The Less Obvious Benefits Of Resistance Training

We have all heard at length about resistance training (weight training / strength training) and how it is a great way to build muscle in terms of size and also improving shape along with obvious strength increases along the way. There are however, a number of other important benefits to lifting weights that often have the limelight stolen from them amongst the excitement of muscle gains. Here are some you may not know:

Heart Health & Improved Cardiovascular Capacity

Yes! While we do always talk about cardio and weights like separate entities and I do often encourage clients to throw in more traditional cardio such as running or spin classes in addition to their resistance training, the two things are far from mutually exclusive. Anyone who’s completed a tough leg session will readily attest to this fact!

Bone Strength

It’s not only muscles that are grown through lifting but strength training promotes bone strength as well. Important for everyone especially those in older populations as it can stave off ailments like osteoporosis by strengthening joints and ligaments.

Fat Loss

Building more muscle fibres has a positive effect on the metabolism meaning more calories are burnt at rest. In other words, a person with a higher muscle-to-fat ratio would be burning more calories while sitting watching the TV than someone with a lower ratio - that can’t be bad!

Posture

This is huge in the modern world where much time is spent hunched over computers and looking down at cell phones. Our bodies were never designed for this and, without knowing it or without obviously visible “poor posture”, we can develop rounded shoulders - the Glenohumeral joint itself can sit further forward than it should, trapezius and chest muscles can tighten, while rotator cuffs, rhomboids, and deep cervical neck flexors at the front of the neck can all weaken (an ailment known as Upper Crossed Syndrome). This can wreak havoc on your body. Weight training will strengthen back and rear delt muscles amongst others that keep that posture strong and shoulders “pulled back” - fighting the forward forces of these nasty modern habits!

Confidence

Being strong and knowing you can lift more than you could before can definitely bring on an increased confidence that can bleed in to other areas of your life.

Discipline & Perseverance

The weights never lie! You reap the rewards of sticking to a disciplined program while, adversely experience the drop off of gains once you slacken. Yes, weight training is one of the rawest teachers of perseverance and discipline that you will ever find!

Endorphines

As with many forms of exercise, weight training releases endorphins which can positively effect your mood and relieve stress. The Mayo clinic, a world class team of doctors and specialist researchers working on thousands of clinical studies, quote “physical activity increases a brain chemical called Beta-endorphin which can induce feelings of happiness and reduce feelings of pain” - I think many of us could use some of this in today’s times……

What runners often describe as “runner’s high” might be experienced from the reduced stress after a tough leg day or the happy, confident feeling brought about by a chest pump. And it’s very real!

Preparing For Pregnancy

Susan Lasch MD (Women’s health specialist at university hospitals) writes that “during pregnancy, strength training can relieve feelings of fatigue and low energy and lessen the chance of a cesarean birth being necessary” and that a strong body will also “lower the risk of pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and postpartum depression”.

So take up resistance training and you may get more positive results than you bargained for!