to lift weights
23
2.9
- phrasal verb
- /lɪft weɪts/
:
levantar pesas
- During the months I'd been lifting weights, my muscle tone had improved and my strength had increased.
It's just eat protein, lift weights, just do it every day.
- It's just eat protein, lift weights, just do it every day.
- They built that physique by lifting weights, right?
- He posted a video of him lifting weights while at work.
- But when you go lift weights, you're actually tearing your muscles down.
- And then we'll still lift weights twice a week in our gym.
- And that summer I had begun lifting weights.
- And you know, some of them maybe perhaps haven't lifted weights before.
- I'm able to work out, lift weights.
- If you want to go stronger, you have to lift weights.
- He was my age, beautiful, sturdy and enormous from lifting weights.
- And last component to that, she's trying to learn how to lift weights.
- We were expected to run on a track, We were expected to lift weights.
- I'm getting strong at lunging and squatting and I'm getting strong at lifting weights.
- I run four or five times a week and I'm going to start lifting weights again.
- And you must not do any exercise because I know you like to lift weights.
- Why not kickboxing or lift weights and how would you use them?
- This is like a gym exercise, like lifting weights but for your face.
- I, I mean, I'm batshit crazy if I don't lift weights and I don't eat well.
- Their counterparts only imagined lifting weights for two weeks.
Examples
-
I run, I lift weights, I swim, I bike.
-
And if you want to be bigger and stronger, lift weights and, and eat food.
-
I like to lift weights.
-
You either lift weights or work with your hands.
-
Or go home and lift weights.
-
I hurt my back this morning lifting weights.
-
Mark: I think I'll lift weights for a while when I get home.
Fiction book (1998) -
The teachers taught us the proper way to lift weights in order to prevent injuries.
Academic text (2006) -
You went to the gym to lift weights and gain muscle.
-
To build muscle strength, I go to the gym to lift weights regularly.
Synonyms
3
3.9
To lift heavy weights to make your muscles stronger
1
3.2
To lift heavy weights like barbells or dumbbells to get stronger
How Intense
23
2.9
114
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to exercise by raising heavy objects' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'lift' (to raise) with 'weights' (heavy items used for exercise). This is a literal verb + object construction found across languages and follows standard compositional patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
The phrase lift weights comes from the clear image of using your arms to lift heavy weights at the gym. Because this action builds muscle, it now means 'to exercise by raising heavy objects to become stronger'.