What we do in this class:
Lifting weights is more than hauling iron, and the benefits of strength training are big, really big. The bad news is that you have to do it to reap the rewards. Lifting weights requires you to put in effort, but once you get going and see some results you will love it. Trust me. We here at Gain Muscle Smarts do not believe strength training should be optional; the benefits of strength training are so vast that no one should go a week without some intense training. The benefits of strength training listed below are just a start; there are many health benefits that make it worthwhile.
The 10 Benefits of Strength Training:
1. Physical Performance.
The first 8 weeks of muscle gains are thanks to your central nervous system. The output from your nerve fibers and brain gets ramp up. This will give you fast gains in strength and performance even with an ordinary diet and exercise program. Around 10-12 weeks you will start building real muscle. This is where the game begins.
2. Metabolic Efficiency.
Adding muscle mass with intense training will benefit you in many ways. Not only will you get stronger, but you will also be able to burn off more calories and fat. The food you eat won’t all go straight into your butt or gut, which is one of the nicer benefits of strength training. Instead you will have efficient muscle fibers that consume those fats and carbs.
3. Decreased Risk of Injury.
Balanced strength in musculature around the major joints will help your stability. Injuries happen when we overstep our capabilities and the joints and connective tissue pay the price. When you go to the gym, you get bigger muscles, plus your ligaments and connective tissue grow stronger; these are the little strings and sheaths of cartilage and tendons that hold your body together. Have you ever sprained an ankle? This is a tendon being damaged and perhaps even the cartilage coating the bones in the ankle joint.
4. More Energy.
You are literally building up a reserve of life force. You can handle more. So no matter what life throws your way you are better equipped to deal with it. Trust the force and go to the gym.
5. Stronger Bones.
Weight training has been used for strengthening bones and joints in the care for the elderly. Most importantly, they can get up from a chair easier. Not only that, resistance training like lifting weights strengthens the bones themselves.Human adapt to any stress by growing stronger for just that task. Only will you look better physically, you’ll also feel stronger even if aged.
6. Decreases Resting Blood Pressure.
Strength training is one of the best drug free treatments for high blood pressure. It makes your heart stronger, and a stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. When your heart work less, the force on your arteries decreases, lowering your blood pressure. It’s not about the biceps or abs, it’s about whole body.
7. Decreases Risk of Diabetes.
Exercise makes your muscles better able to grab sugars directly from your blood stream. Meaning you don’t get fat as fast. There’s a big increase in type 2 diabetes, which is an inability to clear the food from the bloodstream. It’s all because of too much sugar, and bad food. Just half an hour of medium intensity exercise daily makes your muscles super absorbent to nutrients. One to two hours after exercise is the perfect time to eat a meal; it will go to good use straight away. Without it your body has to struggle to actively clear what you just ate.
8. Elevates Mood.
Stress is one of the biggest killers today. It actually disrupts the way your body is supposed to function. There is an easy solution. When you lift weights your body releases natural painkillers, opiates. These are the most powerful anti-stress messengers that exist in your body. Gone will be all the worries and irritations of the day. You can just be with yourself and enjoy the fact you are doing something beneficial for your body. This combined with the next point has a profound impact on your life and how much enjoyment you get out of it. After a hard day’s work there is nothing like a lifting session to wipe it all away.
9. Improves Immune System.
Your body’s immune system becomes more effective when you exercise. Consistent exercise leads to substantial improvements in your immune system over the long-term. Beware that over-training will do the opposite, reduce your immune response and make you more susceptible to illness.
10. The mirror effect, a benefit you can see.
This may not be one of the scientifically proven benefits of strength training, but surely one of the more enticing ones. When you look good, how much better will it make you feel? Just the boost in confidence level can make a huge difference.
Convinced Yet?:
Sometimes just the facts won’t convince you, but what will convince you is when you start experiencing the results for yourself, so get off your behind, and get to a gym. Keep at it for a few months and watch your mood and health skyrocket, your muscles grow, and your sleep get deeper.
