lift heavy things

Definition

The primal fitness philosophy that strength training should focus on compound movements with substantial weight. Caveman approach to fitness that actually works surprisingly well.

Example Usage

My entire workout philosophy is to lift heavy things and put them back down repeatedly until I can't anymore.

Origin

Popularized by Mark Rippetoe and the Starting Strength movement in the early 2000s.

Fun Fact

This back-to-basics approach emerged as a reaction to the machine-based, isolation-focused fitness culture of the 1990s.

Source: Strength training and powerlifting communities

Related Terms

Advanced

german volume training

A brutal program involving 10 sets of 10 reps per exercise, allegedly used by German weightlifters in the off-season. It's the workout equivalent of deciding more is always better, consequences to your recovery be damned.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

lifting

The act of repeatedly hoisting heavy objects for the express purpose of creating microscopic muscle tears that supposedly make you stronger. In gym culture, this has evolved into an entire lifestyle complete with its own vocabulary, protein shake requirements, and unspoken rules about reracking weights. Also used as a verb by people who make going to the gym their entire personality.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Advanced

sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Muscle growth from increasing the volume of sarcoplasm (the fluid and energy substrates in muscle cells) rather than contractile proteins. It's the type of growth that makes you look bigger without proportional strength gains, beloved by bodybuilders and Instagram.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

Spot

To stand behind someone lifting heavy weight and provide safety assistance, which mostly involves standing there awkwardly until that critical moment when you become the only thing between them and a crushed ribcage. It's trust-building via potential catastrophe.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

PR

Personal Record — the number that justifies every early morning, every meal prepped in Tupperware, and every time you said "I can't, I have gym" to your friends. Breaking a PR gives you a dopamine hit that scientists should probably study.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

bulk

A phase of intentionally eating in a caloric surplus to gain muscle mass, accepting that some fat gain is inevitable. Permission to eat like you're training for hibernation.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

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