FeelingWow! Magazine

I hear it over and over again – and it always seems to be from people under the age of thirty: Lifting weights is perfectly safe.

They say you do it correctly, your joints will be fine.

If you do it correctly, you won’t get any strength imbalances.

Hey, it’s the best kind of training out there.

There is one small problem: There’s no such thing as doing it correctly. Not for your whole life. At some point you’ll hurt yourself.

It could be your lower back or your knees. As for me, it was my shoulder.

You’ll get hurt eventually because you’re lifting the heaviest weights possible, usually throwing them around, and you can’t keep your form picture-perfect every time.

These imperfections build over time. And what happens is, the most dedicated of weight lifters end up with the most injuries. Every lifter I met over the age of 30 has some injury he’s nursing.

But this is all normal to them. Their lifestyle includes constant rehab. You’d think these iron-slingers would try a new kind of training that keeps their bodies healthy in the first place.

So do yourself a favor, drop the weights and use your own bodyweight to get and stay in shape. With your own bodyweight, you’re not risking an accident with a heavy barbell. The movements feel much more natural, even if they’re difficult.

Best of all, the workouts are just as good. You can build muscle, burn fat, and increase your energy – all without joint pain.