Thursday Thoughts Ed. 101 : Strength Training 101!
Why should I strength train? I’ll tell you why!
Strength Training….
·
Improves your ability to do everyday activities:
The stronger your muscles, the easier it is to get groceries out of the car,
get a package off of the top cabinet shelf, push the lawnmower or stoller…..the
list goes on and on!
·
Improves your balance and stability: The
stronger and more resilient your muscles, the more balance is sturdier. This
will help keep you safe in your daily activities and decreases the risk of
falls or accidents.
·
Builds muscle strength: Adults lose between five
and seven pounds of muscle every decade after age 20. Strength training will
help prevent this muscle loss, and rebuild what you may have lost.
·
Decreases your risk of osteoporosis: Inactivity and
aging can lead to a decrease in bone density, leading to brittleness. Studies
have shown that consistent strength training can increase bone density and
prevent osteoporosis.
·
Reduces blood pressure: Strength training can be
beneficial for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure by
strengthening the heart, allowing it to beat more efficiently.
·
Increases calorie burn: Strength training
increases the body's metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories
throughout the day. This aids significantly in long term weight loss.
·
Reduces low back pain: Research has shown that
strength training can increase low back strength and alleviate low back pain.
·
Makes you faster. Stronger muscles make bike
pedals move faster and smoother, legs turn over faster while you run and you
can move with more power in everything you do.
More Muscle = Less Fat: It’s all about the burn!
Just sitting around watching Castle on Monday nights, a body
with more muscle will be burning more calories. Just sitting there! And this is
true all day long. Muscle fibers
naturally burn more calories than fat – so a stronger body will ultimately be a
leaner more healthy body. What better reason to get to the gymJ
Guidelines and Definitions:
The number of times that you perform an exercise represents
the number of sets. The number of times that you lift each weight represents
the number of reps, or repetitions. There are many different ways to organize
your strength training routine depending on your time frame and goals. No
matter what format of reps and sets your choose having a plan helps you avoid
picking up any old weight and tossing around – getting you nowhere, slowly.
Important Principals:
·
Pay attention to proper form and technique, as
they are very important for injury prevention and producing results.
·
Never hold your breath during the exercises.
Always exhale when exerting force (on the hard part of the movement).
·
Slow and Straight
·
When selecting a weight, it should be heavy
enough that you feel the muscle working and the difficulty increasing as you
get to the 12th repetition. The weight should be light enough that you can do
8-12 repetitions without pain or breaking proper form.
·
Strength training should never be painful! If
you experience pain, stop the exercise immediately.
Have a plan:
Hitting the weight room without a purpose or plan is nearly
useless and can simply be a waste of time or worse cause an injury. A progressive program, one that builds
up from easy to advanced, through the seasons and over time is the smart way to
go, and grow stronger. Think about
your goals.
Adding this piece to the puzzle, whether your goals are
better performance, weight loss or wanting to look smokin’ in your summer swim
suit, building and defining muscle is the way to go.
This week I have personal training spots open on Wednesday
and Friday mornings. I will also be leading a group training session on Tuesday
mornings and Wednesday evenings through the summer.
Email me at remymaguire@gmail.com
for more info. Or give me a call 503-348-9369
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