Weight lifting to wellness

Adrian discovered his love for weightlifting after a serendipitous encounter with cinder blocks. “I remember lifting these concrete cinderblocks for someone before high school, and I remember thinking that I really enjoyed it, I just really liked the feeling. So, when I hit grade nine I started going to the gym.” While Adrian felt welcomed at his gym, he admits it was a struggle to find guidance or mentorship; “I was going to the gym for a number of years in high school, but I really didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t really know where to start until [I joined a team] that said no experience necessary. Having a very low pressure, no-experience required situation was nice.”

Becoming comfortable with being a beginner was critical to Adrian’s success in weight lifting. He points to online tutorials, personal trainers, and even fellow gym-goers as great resources to use when starting out: “there’s a lot of fitness classes at Ryerson, and [they’re] a great way to learn in a group setting that’s beginner friendly. Find no pressure avenues, check out the non-varsity components of club and sports, and don’t be afraid to start at the beginner levels.”

Maintaining a fitness regime and regularly lifting weights has greatly impacted almost every aspect of Adrian’s life. “There’s a range of feelings you get from weight lifting. I really think I’m lucky to be able to do physical activity, because not everyone can. I sleep better, I have more regulated energy levels, and I’m able to keep up with stressors in my life. You also get a lot of confidence from weight lifting, there’s just this confidence you get from being able to lift a certain amount of weight that you couldn’t a couple of months ago.” Adrian also points to the unexpected benefits of weight lifting, such as increased mindfulness and self-awareness: “weight lifting can be a bit meditative for me because it’s often something I do alone. It’s something that’s just for me, something for my sole benefit.”

If you’re interested in weight lifting, but find yourself unsure of where to start, Adrian recommends starting out slow. “When people are nervous about going to the gym and what not, sometimes it best to just go for five minutes - don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You don’t need to start off as this huge, buff dude. All you have to do is just go, and give it a shot.”