Walking into the gym for the 1st time can be intimidating. At first glance, everybody looks like an expert and seems to be in great shape. It's completely normal to feel out of place. Don't worry. Everyone went through it when they started. I urge you to embrace the uncomfortable, step into the fear, and get out of your comfort zone. You won't regret it. Here are a few of the many reasons why you should make weight training a priority in your life.

Build The Body You Want

Weights help you sculpt your body to look how you want it. Fellas, want to widen your shoulders or pack some mass onto those puny arms? Ladies, do you want to grow your butt and have a toned upper body? Great, weight lifting will help you do just that. The great thing about lifting weights is it enables you to overcome your genetic shortcomings. I don't care where you are starting from; if you put in the effort with the weights, you will look fantastic. Our MAPS AESTHETIC program is perfect for those who want to focus on growing specific body parts. This program has helped many turn lagging body parts into strengths.

Mental Health 

It's not shocking that studies are starting to show strength training as an effective treatment to reduce depressive symptoms. Getting to the gym 4 or 5 days a week is a great way to hold yourself accountable and build a life-changing habit. This discipline carries over into all aspects of life and has a profound effect on your mood. By showing up at the gym, you are getting a small win every time you do it. Stacking small wins adds up and eventually leads to significant victories in all aspects of life. When you consistently show up and do something to better yourself, it's hard not to feel happier. In simpler terms, weight lifting will help you feel pretty damn good.

Increases self-belief

Self-love is everything. Believe in yourself, or nobody else will. Weight lifting gives you belief in yourself because you are constantly watching yourself improve. When lifting weights, you are always working towards goals. Reaching those goals and showing yourself you can do anything you put your mind to does wonders for your confidence. I highly suggest writing down your weight and repetitions in a journal. For example, let's say you can perform 135 pounds for five reps the first time you squat. When you come back in a year and see you improved 50 pounds in your squat, that's a great feeling. You got better at something, and that sense of pride in yourself is priceless.

Meet People Who Want To Get Better

Many people you get to know at your gym are go-getters. These are people striving to be better and improve themselves. Spending time with people who want to be better rubs off on you. If you spend time around positive go-getters, you will become a positive go-getter. If negative thinkers constantly surround you with a victim mindset, you will probably become like that. Choose the former. I promise there are a lot of amazing people occupying gym floors. It's a fantastic place to network and find new friends who have the same mentality as you.

I can go on all day about weight lifting and the profound impact it can have on your life. This is just a short list of my favorite ones. From physical to mental and emotional well-being, there aren't many things like weight lifting that will help you tick off so many boxes to achieve a better life.