Strength Training

No matter what kind of exercise you like to do, no matter what your age or sex, it is extraordinarily beneficial for every person on the planet to partake in a some form of regular strength training. Boys and girls of junior high school age all the way up to senior citizens in their 90’s routinely participate in these kinds of weight-bearing exercises. The goals of each participant can vary widely from person to person, as there are many reasons to get involved. Lets review the basics of the benefit groups:

• Increased Muscle Mass:
  This is the most common perception of the benefits of going to the gym and lifting heavy objects on a daily basis. Men ( and even some women ) go into the gym very average looking and come out a few years later with a dramatically changed physique. The process of working through consistently increasing loads of resistance against your muscle groups causes them to grow, expand and increase the level of strength present in the trained muscle groups. The level at which a given weight-lifter will benefit in this area is determined by age, genetics, training intensity and targetted accuracy.

• Increased Bone Density:As the core benefit of increasing your muscle mass takes effect, so does it have a complementary effect on the skeletal structure that supports the framework of your growing musculature. When your muscles increase in size from training, they are responding to an “irritation” by adapting themselves to a state that will be more prepared for the next time an “irritation” occurs. The same process happens to your bones as they are put under compressive and tensile loads from the weight lifting, and the response is to increase in mass, breadth and strength. The effect sharply increases your toughness and resistance to injury, especially in the case of fractures and bludgeoning impacts hard enough to break weaker bones.

• Improved Function Across All Body Systems:The other types of positive effects that weight training will have on your body are almost too numerous to count. The main ones that you will notice very quickly that happen to you are an improved metabolic rate, improved kidney, liver and digestive function, strengthening of the immune system, enhanced cardio-respiratory and circulatory functions, unconscious desire for quality dietary intake and an extraordinary improvement of mood and demeanor.

If I have sold everyone who reads this on running out and getting a gym membership today, or buying some piece of expensive home exercise equipment, then I have done well in transmitting this message, but strength training also presents its own daunting set of challenges. Here is what I recommend:

Make sure you are committed to a daily exercise regimen and are healthy enough for starting a training program unsupervised. I have lost count of how many of my friends read something and become overnight born-again gym fanatics only for them to lose interet the following week.

I highly recommend the gym option over working out at home. The gym is a social atmosphere of other like-minded fitness enthusiasts that will create extra motivation for you to go. They will always have a free 7 day trial that you can use to get your bearings before commiting to a multi-year membership contract. Finding a gym that is close to your home so it is easy to get to and from is crucial.

Spend some time becoming familiar with safe strength training practices. The need to warm up and use proper technique and body mechanics is absolutely necessary to prevent injury. On more than one occasion I have hurt my back and wrist by not strictly adhering to protocol. When starting a training program, I highly recommend splurging a little for some one-on-one time with a professional trainer. Most gyms will have someone on staff who does this a lot, but at the very least you will run into some kind of gym know-it-all who can provide some direction. You shouldn’t have to spend more than $100 to buy yourself enough time to learn the ropes.

Once you spend a few months in the gym having a good experience making friends, building muscle and getting into shape, you will be hooked. You will wonder why you never did this before and will kick yourself for not getting involved a lot sooner in life. Strength training is the best springboard you will ever find that will propel you into the vast spectrum of athletic ventures and activities that are out there in the world to experience.