Weight Lifting

The other day I told a clannie I lift weights and his response was "liar".  Now, knowing this guy, I did not take offense.  But, I DO lift weights and do my share of cardio, too.  This is how it started.....  About 10 years ago I was having really, really bad problems with my right shoulder.  I was having very bad pain and had lost a lot of range of motion.  In other words, if I moved my arm in almost any direction, I got a shot of pain that i didn't want to feel ever again, so I stopped moving it.  I did the research and knew it was my brachial plexus, a bunch of nerves that supply the shoulder area.  So, I saw a doctor, and he took xrays, and told me it was likely a rotator cuff tear.  NONONO!  I knew what it was.  He started me on physical therapy, which was excrutiatingly painful and useless.  I went back and told him "now my neck hurts, too".  Aha!  You have to know what to say!  My neck didn't hurt at all, but I knew which vertebrae the nerve supply fed thru, so, I lied....  i got an MRI of the neck and shoulder out of the deal, and, guess what!  I have sclerosis of the C-6 vertebrae.  D'oh!  I coulda told him that without the MRI.  Next I went to an orthopedic doc and he gave me a marvelous shot that hurt like HELL!  but also had a numbing effect.  I could move again!!!!  I stopped the physical therapy and quickly got going with a chiropractor, who i still see every other week to this day.  So, with all that background, why, you say, did she start lifting weights?  Well, I had a friend that wanted to join a gym and asked me to join with her.  We are both nurses and know, strengthen the muscles, strengthen the joint.  Cool.  She used to be a personal trainer, she could show me the ropes.  I had always been just a little scared of those weight machines....  She showed me how to run thru the weight curcuit, and I found that I liked it!  Really!  And that was 10 years ago...

So, how has weight training been for me?  I lift anywhere from 15 lbs to 130 lbs, depending on the muscle group.  Lower body, of course, is where most of my power is.  Where is the least?  Ahhh, my pecs.  Don't laugh!  It is the only cleavage I have!  Before I started lifting, well, we won't go there.  hahaha  It keeps me in shape, literally.  I look better now than I did, well, when I was younger.  I am strong, I have stamina, woohoo!  And I can eat anything in the world I want to and my metabolism just takes care of it.  Muscle is heavier than fat, so, according to the scale, I also weigh more than I ever have in my life.  Looks good on me, tho.....