For all of the cardio you’ve logged, all of the creative twists on bodyweight training you’ve tried, all of the yoga, plyometrics and circuit workouts, there’s a staple that might not have always been en vogue, but has never, ever failed to deliver.

“I don’t think people ever ‘left’ this type of training, but the sensations that have come over time have certainly diluted the interest in heavy barbell training,” says Brian Robinson, personal training manager at Equinox 19th Street. “But as more science is released on pure strength, people are realizing the impact of compound movements and the efficiency they provide for strength gains and weight loss.”

In other words: For most of us, bulk is a four-letter word. But to get that lean, strong, sculpted physique, you’d be wise to get heavy. “People are results-driven and without fail, lifting heavy has prevailed in getting them the body and conditioning they desire,” says Annie Tran, a Tier 3+ personal trainer out of New York City’s 19th Street club, who demonstrates her prowess in the video above.

And despite its basic feel, heavy lifting cannot be reduced to simply picking things up and putting them down. The movement patterns are actually as nuanced as other, seemingly more sophisticated and choreographed forms of exercise. Proper technique and execution can mean the difference between injury and health, and it can also have real impact on the gains you make in strength and conditioning as well as in the results you see in the mirror. “For example, a squat, if done correctly, can give the butt that women desire, but if done incorrectly can lead to herniated discs, bad knees and pancake butts. The difference is only about 15-20 degrees in depth,” says Robinson. “The same rules apply to the basic deadlift. You can either look like a brontosaurus — yes, I’m serious — or you can look like a Greek god, with same small degree of difference.”

And the benefits are more than skin deep. Annie Tran turned to heavy lifting after a cycling accident left her with three herniated discs. The practice allowed her to correct imbalances and re-teach her body proper movement patterns. “The human body is a wonder. It’s much smarter than we think,” says Tran. “Without exercising and lifting heavy weights, my body would condition and protect itself from being injured again — instilling all the unwanted patterns it had learned after the accident. Correcting movement patterns and instilling them with heavy lifting has allowed my body to move without reluctance for over five years. It doesn’t get better than that.”

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