Can Lifting Weights Actually Help Men With Stress and Anxiety?

Can Lifting Actually Help With Stress and Anxiety?

Stress used to knock me out flat, and I thought I had to “tough it out” to be a good man.

Wrong. I tried to outwork my stress instead of outlifting it.

All it did was push me further into the pit.

Snapping at my kids, eating like garbage, waking up at 3am sweating about stuff I couldn’t control.

At one point, I was grinding through 60-hour weeks and using junk food and beer as emotional bubble wrap.

… Sound familiar?

You don’t need another glass of wine or a motivational podcast. You need to pick something heavy up and put it back down.

70% of Men Over 40 Report Daily Stress That Impacts Their Sleep, Energy, and Mood!

 And yet, fewer than 25% of them engage in regular resistance training.

That’s a serious mismatch. Especially when we know that lifting weights literally rewires your brain to handle stress better.

Cortisol drops. Confidence rises. Mental clarity comes back online.

 If you're feeling foggy, fried, or just plain stuck. Start sweating with a barbell before reaching for a prescription or another distraction.

Let me show you how.

How to Lift in a Way That Calms Your Mind, So You Don’t Burn Out

Here’s how to use resistance training as stress relief, without blowing up your schedule.

• Pick compound moves, not circus tricks: Focus on big lifts like squats, deadlifts, rows, and push-ups. They train your whole body and mind at once.

• Keep it short, sharp, and repeatable: 30 minutes, 3 days a week. That’s all you need to get your brain and body aligned again.

• Anchor your sessions to rhythm, not rage: Don’t go in trying to punish your stress. Use slow, controlled reps. Breathe through the movement. Let your body settle while you strengthen it.

Start simple.

Start now!

And remember, you're not training to compete, you're training to complete and cope.

Here’s Why You Should Lift Weights to Beat Anxiety and Stress

Because it works better than most meds, and it doesn’t come with side effects.

• Your brain craves dopamine. Lifting gives you a clean hit, naturally.

• Movement reduces cortisol faster than “venting” or scrolling.

• Getting stronger physically makes you feel more in control emotionally.

Case in point:

Years ago, I coached a client named David. Dad of three. VP-level stress.

He thought he needed therapy.

What he really needed was 3x/week of strength training.

We kept it simple. 30 minutes. Dumbbells in his garage.

Within 4 weeks, his wife said he laughed more. His team noticed he was calmer. He said, “I haven’t felt this centered in a decade.”

When you build strength, your nervous system follows.

And a strong nervous system = a present husband, a patient father, and a man in charge of his energy.

💡 The iron doesn’t just shape your body… It clears your mind.

Final Thought

Stress doesn’t mean you're broken.

It means you’ve got too much weight you’re not built to carry alone.

So carry something you can control—and let it carry you back to calm.

What’s one moment this week where stress got the best of you?

Reply and tell me. I’ll show you exactly how to lift your way through it.

Until next time

Stay grounded. Stay strong.

Hari