to work with my teammates and see them succeed.” 

CROSSFIT

Another form of lifting that is most commonly referred to is CrossFit. CrossFit is a functional strength training program that focuses on high intensity workouts. It incorporates functional movements that strengthen endurance, stamina, and speed. The fitness program changes workouts daily, which is referred to as the “workout of the day” (WOD). One notable benefit is how it increases cardiovascular endurance. High intensity interval training (HIIT), which is a training program with short alternating periods of intense exercise and brief resting time, is one of the main staples of CrossFit training.

People of any age are encouraged to try this style of training. However, not only is this method of training excellent for improving your physical fitness, but it is also a way to become more connected with your community. For example, the CrossFit Lindale gym is open to anyone in the community who is interested in learning more about olympic lifting. 

“I went to Lindale CrossFit for about 3 years,” sophomore Hudson Kinney said. “My favorite thing is the competition and also trying to beat myself and what I did before.”

ANAEROBIC EXERCISE

Additionally, one other often implemented form of training is anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is a form of physical exercise of low or high intensity. It is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic movements and other routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness. One of the biggest competitive forms of this would be through Track and Field. Track and Field events are among the oldest of all sporting competitions, which include running events such as sprints, middle-distance, long-distance, hurdles, and relays.

These events mainly consist of activities which test an athlete’s running, endurance, agility, and speed capabilities. Other sports which challenge these same areas of fitness include soccer, basketball, and tennis: which all work to improve cardiovascular endurance. 

“I did not care about fitness until I was 28. I started through Camp Gladiator, and [health and fitness] just became a fascination for me,” debate teacher JP Fugler said. “About a year into fitness I got into running long distances. For me, I realized I stopped caring about fitness from how my body looks and more about what my body is capable of doing. More than anything, consistency is the biggest key to success.” 

Not only will prioritizing fitness enhance your overall quality of life, but it will also provide a mental space to release pent up frustration and stress, as well as a way to boost your mood. For instance, according to verywellfit.com, research indicates that weight training specifically reduced anxiety by 20% in study participants. Furthermore, endorphins, which are positive hormones your body naturally releases, are released during activities such as physical exercise. Dopamine, which is referred to as the “happy hormone” is also triggered by exercise to be released by your body.

“What lifting weights and exercising does to your mind is provide a mental boost and improves your mood,” Coach Alford said. “Daily exercise and getting active plays a huge part in your mental state.” 

In short, it is vital to prioritize proper technique in strength training as well as in any other form of exercise to avoid injury. If you’re new to lifting or other physical activity, it is essential to work with a coach, trainer, or even another athlete to become comfortable with the setting and develop proper training protocols. As you become more consistent with your training, strength and endurance will improve over time. 

Overall, what you do in the gym will give you the mental fortitude to overcome challenges in any environment. The sense of gratification that is produced when overcoming struggles is what should ultimately push you to strive for success in all areas of your life.