3 Biggest Benefits of Strength Training

Home
>
Muscle Building & Bodybuilding
>
3 Biggest Benefits of Strength Training

3 Biggest Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training is exercise that uses resistance to strengthen and condition the musculoskeletal system, improving muscle tone and endurance. "Strength training" is used as a general term synonymous with other common terms: "weightlifting" and "resistance training." Physiologically, the benefits of consistent strength training include an increase in muscle size and tone, increased muscular strength, and increases in tendon, bone, and ligament strength. Lifting weights has also been shown to improve psychological health as well, by increasing self-esteem, confidence and self-worth.

Improved Physical Appearance and Performance

One important result of strength training is increased physical performance. Muscles quite literally utilize energy to produce movement, functioning as the engine or powerhouse of the body. Strength training increases the muscles' size, strength, and endurance, which contribute to improvements in our work, favorite sports hobbies, and our general day-to-day activities.

Another benefit of a good strength-training program is its effect on our overall appearance and body composition. Which can directly influence self-esteem, self-worth, and level of confidence. Take, for example, a 170-pound man who has 20 percent body fat; 34 pounds of fat weight and 136 pounds of lean body weight (muscle, bones, organs, water, etc). By beginning an effective strength training program, he replaces five pounds of fat with five pounds of muscle. He still weighs 170 pounds, but he is now 17 percent fat with 29 pounds of fat weight and 141 pounds of lean body weight. Although his body weight remains the same, his strength, muscle tone, and metabolism have improved, giving him a fit appearance.

Both our physical appearance and our physical performance can be improved by muscle gain or hampered by muscle loss. Research indicates that unless we strength train regularly; we lose about one-half pound of muscle every year of our lives after age 30. Unless we implement a safe and effective weight lifting program, our muscles gradually decrease in size and strength in the process called "atrophy."

Lifting weights is therefore important for preventing the muscle loss that normally accompanies the aging process. A common misconception is that as we reach the age of senior citizens, it is normal to stop being active and to start using ambulatory aides like canes and wheelchairs. Many people think we have no choice; they think this is normal.

But this couldn't be further from the truth. There is absolutely no reason why all of us can't be physically, mentally, socially, and sexually active, living a healthy vibrant life until our last day on Earth! The reason many elderly people rely on ambulatory aides and become slower and fatter is simply that over the years their muscles have been wasting away, so their physical performance and metabolism also decrease, becoming less efficient.

Increased Metabolic Efficiency (your ability to burn excess calories)

That one-half pound of muscle loss every year after age 30 produces a one-half percent reduction in basal metabolic rate (BMR) every year. A reduction in BMR means that our bodies are less able to use the food we consume as energy, thus more gets stored as body fat. "Basal metabolic rate" refers to the energy used by our body at rest to maintain normal body functions.

Our muscles have high-energy requirements. Even when we are sleeping, our muscles use more than 25% of our energy (calories). When you implement the principles of effective strength training and you are consistent in your program, you will achieve an increase in lean muscle mass throughout your body and increase your BMR. In other words, you can actually condition your metabolism to work better and more efficiently even when you are at rest.

An increase in muscle tissue causes an increase in metabolic rate, and a decrease in muscle tissue causes a decrease in metabolic rate. You can see that anyone interested in decreasing body fat percentage and their risk of disease as well as in increasing physical performance and appearance, should be strength training to help condition their metabolism (BMR).

One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a weight-management program is not including a strength training routine with their cardiovascular exercise and low-fat eating regimen. This is unfortunate because when we cut calories without exercise, we can lose muscle as well as fat.

Decreased Risk of Sustaining an Injury

Our muscles also function as shock absorbers and serve as important balancing agents throughout our body. Well-conditioned muscles help to lessen the repetitive landing forces in weight-bearing activities such as jogging or playing basketball. Well-balanced muscles reduce the risk of injuries that result when a muscle is weaker than its opposing muscle group.

To reduce the risk of unbalanced muscle development, you should make sure that when you are training a specific muscle group, the opposing muscle groups are being trained as well (though not necessarily on the same day). For example, if you are doing bench-pressing exercises for your chest, you should include some rowing exercises for your back muscles as well.

