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The
Benefits of Strength Training
By Chad Tackett (part 3)
Strength training is critical for achieving your fitness
goals and this article discusses the many benefits of a
strength training program. In addition to this helpful article,
be sure to take our FREE Fitness Analysis! Once you've completed
the brief questionnaire, you'll receive specific recommendations
based on your responses, including a sample strength training
workout with exercise instructions! As a special thank you,
you'll also receive the new e-book, Big Fat Lies, absolutely
FREE of charge. Click
here to get started!
Strength training is exercise that uses resistance--for
example, weights--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 muscle strength, and increases in tendon,
bone, and ligament strength. Strength training has also
been shown to improve psychological health as well, by increasing
self-esteem, confidence and self-worth.
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These improvements have a great influence on our physical
performance, metabolic efficiency, physical appearance and
risk of injury. I'll go into each of these in detail, outlining
some very exciting benefits of a good strength training
program that most people overlook or don't realize.
Strength Training Improves Physical Performance and Appearance
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,
our favorite sports and 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
firmer, more fit appearance.
Both our physical appearance and our physical performance
can be improved by muscle gain through strength training
or hampered by muscle loss. Research indicates that unless
we strength train regularly, we lose more than one-half
pound of muscle every year of our lives after age 25. Unless
we implement a safe and effective strength training program,
our muscles gradually decrease in size and strength in the
process called "atrophy."
Strength training is therefore important for preventing
the muscle loss that normally accompanies the aging process.
A common misconception is that as we get older, 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 the very day we die! The reason many
elderly people rely on ambulatory aides and become slower
and fatter is simply that over the years their muscles are
decreasing, so their physical performance and metabolism
also decrease, becoming less efficient.
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- 34.3% increase in ten-rep max in full range of motion! (see above)
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Strength Training Improves Metabolic Efficiency
That one-half pound of muscle loss every year after age
25 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. Everyone has an individual
basal metabolic rate. "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 percent of our
energy (calories). When you implement the principles of
effective strength-training, and if 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 through
strength training 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.
Once again: adults who are not on a safe, effective strength
training program will experience an annual half-pound loss
of muscle and half-percent reduction in metabolic rate unless
they begin some form of strength training. The gradual decrease
in muscle and BMR is related to the increase in body fat
that most people gain as they get older if they do not strength
train. With a decrease in muscle, less energy is used for
daily metabolic function, so calories previously necessary
to perform the activities of daily living now end up stored
as fat.
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
program 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. Many
do not choose to do strength training because 1) they mistakenly
think they are going to make their body big and bulky, and
2) they do not realize how beneficial and important strength
training is in a weight-management program. Whether it is
strength, endurance, muscle size or muscle tone (or a combination)
you desire, all are very realistic and obtainable.
Strength Training Decreases Risk of 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.
For example, jogging places more stress on the hamstrings
and calves than it does on the quadriceps, creating a muscle
imbalance that often leads to knee injuries; so it is very
important that runners be on a good strength training program
that includes training the quadriceps as well as the hamstrings
and calves.
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 strength training exercises for your chest,
you should include back exercises in your strength training
program as well.
By now you have probably realized that strength training
should be an important part of your exercise routine. Strength
training 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. Action creates
motivation! Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful
benefits of an effective strength training program.
And don’t forget, click here to take our FREE Fitness
Analysis for a free sample strength training program and
for the book, Big Fat lies!
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Strength Training
Part 1
Strength Training
Part 2
Strength Training
Part 3
Strength Training
Part 4
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Along with a good workout, and strength
training program, nutrition and supplementation is just
as important. Here's some articles covering various bodybuilding
supplements.
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