james nwankpah/ne news editor

Every day, students are flooded with images in social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Some are funny, some are artistic, but some of the most common images are pictures of men and women with bodies that appear to be crafted in a laboratory.

Whether they have traces of photo editing, evidently these types of people have paid their dues in the gym to look the way they do. Most people tend to see these images and are overcome with disbelief. Men and women alike tell themselves, “I’ll never look like this” or “That can’t be real. Nobody really has that body.”

Well, the truth is that they’re right. It is impossible for somebody to look just like those fitness models. But that is because everyone is different, and people cannot turn themselves into the spitting image of somebody else.

That doesn’t mean they can’t transform themselves into something better, something stronger. Lifting weights is one of the best things people can do for their well-being. Some people are scared of going into a gym and lifting weights. They allow their minds to think that they will hurt themselves or that doing a certain exercise is actually bad for the body.

These people are wrong. Weightlifting offers so many benefits to the human body it should be mandatory in public schools.

Lifting weights not only builds and strengthens the muscles in the body but also helps the body fight fat. Type II muscle fibers, gained through lifting weights, have been proved to ward off fat and improve the body’s metabolism.

Not only does weightlifting improve body composition, it can also improve one’s chances of preventing ailments such as diabetes and depression. And contrary to popular belief, lifting weights will not make one abnormally bulky, a particular concern for the ladies out there, unless workouts are tailored to do just that.

But above all else, lifting weights will increase everyday confidence. By lifting weights regularly, people not only become stronger but will also look better and, as a result, feel more confident. Not everybody wants to be a bodybuilder or the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, but just about every person has a desired body type. Lifting weights is the fastest and most effective way to reach those goals.