Why is strength training important?

‘’I don’t want to get bulky’’, ‘’It burns fewer calories than cardio’’, ‘’It’s only for men’’ - do these all sound familiar?  

Of course I am talking about strength training - and the well believed myths behind it.

Firstly, Strength training has an incredible number of benefits that do not include ‘becoming bulky’. To be honest, at one point I focused my entire training on cardio rather than building muscle for this exact reason.

However, did you know that strength exercise can benefit your heart, improve balance, strengthen bones and muscle, and help you lose or maintain weight? 

So, let’s get back to basics.

Strength training — also known as weight or resistance training — is physical activity designed to improve muscular strength and fitness by exercising a specific muscle or muscle group against external resistance, including free-weights, weight machines, or your own body weight.

Strength training is great for all ages as not only does it help to build muscle, but it also helps to retain lean muscle. The most important thing to remember is strength training is not only aimed at bodybuilders and weightlifters.

Incredible benefit number 1: Strength Training Makes You Stronger and Fitter - According to the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, there are two types of resistance training:

Isometric resistance which involves contracting your muscles against a non-moving object, such as against the floor in a push up.

Isotonic strength training which involves contracting your muscles through a range of motion, as in weightlifting.

Incredible benefit number 2: Strength Training Helps Your Body Burn Calories Efficiently - When you exercise, this helps to helps boost your metabolism which is the rate your resting body burns calories throughout the day.

But when you do strength, weight, or resistance training, your body demands more energy based on how much energy you’re exerting, which therefore means more calories are burned during the workout, and more calories burned after the workout, while your body is recovering to a resting state.

So effectively you burn fat all day? That sounds pretty wonderful!

While we are speaking of Strength equipment, I should mention that one of the newest additions that Precor have launched is there Resolute Strength line.

With more than 3 years of study, development and testing the team were able to create a premium, high quality strength experience that can be enjoyed both in commercial and at home settings - hopefully your gym already has some of this incredible equipment but if not, it's definitely the time to start some light hinting. 

Overall, through this article, I think it's safe to say that Strength training is the way forward but if I haven't quite persuaded you yet then these 6 quick points should get you over the line:

• Building better functioning muscles
• Improves balance and coordination
• Greater strength and flexibility
• Weight management
• More confidence as you get stronger and leaner
• Building strong, lean muscle 

When it comes to free weights and at home training, at Blue Fitness we have a comprehensive range of kettlebells, free weights and studio disk sets to kick off your weight training experience.

Have questions about what equipment is right for you? Connect with us now and we can walk you through the best options for both commercial and home-based facilities.