Lifting weights is part of my daily life. I feel silly that I'm even bothering to justify myself to an internet stranger. It's like when I had to justify playing roleplaying games or using the internet back in the mid-1990s.
However:
> It's like getting fat on purpose.
The downstream health effects of developing muscle tissue (and increased bone density) are largely positive; of fat, largely negative.
Weight training improves insulin sensitivity, improves various cardiovascular markers, strengthens the heart and improves bone density. People who train with weights live longer, with fewer health problems, with shorter senescence, than people who don't.
These health effects are distinct from the health effects of non-resistance training such as running, cycling or swimming.
However:
> It's like getting fat on purpose.
The downstream health effects of developing muscle tissue (and increased bone density) are largely positive; of fat, largely negative.
Weight training improves insulin sensitivity, improves various cardiovascular markers, strengthens the heart and improves bone density. People who train with weights live longer, with fewer health problems, with shorter senescence, than people who don't.
These health effects are distinct from the health effects of non-resistance training such as running, cycling or swimming.