Weight training keeps you lean and boosts brain and heart health, studies find. This Hong Kong banker doesn’t need convincing
- People who exercise with weights are leaner and have a lower risk of heart disease and cognitive decline as they age, according to recent studies
- Anand Singh began lifting weights at the age of 25 and says it improves his mood, concentration and sleep. He intends to continue weight training as he ages
Anand Singh began lifting weights seven years ago, when he was 25. His new job in the banking and financial services industry had left him with little time to play sports – his usual way of staying active – so he decided to start weight training, which he felt would give him more fitness and stress-busting benefits than cardiovascular exercise without having to give up as much time.
Now he weight trains about five times a week, for 60 to 90 minutes each session, at House of Fitness in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood. He works with a trainer who helps him get his posture and lifting techniques right.
“I focus on my back, chest and abdominals the first two days, take a one-day break, work my chest, arms and legs on the next three days, and then take a break on the seventh day,” says Singh, who was born in India and moved to Hong Kong in 2014.
“My muscle strength has definitely increased over the years and I can lift heavier weights now. I gradually went from lifting 37.5kg to 105kg doing barbell squats, 65kg to 117kg doing dead lifts, and 45kg to 70kg with the bench press weights.”
Not surprisingly, Singh’s physique has changed dramatically. Friends have commented that he looks stronger and more “ripped”. In addition, he says that lifting weights regularly has given him more confidence and improved his mood, concentration and sleep.