Many people think of working out and building muscles just for the aesthetics part of it–to look good, to look impressive, to look intimidating, to look tough.However, some people do it for more than just to look good. These people are in it for the health benefits that weight training provides. And if you’ll consider all those benefits, you’ll see that looking good is actually just a bonus.Let’s take a look at some of those benefits…Increased MetabolismThe higher your metabolism rate is, the better your body is able to keep fat from developing and your weight from going up. And weight training increases your metabolism.Some of you are probably thinking, “Yes, that is a good thing, but I don’t like to have large bulky muscles.”Well, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. To look all “bulked up” that is.Doing weight training doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll someday end up creatine monohydrate looking like a bodybuilder. Unless you’re taking in enough calories to enable your muscles to grow really big, all you’ll actually be doing when weight training is keeping fat from developing in your body and keeping your weight (and health) in check. Yes, diet plays a huge part in all of this.Reduction of Health-Related RisksHigh blood pressure, cholesterol build-up, increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of diabetes, development of sleep disorders, osteoporosis/fragile bones… you’ve probably already heard of these effects of having excess weight.Having a solid weight training program and a well-thought out diet will help you ward off these chronic problems and more.You’ll also be increasing your energy level, improving your mobility, prevent angina (chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart), and decrease your risks of suffering a stroke, just to name a few.