When we mention weights, the first and most common thought is bodybuilding and big sculpted men, but lifting weights is actually a lot more than that. With more and more people having the opportunity to train with weights and other forms of load, the common opinion about this form of training is slowly changing.
A common misconception about weight training is that they make us extremely muscular after a short period of exercise or that they are even reserved only for the male part of the population while cardio training is more recommended for women. This is one of the greatest myths, which, fortunately, is slowly being forgotten.
Read on and find out what all the benefits are behind weight training.
1. It boosts your metabolism and burns calories
Strength training helps speed up your metabolism in two ways. Building muscle increases the speed of metabolism. Muscle is metabolically more efficient than fat, which allows you to burn more calories at rest. As you build more muscle and lose fat, you will look slimmer. This is because muscle is thicker than fat, which means it takes up less space on your body. Therefore, you can lose fat even if you do not see a change in the number on the scale.
Also, losing body fat and building stronger and bigger muscles results in greater muscle definition, creating a stronger and leaner look.
2. Improves posture, sleep, mood and energy levels
In addition to aesthetic and physiological benefits, weight training affects how we feel and how clearly we think. Weight training improves the quality of sleep, and since the happiness hormone endorphin is breing activated during exercise, it is no wonder that people generally feel good during and after exercise.
3. Improves strength and endurance
Weight training helps you become stronger. Gaining strength makes it much easier for you to perform everyday tasks such as carrying heavy groceries or running after children. Furthermore, weight training helps improve athletic performance in sports that require speed and strength.
4. Improves balance and mobility
Contrary to popular belief, weight training can make you more flexible. Weight training increases the range of motion of the joints, ensuring greater mobility and flexibility. In addition, people with weaker muscles usually have a lower range of motion and flexibility. For best results, make sure you do the full range of motion when performing the exercises – in other words, use your full joint movement potential. For example, squat as low as you can without compromising your form.
5. Builds self-confidence
Weight training can significantly increase your self-confidence. It helps you overcome challenges, move towards a goal and appreciate the strength of your body. In particular, it can increase your self-efficacy – the belief that you are able to complete a task – which can greatly improve your self-confidence. In addition to strengthening physically, weight training will bring you mental strength because you will have to challenge yourself every day, work on your progress, and sometimes struggle with that little voice in your head that tells you that you may not need to go to training today.
6. Reduces the risk of injury
Incorporating weight training into your exercise routine can reduce your risk of injury. Strength training helps improve strength, range of motion and mobility of muscles, ligaments and tendons. This can strengthen major joints such as the knees, hips and ankles to provide extra protection from injury. Weight training can help correct muscle imbalance. For example, a stronger core, knee tendons, and gluteus take the load off the lower back during lifting, reducing the risk of lower back injuries.
These are just some of the benefits of weight training, and the list of benefits of this type of training is endless. If nothing else, set yourself a challenge and try to include weights in your workout and we guarantee you’ll start noticing results.
When you start training with weights, be sure to put them back in place after use to keep the gym spaces organized and tidy.
See you at your workout,
Your Gyms4you team
