Lifting a weight that you were previously unable to lift is a process of overcoming a challenge. According to Dr Perry, this can help us to feel a sense of personal achievement.

“We feel stress when we have a stressor in front of us, like lifting something very heavy. We don’t believe we have the capacity or capability to handle it,” she explains. “Stress feels like a threat to our brain and so the brain releases adrenaline and cortisol (the stress chemical) to circulate around our body so it can prepare to fight, flight or freeze.”

This is why you might feel adrenaline during or after lifting heavy weights, which can be helpful as it triggers psychological responses which improve your performance. However, too much adrenaline can stifle you, which means you may be unable to achieve the lift.

5 things that happen to your brain when you lift heavy weights