Top 5 Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training helps to build strength, endurance and muscles. The age-old myth that strength training builds bulky muscles—especially for women—continues to prevail, so a lot of us still don’t include it in our workout. Let’s dispel it now. It is not possible because women—under normal situations— don’t have enough testosterone (necessary to build those dreaded bulky muscles).

Why do Strength Training?

As a matter of fact, even men don’t easily gain huge muscles. Which is why those who really want to grow that kind of bulk take steroids. In reality since muscles take up less space than fat, which is why when you actually do strength training (along with cardio and a balanced diet) you end up looking leaner and fitter—not bigger and bulkier.

Strength training is extremely important and must be added to your fitness regime more and more as you grow older.

Benefits of Strength Training

Here are some benefits of strength training.

1. Makes you stronger and fitter

It helps adults who take up strength training rebuild their muscles and become stronger and also, in-turn, improve their postures. Strength training helps to reduce muscle mass loss and fall-related injuries.

2. Protects your bone health

Post-puberty, both men and women start losing about one-percent of bone mass annually. Osteoporosis is a result of this bone-mass decrease (which is becoming increasingly high in not only women but men as well). Strength training not only helps to strengthen bones but also helps to prevent and reverse this loss.

3. Increases your metabolism and helps boost your weight loss

Strength training helps to increase your metabolic rate and even helps to reverse its natural decline. This starts to happen after age 30. An improved metabolic rate helps you not only burn calories while working out but continues to do so post-workout. This is because more calories are required to make and maintain muscles than fat.

In fact, strength training boosts your metabolism by almost 15%. You start burning calories 24-hours-a-day and yes even while you are sleeping.

4. Boosts your energy levels and improves your mood

Your mood is controlled by your levels of endorphins and strength training helps to elevate these levels. So after a strength training workout you not only will be stronger but also happier.

Studies have shown strength training to be a mood-lifter and a treatment for depression. It helps you to sleep well thus you are not cranky from the lack of it. Overall your outlook to life changes and you are a much happier person.

5. Helps prevent and fight a number of diseases

Strength training decreases your risk of developing adult-onset diabetes. It decreases your resting blood pressure giving you a healthy heart. It also reduces your gastrointestinal transit time which reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. It helps to increase the good blood level of HDL cholesterol. The functioning of the immune system is improved lowering your susceptibility of catching infections.

Conclusion

The benefits of strength training are seemingly endless. You not only end up looking great but you also feel great because you become healthy and strong from inside. However, it is important to do it correctly and consult your doctor before starting it for the first time.

Incorporate strength training into your fitness program at least 3-days-a-week keeping a day’s break in-between. The best and most-effective regime includes 3 days of cardio, 3 days of strength with a day of complete rest. Come on! Go ahead . . . start it off and look lean, toned, young and happy.