If you learned that by spending 45 minutes a week doing some simple exercises you could improve your mood, reduce joint pain, increase longevity, reverse the debilitating loss of strength, bone mass, and muscle mass associated with aging, and improve your brain function would you do it?
If you said yes, strength training is for you.
Read on to learn everything you need know to get started today.
Definition of strength training
Strength training is a type of exercise designed to increase lean muscle tissue, improve structural strength, decrease excess body fat, and increase endurance.
Strength training is sometimes called resistance training because it relies on moving muscles against resistance to promote strength increases and muscle growth.
Why should I do strength training?
Strength training can help you feel better, improve health, increase longevity, and improve the quality of your thinking.
Strength training can make you feel better
Numerous studies have shown that regular strength training can help you to feel better both mentally and physically.
Emotional Benefits of Strength Training
A ground breaking review of over 32 different studies on the impact of strength training has shown that resistance exercise (strength training), "significantly reduced depressive symptoms among adults regardless of health status, total prescribed volume of RET [resistance exercise training], or significant improvements in strength."
In another words:
- strength training will make you less depressed even if you weren't clinically depressed to start with
- it doesn't matter how hard or long you train as long as you do some
- you will experience the mood improvement even if you don't make any measurable strength gains
Are you suffering from anxiety? Strength training can help you too.
Studies have consistently shown that light to moderate (10% to 70% of your 1 rep max) strength training has both immediate and long term anxiety reducing benefits.
Benefits of strength training for joint pain
In addition to increasing your strength and making everyday activities easier and less likely to result in muscle aches and pains, strength training can reduce joint pain.
A review of 8 independent studies of strength training and joint health have shown that research participants suffering from osteoarthritis realized a 35% reduction in pain and enjoyed a 33% increase in lower limb strength and functional mobility.
The benefits of strength aren't limited to those suffering from osteoarthritis.
A two-year study of of the impact of strength training on patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis showed increases in muscle strength of up to 59% with significant increases in physical function.
Strength training can help you live longer and stay healthier
Strength training and longevity
Research conducted by the Penn State College of Medicine indicated that older adults that regularly performed strength training exercises two times a week were 46% less likely to die an early death from any cause than those that didn't do strength training exercises.
Even when adjusted for demographic factors, health behaviors, and existing health conditions, a significant benefit to longevity still remained for those that engaged in strength training.
Strength training and long term health
Strength training not only increases your life span, it can also reduce the risk of suffering from the following diseases as you grow older: sarcopenia, dynapenia, and osteoporosis.
Sarcopenia
Sarcopenia is a "syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass" that is "strictly correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life and death."
The disease is highly correlated with physical inactivity and can be prevented and even reversed by regular strength training.
Dynapenia
Dynapenia is "the age-associated loss of muscle strength that is not caused by neurologic or muscular diseases".
Dynapenia is the loss of muscle strength, rather than muscle mass.
Dynapenia has also been shown to be correlated with inactivity and can also be prevented and potentially reversed with regular strength training.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis means porous bone and is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced.
Osteoporosis increases the chances of fracture as bones become brittle and porous.
Strength training has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis and increase bone density as well.
Strength training can help you think better
Recent research showed that mentally impaired rats that engaged in strength training were able to overcome their impairment and ultimately out perform unimpaired non-strength trained rats in a maze designed to test memory and cognition.
A meta-analysis study at the University of Alabama that reviewed and compared the outcomes of twenty different studies has shown that strength training improved cognitive performance as measured by composite cognition tests, screening for cognitive impairment, and executive function.
Types of strength training
Typically, when we think of strength training, we think of people moving heavy weights through various motions, but there are many ways to create resistance for strength training.
The most common are weight training, body weight, and other strength training tools.
Strength training with weights
Weight training uses free weights and machines to create resistance for strength training exercises.
Free weights
Free weights are not confined to a specific motion and can be used to perform a variety of exercises to train all parts of the body.
