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The vision in most people’s heads when they talk about weightlifting is of musclebound men lifting hundreds of pounds, grunting and screaming wildly.

This image can be intimidating and it’s one that Derek DeVaughan, who is a National Exercise and Sports Trainer Association (NESTA) certified personal trainer at Core Fitness in Mooresville, runs into all the time.

“The hardest part to overcome with most clients is the intimidation factor,” DeVaughan said. “If they’re coming into a gym for the first time they’re afraid they are going to have to use all the same equipment as a body builder.”

It’s a shame that this misconception keeps so many people out of the gym, DeVaughan said, because it can do so much to help anyone reach their fitness goals.

Most people, he said, don’t care about being able to bench press 200 pounds—they just want to lose weight or be able to stand up without pain.

While many people don’t associate weight loss with weightlifting, DeVaughan said, it is just as beneficial as running and other cardiovascular exercises to shed pounds.

“Strength training will help you reach your weightloss goals by building lean muscle mass,” DeVaughan said.

One pound of muscle will help a person burn calories even while they are sitting or at rest, he said.

Harold Adkisson, 43, is a firm believer in the principles DeVaughan preaches. Adkisson began working out about a year and a half ago. He lost some weight, but it wasn’t until DeVaughan started him on a weight training regimen in November that the pounds really started sliding off.

He has lost a total of 80 pounds since he started strength training.

Adkisson said that since then he now has more endurance in his cardiovascular workouts.

He agreed with DeVaughan that one reason he didn’t start strength training immediately was because of the intimidation factor.

“You don’t know what to do or how to handle the machines,” Adkisson said. “There’s a certain stance and way to do things. You can’t just walk in here and pick up 300 pounds.

“Derek helped show me how to work out correctly and put me on the right path. Besides, once you fall off of a ball out here in front of everyone, there’s not much else that can embarrass you. You just have to get back on.”