23/01/2026
Lift Weights.
Let’s start with a realization: if endless cardio were the magic key to fat loss, the treadmills would be empty by now—because everyone who runs five days a week would already have the body they want.
Yet here we are.
We’ve been sold a very tidy story: calories in versus calories out. Sweat more, burn more, shrink more. So you run, spin, jump, and bounce through high-impact classes week after week. Your body might feel a little smaller (or not), but somehow the same soft, jiggly parts are still hanging on for dear life.
This isn’t a failure of discipline.
It’s a failure of the narrative.
Cardio is not useless—it’s important for health—but treating it as the primary driver of fat loss and body composition is, at best, incomplete science. At worst, it’s keeping you stuck.
If the goal is optimal health, longevity, strength, and a leaner body, weight training isn’t optional. It’s foundational.
And if you’re avoiding weights because you’re afraid of getting “bulky,” you’re not just misinformed—you’re leaving one of the most powerful metabolic tools you have completely unused.
The Scale Is Lying to You (and You Know It)
One of the biggest reasons people abandon strength training is because the scale doesn’t behave the way they expect. Lift weights and the number might stall—or even go up.
But here’s the inconvenient science:
fat loss and weight loss are not the same thing.
Muscle is denser than fat. As you lose fat and gain lean tissue, your body gets smaller, firmer, and more defined—even if the scale barely moves. A tape measure, body fat assessment, or the fit of your jeans will tell a much more honest story than a number blinking back at you.
So the real question is this:
what matters more—the scale, or how you actually look and feel in your body?
Still Think Weights Aren’t Necessary? Let’s Get Specific.
1. You Burn More Fat—After You Stop Exercising
Intense resistance training elevates your metabolic rate for hours post-workout (a phenomenon known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Traditional steady-state cardio? Once you stop, the burn largely stops too.
2. You Change Your Shape, Not Just Your Size
Genetics aren’t destiny. Muscle is what gives the body shape—curves, definition, and structure. Without it, weight loss often just makes you a smaller version of the same shape. And no, women do not have the hormonal profile to accidentally become “bulky.” That myth refuses to die despite decades of endocrinology proving otherwise.
3. Your Metabolism Depends on Muscle
Less muscle equals a slower metabolism. As women age—especially after 40—muscle loss accelerates. Dieting without resistance training can result in up to 25% of weight loss coming from muscle, not fat. Strength training preserves and rebuilds lean mass, keeping your metabolism higher all day long.
4. Strength Is Not Cosmetic—It’s Functional
Carrying groceries. Lifting kids. Handling luggage. According to the Mayo Clinic, consistent strength training can increase strength by up to 50% in six months. And strength doesn’t just change how you move—it changes how you see yourself.
5. Bones Respond to Load, Not Good Intentions
Bone density improves when bones are forced to bear weight. This is non-negotiable biology. Resistance training reduces osteoporosis risk, improves balance, and lowers the likelihood of fractures later in life.
6. Mental Health Benefits Aren’t Cardio-Exclusive
Endorphins don’t care whether you’re running or deadlifting. Resistance training has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, often complementing psychological treatment as a non-pharmacological support tool.
7. It Improves All Fitness, Not Just Gym Fitness
Stronger muscles translate to better performance in everything else—walking, cycling, swimming, skiing, sports, and daily movement. You don’t need to be an athlete to benefit; you just need a body.
8. Fewer Injuries, Not More
Properly programmed strength training improves joint stability and strengthens ligaments and tendons. It reduces injury risk, improves arthritis symptoms, and increases range of motion—when done correctly.
9. Yes, Your Heart Cares About Weights
Strength training improves HDL (“good”) cholesterol, lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and reduces blood pressure. As little as 30 minutes per week has been associated with nearly a 25% reduction in heart disease risk.
10. Blood Sugar Control Rivals Medication
Lean muscle improves glucose uptake. The CDC reports that around 16 weeks of strength training can significantly improve glucose metabolism—sometimes comparable to diabetes medication. More muscle means better blood sugar regulation and lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
So Why Are We Still Arguing About This?
Probably because weight training doesn’t promise quick fixes or instant scale drops. It asks for patience. Consistency. And a willingness to challenge outdated fitness dogma.
Incorporating weights doesn’t mean abandoning cardio, living in a gym, or lifting like a competitive powerlifter. It means training intelligently, starting gradually, and choosing a program that actually aligns with how the human body adapts.
The real controversy isn’t whether lifting works.
The science is already settled.
The controversy is why, despite all this evidence, we keep telling people to run themselves into exhaustion—then wonder why their bodies refuse to change.
So here’s the question I’ll leave you with:
are you training to burn calories for an hour…or to build a body that burns energy for a lifetime?
