The benefits of strength training for women and men have been listed a million times by a million different coaches. I’m going to list them again – hopefully, with a new twist.
There’s two reasons I’ve decided to rehash this post:
- No matter how many times it has been said, it always needs to be said again.
- Strength training has been mislabelled in common gym parlance.
If you have ever performed a challenging resistance workout that made you stronger over time, then technically you have engaged in strength training. However, in my opinion dedicated strength training is more than just lifting weights – it’s a completely different workout to the ones you’ll usually see in your local gym. This distinction can cause you to miss out on some of the benefits of a committed strength training period.
So What is Strength Training, Really?
Dedicated strength training is characterised by the following features:
- Increasing the weight you can lift at low (1-8) reps;
- Exercises that use multiple joints and muscle groups through a long range of motion;
- Fundamental movement patterns such as squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, single leg work and carrying;
- An emphasis on free weights or bodyweight (although this can be tweaked for the individual);
- A strong focus on your technique, tweaking exercises to suit your leverages;
- Long rest periods (usually 2-5 minutes).
Unfortunately, strength training is usually confused with:
- Lifting the heaviest weight you can every session;
- Spontaneously maxing out without strategy;
- Chasing failure/soreness;
- One resistance exercise in the middle of a circuit;
- Going so heavy that you only move the weight a couple of inches;
- An overreliance on machines.
My description of strength training may sound a lot like powerlifting, but that doesn’t have to be the case. That being said, if I can persuade you to give strength training another try then you should expect a very different workout to what you may be used to. A true strength workout rewards efficiency, safety and gradual progress, as opposed to the typical approach of rewarding exhaustion and soreness. If you really want to capitalise on the full range of strength training benefits, you need to commit to doing it right.
And maybe you’re reading this knowing that you already train the way I’ve described. In that case, give yourself a pat on the back and take encouragement that you’re training towards these great benefits.
What are the Benefits of Strength Training?
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1. Strength Training Makes You More Resilient
Strength training can delay sarcopenia (bone density loss), contribute to muscle growth, and help strengthen connective tissue.
Weight training is often off-putting for people not looking gain muscle, such as weight-group athletes or people concerned with changes to their appearance. You need not worry too much though; while lifting heavy weights will stimulate some changes to your muscle tissue, it’s not bodybuilding; you won’t have to worry about bursting out of your clothes. There are plenty of case studies of people improving their strength without weight gain. And if it does add a little muscle, so what? You can lift cars now.
Don’t just take my word for it, though. Check out this content by Zak from Plexus Training.
2. Strength Training Teaches You Lifting Skills
We all know someone who hurt themselves lifting something heavy. Without any other context, this can make the prospect of heavy lifting pretty intimidating. However, it’s usually the things you’re unprepared for that hurt you the most. Sensible, ego-less strength training can actually teach you how to protect yourself whilst lifting.
A key strength training technique is bracing. This involves two stages:
- Engaging the supportive muscles around the torso to create protective tension.
- Using a nifty breathing technique to create pressure around the abdomen.
These two techniques assist in “taking up the slack” and reduce the odds of you overloading your body. Think of it as making sure your tyres are properly inflated before a long journey. Once you’ve mastered bracing you will be better equipped for lifting challenges in and out of the gym.
3. Strength Training Gives You Superpowers
“Every single interaction between you and your environment is force production.”
Mark Rippetoe
My favourite thing to hear from a client is that they were just living life one day only to suddenly feel lighter, taller, and energised. Tasks they used to struggle with have suddenly become easy.
Everything we do requires us to produce force against gravity and physical objects, from climbing stairs to wrestling bears. Being able to produce more force reduces the relative intensity of your daily tasks. Common strength training movements typically reinforce good posture and allow you to tap into higher levels of muscular effort, as well as requiring the co-ordination of multiple joints and muscles. This all leads to you feeling ready to take on the world.
It’s easy to see this in training, too – follow a 12-week strength programme, and by the end you will have objective proof that you have gotten stronger when you crush a new personal best. Also less repetitions and more rest means you’ll have more energy left over than if you did a HIIT or bodybuilding workout. Again, this newfound power doesn’t have to be accompanied by gaining slabs of muscle; a lot of strength gains come from the nervous system.
4. Strength Training Ups Your Game
Levelling up your day-to-day life is great, but why stop there? Whether it’s going for a run, playing squash after work, or competing in an event, strength training will give you the edge.
Strength training can enhance:
- Speed;
- Power;
- Endurance;
- Injury prevention;
- Movement quality.
This is arguably a topic for it’s very own post, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a sport where improving your strength in the right movements doesn’t improve performance.
5. Strength Training Focusses on The Simple Things
The fitness industry’s gimmicky nature can easily overwhelm you with quick-fix solutions to problems you didn’t know you had. There are enough workouts, classes, and diets to make your head spin.
On the other hand, strength training is fairly straightforward:
- You focus on a handful of key lifts;
- There’s no programme hopping – you get better results for sticking to one programme;
- Results are objectively measurable: did you lift more than last time?
- You’re competing with yourself. No one else’s opinion matters (although this should always be the case!)
It can be daunting at first, so invest in some training with a good coach. Once you get into the swing of things you will learn that there are clear techniques to follow in each lift. This will improve your confidence, safety, and most importantly – your strength!
If you’re feeling demotivated about training to look a certain way, or daunted by the cavalcade of fitness trends, trying strength training is a great way to leave all that behind.
Give it a Go!
If you’re getting back into training, have a serious think before you go back to your old ways. No more hopping from exercise to exercise looking for the one that will best sculpt your arms/abs/ass. No more chasing the sweaty burn to punish yourself for whatever you ate last night. If I have convinced you to make a proper go of strength training, send me your questions. I’m confident that once you get started you won’t look back!
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