Free weights include, but are not limited to:
- barbells
- dumbbells
- kettlebells
- sandbells
Advantages of free weights are their versatility and their engagement of stabilizer muscles for better overall development.
A primary disadvantages of free weights are that they require more focus on form and can be intimidating to beginners.
Weight machines
Weight machines use a combination of levers, cams, pulleys, selectorized weight stacks, and guide rods to provide resistance for various muscles.
The advantages of weight machines are that they limit the path of movement to assist the user with the form for the exercise and are more accessible for beginners.
Typical weight machines include:
- leg extension
- leg curl
- leg press
- calf raise
- bicep curl
- triceps extension
- lateral pull down
- ab crunch
- back extension
The main disadvantages of weight machines are that they are not versatile - most machines work a single body part - and do not engage the stabilizer muscles to balance the weight and direct the path of motion.
Strength training with body weight exercises
Using body weight exercises - sometimes called calisthenics - to strength train can be highly effective for increasing strength and lean muscle mass.
Typical body weight exercises include:
- push-ups
- dips
- pull-ups
- chin-ups
- squats
- lunges
- calf-raises
- sit-ups
- crunches
The main advantages of body weight exercises are convenience - you always have your body with you - and accessibility.
Most body weight exercises are more familiar to beginners and less intimidating than other forms of strength training such as weight lifting.
Other strength training resistance sources
Your muscles aren't picky about where the resistance they are trained with comes from and you can use a number of strength training resistance tools for strength training including:
- resistance bands
- household items (i.e. detergent bottles, gallons of milk, etc.)
- suspension trainers (TRX)
- battle ropes
- gliding disks
The advantage of these types of resistance sources is they allow you to mix up your workout and provide options when you have little space and limited equipment options.
The main disadvantage is that it may be challenging to work all body parts with these types of tools.
Myths about strength training for women
Over the years many myths have emerged regarding woman in strength training. We dispel those myths in the comprehensive list that follows.
Strength training will make you bulky
One of the most pervasive myths about strength training for women is that it should be avoided because it will make you bulky.
The reality is that you won't turn into a big bulky brute if you lift weights.
Men have 15 to 20 times more testosterone in their bodies than women which is a major component in their ability to build big bulky muscles relatively quickly.
But what about those giant female bodybuilders you may ask?
The fact is that those women use a cocktail of hormones, anabolic steroids, and other performance enhancing drugs in conjunction with high protein diets and an average of two hours a day in the gym five days a week to build those giant bodies.
You simply aren't going to accidentally turn into a heavily muscled she-hulk overnight, so feel free to hoist some iron.
Strength training isn't safe
With heavy weights and machines with pulleys and cables, strength training must be dangerous, right?
Nope.
A review of 20 different scientific studies into the danger of injuries with strength training, showed that on average, body builders experience between .24 and 1 injury per 1000 hours of strength training.
To put this into context, distance runners typically experience about 10 injuries per 1,000 hours of pavement pounding.
So actually, you’re up to 10 times more likely to get hurt running than weightlifting in the gym.
Strength training will make you muscle bound
This chestnut goes all the way back to the fitness culture of the early 20th century. Fitness gurus spread this fallacy in an attempt to combat the increasing popularity of resistance training as it was detracting from their businesses.
That being said, to ensure maximum flexibility incorporate the following into your strength training:
- warm-up
- stretching
- resistance training using full range of motion for each exercise
- cool-down
- stretching
You should use light weights and high reps to tone up
This is an oldie but a goodie that has been at the top of the charts for decades.
It is related to the "bulky" myth. Lifting heavy will make you too big, so you need to use light weights and high reps to tone up.
The reality is that light weights and high reps are great for increasing muscular endurance. If you need to be good at lifting 3 pounds 40 times in a row, you are on the right track.
If you want to be strong and lean, you need to lift heavier and reduce your reps.
As we already discussed, you won't turn into a bulky over-muscled gorilla, but you will increase your lean muscle mass and raise your basal metabolic rate.
