Strength Training is not only an essential part of life for overall health and fitness but a tool that helps us manage emotions and clear the mind.
Why Strength Training?
The Fitness Industry is increasingly paying attention to Strength Training over Cardio as the focus is now to tone up (create muscle) rather than lose weight (diminish the body). Exciting times! A massive paradigm shift in body goals and understanding of what exercise is. A big relief for PTs as losing weight is not necessarily related to health, strength or beauty.
In simple terms exercise can be divided into two: Strength and Cardio; one builds the body and one moves it. (Body Building is body conditioning turned into a sport itself and that's why their muscles are so big.)
Strength training is now considered to be a minimum requirement for health and body maintenance:
"... to stay healthy you should do ... strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)". Government Guidelines 2019
There are a great number of HEALING qualities to strength training.
Stronger muscles.
Protects bone health & muscle mass, helps prevents osteoporosis.
Increases metabolism so body continues to burn fat after the workout (evidence to show strength burns more fat than aerobic exercise) and long term builds a more muscular body that has a higher resting metabolism. Uses more calories too.
Better body mechanics: correct technique for functional movement like squat, deadlift helps avoid injury, falls, back problems.
Helps with chronic disease management.
Boosts energy and mood levels (evidence to suggest more so than cardio).
Cardiovascular benefits: helps improve blood pressure.
There are now rehab programs for Aquired Brain Injury (ABI) and in particular Stroke based around strength training ARNI.
There also are HUGE benefits to emotional well-being. Cardio is great too but for those who suffer from Adrenal Fatigue, Anxiety, PTSD, Depression the strength workout is soothing as opposed to exhausting. You're not moving fast in fact your bringing CONTROL into the mix, each rep is much harder this way and more meaningful. The most important message is that you will feel happier, more grounded and emotionally calm after.
If you're doing any sport or regular cardio (even fitness classes) it's essential. If you do any repetitive or asymmetrical movement, impact or competition a background Strength Program ensures you're engaging muscles correctly, including core, to protect from injury, maximise potential output, correct technique. Fitness Coaching or Personal Training provides guidance for these kind of training programs.
Weight training is becoming very popular with women because it develops muscle tone and natural curves that look good on all frames. Previously there was the notion that you had to be slim and jump about to exercise, which combined with low body weight goals and defecit calorie diets has had a negative impact on the collective female psyche (particularly in Northern Europe). It depletes the body long-term, reduces bone density, energy levels, quality of skin. But this is most definitely a thing of the past.
Strength workouts are much calmer (chilled) you might cover one or two functional exercises in a session focusing on technique, breathing, few reps, speed of movement. Keeping feet on floor and essentially not moving and works perfectly with Personal Training or Online Coaching as we can do an effective work out in one space.
It suits all body types. You're not moving fast in fact your bringing CONTROL into the mix, each rep is much harder this way and more meaningful. The most important message is that you will feel happier, more grounded and emotionally calm after.
AND it's the most natural way to work flexibility for boys and girls.
Who is it relevant for? Everybody!
Train Heal Breathe Strength Training Programs have universal application and work really well even with to those who don't relate to gyms. No matter what kind of background, injury or barrier and ALL LEVELS. Whether you have never trained in your life, or done lots of sport but never strength, feel too old (there is an 80+ body builder lady going round the internet who looks 50+), or professional level looking for a fresh perspective.
If you're into heavy weight training this workout provides perfect background conditioning (mild cardio that won't burn muscle too much :) ) and an emphasis on core and control, speed of movement.
For beginners this is the perfect introduction to safe functional movement and technical training it can take 6 months to a year before you might want to take it to the gym. You can start with bodyweight and move onto weights when you're ready. All sessions are adapted to the clients needs.
Sports/Dance/Fight Conditioning: this kind of training preps for any cardio activity you want to indulge in like running, fight training, fitness classes, triathlon. Most professional track and field runners now incorporate serious weight training workouts into their prep. It's also key to rehab for injury or if returning to a sport after a period of rest. Essentially you're conditioning the body ready to do your thang!
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