“Pain is weakness leaving the body!”
“Positive thinking brings positive results so don’t think about how weak you are, think of how strong you’re going to be!”
The benefits of strength training are incredibly powerful! However this form of training has been overlooked as a viable weight loss method for way too long. Now women are beginning to realize just how important a proper strength training routine is for their overall health and well being. If you don’t want to be surrounded by the 4 walls of a gym around all the testosterone rich guys hogging all the weights, then GrandSlam Fitness is your answer to taking advantage of all the great benefits strength training has to offer.
Below are 15 benefits of weight training:
Increases metabolic rate
A decrease with metabolic rate with age is directly related to the loss of muscle tissue with age, which can also be related to the decrease in activity with age. Your metabolic rate will decrease by as much as approximately 2% per decade after the age of twenty and as much as a half a percent per year. You will also lose approximately a pound of muscle per year after the age of twenty. This all compounds to a decrease in metabolic rate with age. Every pound of muscle you put on you will burn up to an extra 50 to 100 calories per day, thus increasing your metabolic rate. This is best achieved by progressive high intensity weight training which has been shown to increase resting metabolic rate up to 2% in as little as ten weeks of training.
Increases lean body mass
Strength training places tension on the muscle that stimulates the laying down of more myofibrils thus increasing the size of muscle fibres. This is termed muscle hypertrophy. With age muscle size atrophies by approximately one pound of muscle per year after the age of twenty. Even if one is performing regular cardio-vascular exercise such as running, muscle wastage will still occur at approximately a half a pound per year. The atrophy of muscle can be stopped and even reversed by performing high intensity weight training.
Enhances bone mineral density
Strength training places tension and stress on the bones of the body via the overload being directly placed on the bones and the stress being indirectly placed on the bones via muscular tension from the muscle origin and insertion. This stimulates the bone to lay down more minerals increasing the bone mineral density and bone integrity. Bone mineral density has been shown to be increased by up to 10% in as little as 6 months. Research has shown that high intensity weight training using heavy weights is by far the best form of training to increase bone mineral density.
Increases functional strength
It is the coordinated recruitment of muscles that are responsible for the performance of functional everyday activities such as walking up and down stairs and playing with your kids. If the muscles of the body are progressively overloaded, their functional strength will be indirectly enhanced. It is important to perform functional weight training exercise to maximise functional strength.
Increases power and sporting performance
As the strength of the muscle increases, its capacity to exert power is enhanced. There is a relationship between muscle strength and power. Considering sporting performance is largely dependent on power development and the rate of force production, strength training will enhance sporting performance. High intensity weight training recruits fast twitch muscle fibres at a high frequency of firing. Fast twitch fibres are responsible for power and speed development.
Increase joint strength and stability
It is the skeletal muscles that hold the skeleton together at its joints. Therefore the joint strength and stability is dependent upon the muscles ability to control the two adjoining bones in their correct position during normal posture and movement. If the muscles are strengthened in a functional manner, then the stability of joints will be greatly enhanced. It is important to train muscles dependant on their function.
Increases vitality and quality of life
It is the muscles of the body that is responsible for daily activities such as running, climbing stairs and playing sport. Muscles are like the engine of a car, if kept in good condition you can drive it regularly and vigorously without it breaking down. If your muscles are kept in good condition, then you can continually perform many of your daily activities with much more ease and vigour without worrying about running out of energy or injuring oneself.
Increases energy expenditure (fat loss)
Once your metabolic rate increases with an increase in lean muscle mass, (as a result of high intensity weight training) your daily energy expenditure will also increase due to higher metabolic rate. Remember for every pound of muscle you put on you will burn off approximately an extra 50 to 100 calories per day. It can be compared to the engine in a car, the larger the engine the more petrol is burned off at rest and during activity. It has also been shown that following a high intensity weight training session, the body begins to use fat as a preferred energy source.
Improves Posture
It is the muscle of the body that hold and stabilise the bones and joints of the skeleton. The increase in functional strength of the body’s musculature will improve the body posture at rest and during movement enhancing its efficiency, performance and reducing stresses placed on the body structures.
Decreases chances of suffering from Osteoporosis
One in three women and one in eight men will suffer from osteoporosis. Since strength training enhances bone mineral density, this will therefore reduce the onset of osteoporosis which is the degeneration of bone mineral density. Research shows that high intensity strength training will enhance bone integrity and can reverse the effects of osteoporosis. More hospital beds in Australia are taken up by osteoporotic patients than any other disease, including coronary heart disease. Weight bearing, cardiovascular exercise will not stop or reverse the degeneration of bone.
Decreases risk of injury
If joints in the body are sufficiently supported by the functional control of the surrounding musculature then the risk of potential injury from internal and external forces will be significantly reduced. Therefore strength training will enhance the muscles ability to support and protect the body. It also enhances the recovery of the body following injury and plays a vital role in the functional rehabilitation process used by leading rehabilitation therapists.
Enhances rehabilitation
The more functional strength around a joint one can develop the less stress that the joint experiences therefore decreasing rehabilitation time. Initial rehabilitation with a physio-therapist is to regain full range of movement, decrease inflammation and regain normal muscular control. The role of functional strength training is to promote full functional capabilities of the muscles and joints. This is attained through controlled functional strength training.
Decreases chances of suffering from Arthritis
Considering strength training enhances the functional control of the body’s joints and therefore decreases the daily stresses through those joints, then there is a less likelihood of degeneration of the joints. Functional strength training will therefore decrease the incidence of osteo-arthritis and the degeneration of joints.
Decreases blood pressure
Current research from University of Florida has shown the strength training will significantly reduce blood pressure reducing the chances of hypertension and risk of coronary heart disease. Acute changes in blood pressure from strength training are no higher than the increases in blood pressure that cardio-vascular training except from cardio-vascular training elevates blood pressure for a longer period of time. If the muscles are functionally stronger, there is less stress placed on the cardio-vascular system whilst performing all activities.
Decreases chances of suffering from Diabetes
Since strength training promotes the increase in lean muscle mass, the uptake of blood sugars into the muscle cell will also be increased therefore reducing the incidence of diabetes. Metabolic rate is also increased from strength training which also aids in the reduction of fat mass which is closely associated with late onset diabetes.
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