Weightlifting

Weightlifting is strength training with barbells, dumbbells or resistance machines. You repeat movements in sets and follow a routine, whether your aim is to get stronger, change your physique or prepare for another sport. Recording what you lift gives you something to compare between sessions.

There is a lot to learn at first, from setting up equipment to finding a weight you can control. Visible changes may come more slowly than you hoped. If you dislike the sessions themselves, wanting the result may not be enough to keep you going.

By questionnaire

You need equipment, somewhere to train and regular space in your week. A gym visit also includes getting there, changing and sometimes waiting for a rack or machine. Learning unfamiliar exercises takes time too.

Asking for help or using less weight than the person beside you can feel awkward. Copying them to avoid looking new does not teach you the movement. Trying to lift more than you can control can lead to injury.

Travel, tiredness and boredom can turn a routine you were excited about into something you keep postponing. If visible results were your main reason for joining, the time spent training can start to feel difficult to justify.

A membership can stay active long after you stop going. You may keep paying while promising yourself you will restart on Monday. Sometimes the useful admission is that this gym or programme does not fit your life, even if it looked ideal when you signed up.