If you want to lose weight, improve your body shape, performance and health then the key to your success includes regular sessions of strength training.
More and more men and women of all ages are lifting weights for faster, lasting results. With overwhelming scientific research evidence supporting the value of resistance training, here’s just a few benefits you could enjoy from regular strength training sessions:
- Increased Metabolic Rate - strength training increases the body's metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day.
- Increasing and Restoring Bone Density - inactivity and ageing can lead to a decrease in bone density and brittleness. Studies have clearly proven that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent Osteoporosis.
- Increased Lean Muscle Mass and Muscle Strength, Power, and Endurance - everyone can benefit from being stronger. We can work harder, we can play more, we can workout longer, and we can be more alive.
- Injury Prevention - a wide variety of sports-related or life-related injuries can be prevented by strengthening muscles and joints.
- Improved Balance, Flexibility, Mobility and Stability - stronger and more resilient muscles improve our balance, which means more comfortable living and fewer falls or accidents.
- Decreased Risk of Coronary Disease - participation in a consistent strength-training program has a wide variety of affiliated health benefits including decreasing cholesterol and lowering your blood pressure.
- Aids Rehabilitation and Recovery - one of the best ways to heal many types of injury is to strengthen muscles surrounding the injured area. The stronger your muscles, the quicker the healing process.
- Enhanced Performance in Sports or Exercise - no matter what your favorite sport or physical activity, with the proper strength training program, your performance can unquestionably be improved, and in some cases, dramatically.
- Aging Gracefully - there is no greater reason to make strength training a constant part of your life, than to ensure you age gracefully. Physical activity keeps us alive and vibrant. Strength training ensures we are strong enough to participate in aerobic activities, outdoor recreation, and sports. Strong seniors fall down less. If they do fall down, their stronger bodies are more resilient, are injured less by the fall, and are able to heal more quickly after an injury.
- Feeling Better and Looking Better - as painful as strength training can sometimes feel, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling after a good solid work-out. Stronger muscles and joints can have a dramatic impact on posture and leaner toned muscles tend to make everyone feel better about their appearance. This all leads to improved self-esteem and increased self-confidence.
Facts about Strength training
- Women who lift weights develop bulky muscles – FALSE
Muscle growth is greatly dependent on the body’s genetics, the level of the male growth hormone, testosterone and the type of weight training programme. As men tend to have much higher levels of testosterone they are most likely to increase their muscle size. Most women can expect to enhance their muscle tone without bulk, achieving a firmer, trimmer, more shapely figure.
- You can choose target areas to burn fat off – FALSE
This fictional concept is also known as ‘spot reduction’. Many magazines are guilty of claiming to have exercise tips for losing fat off specific areas such as your thighs, tummy and hips. A good example is to do lots of sit-ups or crunches to burn fat from your stomach. This is false!
The good news is, the right programme does promote fat burning from all over the body, so wherever you have the most to lose you can lose the most.
It is the combination of regular resistance training, aerobic exercise and healthy eating habits that will result in the fastest fat loss.
