Strength training is the most important thing we do. Here are 7 reasons why I make that claim.

Reduce body fat

Reports have shown that after only 8 weeks of training adults who were given a constant diet were able to lower their body fat percentage. More lean muscle burns more calories!

Reverse aging effects

Adults who do not strength train lose between 5-7 pounds of muscle every decade. Because muscle is active tissue, muscle loss is accompanied by a reduction in the resting metabolic rate. The average adult experiences a 2% to 5% reduction in metabolic rate every decade of life. Regular strength training prevents muscle loss and the accompanying decrease in metabolic rate.

Better bone health

Appropriate applications of progressive resistance exercise is the key to increasing bone mineral density and connective tissue strength.

Improved glucose uptake

Study’s have shown a 23% increase in glucose uptake after 4 months of resistance training. Because poor glucose metabolism is associated with type 2 Diabetes, improved glucose metabolism is an important benefit of regular strength exercise for those dealing with diabetes.

Lower risk of colon cancer

One study at the University of Maryland (1992) showed a 56% increase in gastrointestinal transit time after 3 months of resistance training in middle-aged and older men. This is significant because delayed gastrointestinal transit time is related to a higher risk of colon cancer.

Lower blood pressure

Resistance training has been shown to significantly reduce resting blood pressure.

This type of training is not just for football players and bodybuilders. Everyone benefits! Adults older than 40 especially need resistance training on a regular basis. There are a variety of strength training options: old-fashioned barbells and dumbbells, body-weight exercises, machine-based workouts, and more. These can all be done as part of a personal training program or in a group setting like a fitness boot camp.

Regardless of the approach you take, get started now. In a short period of time you can be enjoying the benefits of better health and fitness that result from strength training.

Personal Trainer, Josh Hower

Josh leading a bootcamp workout.

Brittany Hagan is Miss Cosmopolitan 2009.  Miss Cosmo is part of the Miss America scholarship program and a preliminary to Miss Indiana.

Brittany and I met at Beyond Your Best, a personal development program.  We became friends and I gave her some help with her own workouts.  Recently, she asked me to give some advice to her peers.

When I competed in bodybuilding, I remember always looking for a way to standout in the crowd on stage.  I image the young ladies in the Miss Cosmo or Miss Indiana competitions had the same desire.  My suggestion to help them stand out was to improve muscle tone.

My guess was that most of these women probably had somewhat healthy diets.  I was also willing to guess that most of them did a lot of cardio but very little weight training.

Hours of cardio and calorie deprivation are not the way to look your best.  Resistance training is the key to adding muscle and improving tone.  Not only that, but when you add muscle you will burn more calories.

The goal of resistance training is muscle overload.  This overload requires significant exertion.  Deep muscle fatigue (not pain) is the sign that you’re experiencing overload.  A good sweat is not enough.  As I suggested to them, I find most people, especially women, underestimate their strength.  This is where a trainer can be a valuable asset to you.  They will no how to help you push yourself safely.

Regardless of what method you use, the point of resistance training is muscle overload.  That’s the only way to increase muscle.   Muscle overload requires significant exertion.  Your workout may cause you to sweat but if you aren’t experiencing a deep muscle fatigue then you are not experiencing overload.  For example, if you can do 15 reps of a particular exercise then you aren’t using enough weight.  I find most people, especially women, underestimate their strength capability.   This is where a personal trainer can make a big difference.

Weight training won’t require that you spend in hours lifting weights in the gym.  Your own body weight can be sufficient to get the kind of exertion you need.  And three 30 minute sessions a week will do.

If you aren’t doing any strength training I encourage you to give it a try.