By now you have probably realized that weightlifting should be an important part of your exercise routine. Weightlifting provides many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other exercise or activity. When you begin achieving great results, the excitement and fun you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Good luck; I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of an effective strength training program.

I have been weightlifting since the age of 15 and been training individuals for 12 years. Over the past 16 years I have read 100's of magazines, almost 100 books, attended about a dozen seminars and consumed any other type of information on the topic of bodybuilding to advance my knowledge in this area. I also have a Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry with minors in Chemistry and Microbiology from Colorado State University, 1998.

In The News:

How to gain muscle for skinny guys
Fox News
If you were born skinny, you may not have the potential to gain the bulk of an NFL lineman, but it's completely possible for a skinny guy to put on muscle. The bonus for you is that your body fat levels are naturally low, so when you do gain muscle, ...

TMR Zoo
New Rockin' Refuel® Muscle Builder Launches At GNC® For High-Protein, Low-Carb ...
MarketWatch (press release)
PHOENIX, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Athletes across the country now have a revolutionary way to naturally build muscle and enjoy the great taste of real milk to boot. Rockin' Refuel, from Shamrock Farms, has teamed up with GNC to launch ...
New Rockin' Refuel Muscle Builder For High-Protein, Low-Carb Muscle-BuildingTMR Zoo

all 19 news articles »

How to build muscle in your body with the help of a popular supplement
Gilroy Dispatch
A supplement that's exploded in popularity over the past 20 years, creatine is often used by professional athletes and casual weightlifters alike, in hopes it will enhance their performance and help build muscle. A naturally occurring compound found in ...

and more »

Hardgainerzone.com Reveals Full Body Workout Tips for Hardgainers
SBWire (press release)
Most hardgainers that want to build muscle don't know what a hardgainer exercise program consists. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/22/2012 -- A lot of hardgainers that want to build muscles and gain weight don't know the proper way to do a hardgainer ...

and more »

Hardgainerzone.com Is a New Muscle Building Website Created
SBWire (press release)
Hardgainerzone.com will provide free information on how to build muscle and gain weight which is commonly a difficult task for hardgainers or skinny people. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/22/2012 -- Hardgainer Zone is a new website dedicated to helping ...

TopNews Arab Emirates
High reps with low weights can also build muscle
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By Denise Mann and Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD Want to build up your muscles in time for beach season? High reps with low weights may be the way to go, a new study suggests. "There is nothing magical about heavy weights beyond the fact that they ...
Lighter Weights Can Still Make A Big Fitness DifferenceNPR (blog)
low weights can build musclesPress TV
Light weights build more muscleMSN NZ News
TopNews Arab Emirates -TopNews New Zealand
all 61 news articles »

Men told to pump iron, women to fit in a bikini
Charlotte Observer
Worry more about building muscle than burning fat. Women “focus on working out with low weights and high repetitions, using weights that are significantly lighter than objects they lift all day long, such as children,” fitness trainer Tom Holland wrote ...

and more »

Men's Fitness
High Reps With Low Weights Builds Muscle, Too
WebMD
By Denise Mann April 27, 2012 -- Want to build up your muscles in time for beach season? High reps with low weights may be the way to go, a new study suggests. "There is nothing magical about heavy weights beyond the fact that they make you work hard," ...
Light weights 'better than heavy' for building muscleTelegraph.co.uk
Quick Tip: Build Muscle With Light WeightsMen's Fitness
Muscle Building and Muscle Recovery Scientific Secrets You Need to KnoweMaxHealth
Times of India -Everyday Health
all 12 news articles »

Creatine is not the answer for building muscle in boys
Chicago Daily Herald
There's some evidence that it can help young athletes build muscle mass. And it may improve athletic performance that requires short bursts of muscle activity, such as sprinting or weightlifting. These benefits are established mainly in younger men, ...

and more »

Gender the word in fitness magazines
Albany Times Union
We won't get huge without added testosterone, but some magazines still perpetuate the notion that men should build insanely huge muscles and women need to lose fat. A recent Muscle & Fitness magazine cover, for example, promised "75 of the best muscle ...

and more »

Google News