Strong bodies are linked to strong minds. Resistance training builds confidence, muscle, and healthy tissue. It’s also good for stable joints and weight loss.
So, what exactly is strength training?
Strength training, also known as weight or resistance training, is the physical activity designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a specific muscle or muscle group against external resistance in the form of free-weights, weight machines, resistance bands, and even your own body weight. Strength training exercises apply a load/overload to a specific muscle or muscle group and force the muscles to adapt and grow stronger.
We all know our favorite athletes lift weights to get stronger and more powerful to improve their performance. There’s nothing stopping you from getting in on the action! Here’s why you should start strength training right away:
1. Increased Strength & Muscle Health
Weight training will make you stronger and increase your physical work capacity. Not only will this help you train harder and for longer, but it will also increase your ability to perform day-to-day activities.
2. Improved Bone & Joint Health
Strength training is effective in increasing bone density and strengthening tendons & ligaments. Developing strong bones reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis and decreases the risk of bone fractures.
3. Improved Postures
A lot of us in life have developed bad postures and really tight through the internal rotators – the chest, the shoulders rounded forward from repeatedly putting ourselves in compromising positions day after day while sitting infront of the laptop. Strengthening the weakened muscles is really important to have a better posture. Working on your strength means your muscles will be strong and activated so you can sit and stand more upright.Doing exercises through a structured strength and resistance training program to pull your shoulders back and your chest up, can help you achieve postural changes. Also, it improves bodies functional health, Posture and muscle imbalances if any.
4. Effects on Metabolism
When you build muscle mass, you crank up your metabolism, which in turn makes it easier for you to lose weight and maintain the loss. Putting it simply, your metabolism is the amount of energy you burn throughout the day (in the form of calories). The muscle acts almost like an engine, it requires constant fuel to build it and keep it.
5. Chronic Disease Management
The beneficial effects of strength training are indisputable, especially for those looking to avoid or lessen the symptoms of chronic diseases. Studies have documented the many wellness benefits of strength training with chronic illnesses.
6. Boosts Energy and Stamina Levels
Strength training is crucial to increasing stamina. Not only does it increase the mass of your muscles, but it also improves endurance. One of the best ways to burn fat and hold onto muscle is to combine diet with resistance training.
7. Improved Mental Health
Strength training provides an opportunity to overcome obstacles in a controlled, predictable environment, increasing mental resiliency, according to findings from Harvard Medical School. This comes in the form of an improved sense of wellbeing, a boost in self-esteem and self-confidence, improvements in body image and mood.
8. Greater Calorie Burn
As your body recovers from your workout and moves back to a resting state, it will keep burning more calories because of your workout. When you do strength training, your body demands more energy based on how much energy you’re exerting (meaning the tougher you’re working, the more energy is demanded). This means more calories burned during the workout, and more calories burned after the workout, too, while your body is recovering to a resting state.
9. Improved Flexibility, Mobility, & Balance
Probably there is a myth about weight training is going to make your muscles tight and not flexible. The stronger your muscles, the better your balance. Having a good muscle base is crucial for movement, balance, coordination, and injury prevention. Balance is dependent on the strength of the muscles that keep you on your feet. With consistent resistance training, you’ll have the strength and stability to move in ways you never expected. A good weight training program uses full range of motion which will make you more flexible, mobile and improve your balance as well.
10. Improved Sleep Patterns
Resistance training has been shown in numerous studies to benefit sleep, anxiety, mood, and overall well-being. When we strengthen our muscles our bodies undergo physical changes that help us to better cope with life’s stressors and which also means our bodies are able to produce better quality sleep.
11. Improved Body Composition
If we donot have muscle and lose all the body fat, we will look just with skin and bone which is not healthy and which not give an attractive look either. So building muscles will give you the toned look. Learning proper lifting techniques and having specialists train you will maximize the benefits of resistance training. Once you’ve pushed yourself to your physical and mental limits, and seen how much potential you truly have, you’ll never look at the world in the same way again.
12. Regulated Insulin
To absorb glucose from your bloodstream, your muscle cells must be responsive to the hormone insulin, which pushes blood sugar into cells. This has an advantage over aerobic training. Studies suggest that an early step in the development of Type 2 diabetes occurs when your muscles become insulin resistant. Resistance training accomplishes the opposite: It makes your muscles insulin sensitive.
13. Reduced Inflammations
Strength training promotes better anti-inflammatory profile balance and physical performance simultaneously. Resistance training increases blood flow to muscles throughout your body, which lowers your blood pressure.
14. Reduced Risk of Injury
Developing strong bones and muscles can help to reduce the severity of falls. Increased strength will also allow your body to be more resistant to injuries, and general aches and pains. Resistance training not only makes your muscles stronger but also strengthens your connective tissues. Increasing the strength of your ligaments and tendons leads to improved motor performance and less strain on joints, hence reducing the risk of injury.
Points to remember!
- Be sure to rest for 1 full day between strength training each muscle group to give your muscles time to recover
- If a movement causes you pain, stop immediately. Either go to a lower weight or try it again in a few days.
- Don’t push yourself too much, as you may put yourself at risk for an exercise-induced injury
Want to look better, feel better, and live a healthier life?
The resistance training is pretty good over time than any other training program or just cardio workouts as it can really help them loose more body weight and body fat, crank up our metabolism and build up a physique that anyone would prefer to have. This also gives a better lifestyle with more flexibility around the food, feel better, better physique and ultimately the weight is maintened. You can work with Stronglife’s expert fitness coaches as we design a strength-training program that works for you. Making an appointment with a personal trainer or fitness specialist is a great first step when starting weight training. Our personal trainers will be able to show you proper form, explain the basics, and set up a structured weekly program tailored to your needs. So what are you waiting for? Get started now with a complete fitness program that includes strength training.
Get in touch with the best personal trainers in Point Cook today!
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