It is mandatory for people who want to get six packs or huge biceps to strength train themselves. Even if your goal is not bigger muscles, strength training can help with many health problems.
Michael Rebold said that many people believe – if they don’t want to look like bodybuilders they should not lift weights, and later they become curious why they can’t reach their target. Muscle building needs intense training and nutrition. It doesn’t happen suddenly in one day.
Here are some benefits of strength training –
● Prevention of abdominal fat: A 12-year study at Harvard proves strength training effectively reduces abdominal fat. Strength training has a reputation for bulking up people, but it is not valid. The more weight the muscle has, the smaller you will be.
When people add weight lifting to their daily workout routine, they burn calories and increase muscle mass, which improves metabolism. Muscle mass plays a significant role in determining the basal metabolic rate or the number of calories burnt in a day.
● Healthy heart: Visceral fat, also known as abdominal fat, gets settled around vital organs, including the heart. The prevention of such excess fat means improved heart health. Studies show that strength training directly affects the heart.
A 2013 study shows men who strength train every day have better-functioning HDL or good cholesterol than other men. The strength gaining exercises improves blood pressure and triglycerides level.
● Maintained blood sugar: It is believed that Type 2 diabetic patients should inculcate weight lifting in their workout routine. A 2013 study shows strength training improves muscle’s ability to take in and use glucose. In muscle cells, the transporters pick up glucose and distribute them to the cells. The strength training improves the picking up of glucose from the blood to the muscle.
● Reduced risk of cancer: Visceral fat creates heart problems, diabetes and promotes cancer growth in the body. A study in 2017 shows visceral fat cells produce high cancer triggering protein called fibroblast growth factor-2(FGF2).
According to the 2017 study, muscle mass determines cancer treatment outcomes. Muscle wasting is a complication in cancer treatment. It increases the risk of chemotherapy toxicity, faster tumor growth, and low survival rates.
● Less risk of injury: A right muscle mass is vital for coordination, balance, movement, and injury prevention. Dr. Adam said that if a muscle is too weak, it puts a lot of stress on the connecting tendon leading to tendonitis. It can cure arthritis, back pain, and fibromyalgia.
Weight lifting boosts the number and diameter of collagen fibrils in tendons. It gives strength and prevents injury, said the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy(2015).
● Healthy mind: Strength training has shown improvement in clinical depression and anxiety. Exercises trigger endorphins, but strength gaining activities provide a predictable environment to overcome obstacles, which increases mental resilience – findings of Harvard Medical School.
A 2014 study shows low to moderate weights for even one rep has the most remarkable effects on anxiety.
● Healthy brain: Strength training has shown significant improvement in brainpower. The most substantial results are found in older people with cognitive decline. A 2016 journal suggests, adults ranging from 55 to 86 with mild impairment performed weight lifting exercises for six months and showed significant improvement in the cognitive test than others.
Strength training has shown an increase in blood circulation, oxygen, and other nutrient supply to the brain. A study says, “ leg strength is positively linked with stronger minds.” Strength training increases your ability to learn and think as you age.
● Flexible body: Results of a 2017 study show that strength training increases flexibility in both men and women. A 2006 journal proposes hamstring flexibility twice as before. The eccentric exercise emphasizes muscle lengthening, like the lowering phase of a squat. The overall motive is to increase the fitness and quality of life by improving the body’s motion. More muscle means more energy, which is equal to more performance.
● Constant fit body: Exercise shapes the physique and holds the fitness of the body. A 2015 journal suggests, consistent strength training keeps the body image and fitness persistent in middle and old aged women and men. Inactive adults can lose three-eight percent of muscle mass. There are elevated energy levels, improved mental health, and the feeling of achievement.
● Management of Osteoporosis and prevention: A healthy body has strong bones, strength training increases bone density. Any weight lifting exercise in which you are standing, and gravity is pulling down your body – stretches bones and muscles. Every time a muscle contracts, it pulls the bone attached to it, accelerating the cells inside the bone to produce structural proteins and provide minerals to the bones.
So, now it’s a priority to stand and bear weight such as squats and lunges. A 2014 journal suggests, 12 weeks of weight lifting increased lower spine bone density by 2.9% and femur density by 4.9%. Proper strength training is the solution for all joint problems.
● A longer life: A longer lifespan is one of the benefits of strength training. A 2015 study shows grip strength can predict death from any cause. A 2017 review said, lean muscle mass better measures a person’s health than body mass index(BMI).
● Boosts confidence: Last but not least, it enhances our spirit. It shows how well we take care of ourselves, and our age decreases by looks. We become confident to carry ourselves and even wear what we want. By forcing yourself to handle daily challenges while strength training, you keep gaining confidence by winning yourself.
● Burn more calories than cardio: A journal states that weight lifting burned a hundred calories in the 24 hours after a workout session. People with heavyweight and fewer reps burn more calories than medium weight and more reps.
● Better runner: Stronger muscles mean a strong core that can hold your posture, endurance, flexibility, body weight, arms, and legs. This grows your stamina while making you a better runner.
We often expect too much of ourselves. And during the workout, our expectation goes higher as if we will get abs in just one night. To get something good, you have to wait and keep putting effort into your studies or work out.
Tess Glyne Jones said that some people might see results in two weeks, while others may get delayed effects; it varies from body to body. For a sustainable impact, you have to follow a strict workout routine regularly and a healthy diet. Further, you can add an extra weight every week to keep getting stronger.
Alice Miller said that it depends on how often people work out. After four weeks, you can see a slight change, and after about eight to twelve weeks, promising results can be seen. It is imperative to set a goal at the very first. If you feel the weight is going to light, you may choose to add another weight. Then practice this for about a month, and then you may again add up.
Click on this link to know what to do if you are a beginner –
MUSCLE-BUILDING GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS
