When we think about weight training the first thing that comes to mind is probably muscular and shredded people. In fact, the majority of people start lifting weights to change their body composition. However, the benefits of strength training go far beyond how it can make you look and everyone would benefit from introducing some kind of resistance training into their lives.
1. Helps preserve muscle mass and bone density
Somewhere in our 30s we start to slowly but surely lose a bit of muscle every year. But don’t despair! You can turn things around! Lifting weights is a great way to ensure we keep as much of our muscles as possible as we get older. This doesn’t mean, however, that you need to become a bodybuilder and go to the gym 6 times a week. Simply adding a few resistance training workouts per week can make a difference.
Similarly, resistance training can help you increase bone density. This is extremely important if we want to preserve strong and healthy bones throughout our lives. This is particularly relevant for women who have smaller bones to begin with, and have a higher risk of osteoporosis. Most importantly, it’s never too late to start doing weight training to increase your muscle mass and strengthen your bones.
You can choose any type of resistance training you prefer. You can use machines in a gym, a pair of dumbbells and resistance bands at home, do bodyweight workouts or follow online classes. The key is to challenge yourself a little bit more over time (progressive overload) to actually cause muscle growth and build stronger bones. Add weight training to your life today and your future self will definitely thank you.
2. Improves posture, balance and coordination
A life without joint pain is a great life. Unfortunately, our current lifestyle makes joint pain the norm. While most people have no choice but to spend long hours in sedentary positions due to work, you can improve your body’s ability to handle it by strengthening your muscles.
Our posterior chain and core complex probably suffer the most from our modern lifestyle. Having weakness in those areas is more often than not the cause of back pain. Strengthening those muscles with a balanced exercise routine will help you achieve a pain-free existence and improve your posture.
Performing free weight exercises can also help with balance and coordination. Some exercises will be more demanding on your stabilizing muscles. Performing unilateral exercises (e.g. single-arm dumbbell bench press) is a great way to strengthen those muscles. Furthermore, you can introduce challenging stances (e.g. half-kneeling) into your programme that will also help with balance and coordination.
3. Helps you in daily life
This is where functional training comes in. While you can build muscles and strengthen your bones by using nothing but gym machines, you need to include some free weight training to help you with your daily tasks. We all lift boxes, push/pull furniture when we move houses, put things on top shelves, step up/down from a stool, carry a heavy bag in one hand…
Every time I face a task like that I know that I do a similar loaded movement in a gym and my body is prepared for it. This means you can avoid unnecessary injuries during mundane tasks. This is even more relevant if you have to perform physical tasks as a part of your job.
Performing a good variety of free weight exercises that include various movement patterns will build functional strength. This, in turn, will prepare your body to deal with whatever physical tasks life might throw at you without “throwing out your back”.
4. Makes you better at other sports/physical activities
Whether you like to play golf, tennis, or ride a bike, having a stronger body will help you to be better in those activities. First of all, it will improve your athletic performance. For example, if running and biking are your passion, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by introducing some resistance training to your programme.
A couple of sessions per week won’t interfere with your main activity but will complement it. Imagine, to bike uphill you would probably need to generate a decent amount of power. Having a stronger body will help you produce that power and improve your results.
Secondly, having a strong body will help you improve your technique. Having your muscles perform their function the way they should, especially during dynamic movement, will ensure you avoid unnecessary injuries. This means that you can keep on doing an activity you love without having to take time off to recover from injuries.
5. Increases resting metabolic rate
Resting metabolic rate means the number of calories you are burning while not being physically active. While lifting weights doesn’t burn too many calories itself, having more muscle mass will increase the number of calories you burn at rest.
Furthermore, if you are on your weight loss journey it is important to preserve your muscle mass. The reason for this is when weight loss occurs it doesn’t mean you will exclusively lose weight in fat. There is a risk of losing some muscle as well. Increasing lean muscle mass is a great way to support a healthy weight loss.
6. Makes you feel great
Just like any type of exercise, lifting weights makes you feel great in a number of ways. From improved mood to higher energy levels and better sleep, lifting weights is not just something that benefits your body. Pair it with cardio exercise and you’ve got a winner for improving your mental health. Furthermore, lifting weights is a skill and learning new skills can be great for our brains too. And if you are new to weight training there are a lot of skills to be learned!
While lifting weights is still heavily associated with achieving a dream physique, the real benefits are way more important than that. Introducing some form of resistance training into your life will set you up for a healthier and happier life. Most importantly, it’s never too late to start working towards a stronger and more functional body.