What is Strength Training and Why You Need to Do It

Many health experts say sitting for hours is now the new smoking. It refers to the impact a sedentary lifestyle has on millions of Americans. Research showed that 25% of Americans spend eight hours or more sitting every day. These can result in chronic health problems. Millions are suffering from diabetes and heart diseases. It’s often due to the lack of physical activity.

A sedentary lifestyle will wreak havoc on your muscles and joints. The former will weaken while the latter will become stiff. You might think it’s because you’re growing older. But it’s because you’re inactive. The good news is you can have tone and strong muscles in no time with strength training.

What is Strength Training?

Strength training is an exercise that works to improve fitness and muscle strength. It uses external resistance to exercise certain muscle groups. You could even work out a specific muscle. You can use your own body weight in strength training exercises. You can also use weight machines or free weights like dumbbells.

These types of exercises are also called resistance or weight training. The ideology behind strength training is to apply a load on your muscles and overload it. This will force it to adapt to the weight and get stronger.

There are different types of resistance training. The most popular ones are what weightlifters and bodybuilders do. They either do muscular hypertrophy or muscular endurance. Circuit training is another popular type of strength training. You can do these workouts on your own. A personal trainer is important though. Especially if you’re just starting.

You don’t need to do this type of workout every day though. Fitness specialists say training at least two times a week is enough. But the exercises should engage all the muscle groups. In fact, breaks are essential in strength training. It allows your body to recover and rebuild muscle tissues.

Why You Should Do Strength Training

Strength training often brings to mind large-muscled men and women. But you can benefit even if you’re not a bodybuilder. Anyone can do strength training. Here’s some reasons why it’s necessary.

· Weight training makes you stronger and healthier. Lifting weights or using resistance bands will result in bigger and stronger muscles. There’s no denying that a toned arm or leg looks good. It’s not all for show though as strong muscles make it easier to do our day-to-day tasks. Especially as we get older.

· It helps develop strong bones and maintain muscle mass. People lose around three to five percent of their lean muscle every decade once they hit 30. Bone density also lessens. Doing half an hour of strength training a week can improve bone density. This is especially important for postmenopausal women.

· You can burn more calories. Exercise boosts a body’s metabolism which burns calories. Strength training forces the body to exert more energy. The process doesn’t stop after your workout is over. Your body will keep burning off calories even as your body returns to a resting state.

· You develop a better body image. Several studies showed a positive correlation between strength training and body image. Female correspondents reported feeling better about their bodies afterward.

· It helps manage depression. A published analysis showed that strength training helps ease the symptoms of depression. Aside from the boost in muscle strength, it also uplifts one’s mood. It also lessens feelings of worthlessness. It also helps those who are experiencing a loss of interest in general activities.

· Enjoy a better quality of life. Strength training improves your ability to move in a safe and more effective manner. We bend, get up, and lift things several times during the day. You can do all these without creaking joints and back pain with resistance training. Strong muscles also mean better balance and less risk of falls.

Here’s to a Healthier You

Strength training is more than lifting weights and developing massive muscles. You can also get toned muscles and better help through Pilates. Let The Line Method show you how. Our personal training studio is different from the others. We’ve embraced a holistic approach to fitness. We know that every client is unique so we customize routines for each one. We do in-studio private lessons for those who want personalized instruction. We also offer live virtual classes. Why not call us at 202-318-0391? We’d love to answer your questions. You can also email us at info@thelinemethod.com.