Raising your basal metabolic rate increases the number of calories you burn when you are at rest - or binge watching Netflix - so you can eat more and still maintain your weight.
Older women shouldn't strength train
This myth is especially pernicious as the exact opposite is actually true.
Older women are especially susceptible to sarcopenia, dynapenia, and osteoporosis because they typically have less muscle mass and bone density than their male counterparts.
Strength training with significant weight has proven effective in managing and even reversing these conditions for women in their 80s and 90s.
Still not convinced, check out the video below to see living proof.
Strength training is just for men
It's not.
Women are strength training more than ever, in fact, over 153,000 women registered to compete in the 2019 CrossFit open and strength training is a fundamental component of of CrossFit.
As far as skeletal muscle composition is concerned, men and women are pretty much the same and both genders can realize countless benefits from strength training.
In fact, because women are more susceptible to the maladies associated with muscle loss over time, it could be argued that strength training is actually more important for women than men.
It takes too much time to do strength training
We are all busy these days and it is difficult to find time for exercise, but you can get a great strength training workout in and 15 minutes.
The key is choosing a workout that fits your schedule, such as the 15 minute full body strength training workout in the video below:
You need a gym to strength train
For most people, when they think of strength training, they picture a big room full of machines, weights, and racks.
But you don't need to have a gym to add strength training to your exercise routine.
Strength training exercises can be performed many different ways, and you can even get an effective strength training workout using only the weight of your body for resistance with exercises such as:
- push-ups
- sit-ups
- dips
- squats
- lunges
- calf raises
Strength training exercises can also be done at home with simple, inexpensive equipment that can be stored when not in use to save space.
Some options include:
- resistance bands
- ankle/wrist weights
- suspension trainers (TRX)
- adjustable dumbbells
If you would like to use machines in your home workout, there are numerous high-quality home gyms with a variety of configurations and designs to fit any home gym space. Manufacturers of quality home gyms include:
Muscle turns to fat if you stop lifting
Fat cells don't transform into muscle cells when you start strength training and muscle cells don't transform into fat cells when you stop strength training.
When you train with significant resistance, your muscle tissue will grow larger (hypertrophy), if you stop training for an extended period of time, your muscle tissue will shrink (atrophy).
Fat cells grow in size when you take in more calories than you burn. When you burn more calories than you take in, your body taps into your fat cells for more energy and the fat cells shrink.
Strength training is bad for your joints
A study of 25 experienced weight lifters showed no significant increase in joint disease or injury when compared to non-lifters.
Even much maligned exercises such as squatting and deadlifting have been shown to be safe for your joints when performed with good form and manageable weights.
While strength training will not damage your joints any more than any other activity, it can aggravate preexisting injuries, so it is important to listen to your body and adjust if you find certain exercises cause you pain.
Strength training means lifting weights
Many people do indeed use weights in their strength training routine, however, strength training doesn't specifically refer to lifting weights.
Your muscles simply need to work against resistance. Body weight exercises, strength bands, and suspension training tools can all be used to provide resistance for strength training and can drive significant gains in muscle size and strength.
Beginners strength training workout
Now that you know the basics about strength training, here is a simple body weight resistance full body workout to get you started.
Begin slowly and concentrate on using good form. If the work out is too easy add more reps or shorten breaks between sets.
Not sure how to perform an exercise? Click on the name of the exercise for a short video demonstration.
- Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
- Sit-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
- Back extensions - 3 sets of 10 reps
- Squats - 3 sets of 10 reps
- Lunges - 3 sets of 10 reps
- Calf-raises - 3 sets of 10 reps
Resources
As you progress it can be helpful to try new exercises to keep things interesting and continue to drive improvement.
Here are a few resources you can use to learn more about fitness and strength training:
In conclusion
So now you know the definition of strength training and the many benefits it provides.
You understand the myths associated with strength training and some different ways you can increase your strength and lean muscle mass with resistance training.
And you have a beginning strength training workout to get you started.
So now it's up to you to go find your strength!