Are you looking for an effective way to burn calories, reduce body fat, and develop lean muscles simultaneously? Then strength training is the straight answer! Learn about all the benefits you can get from strength training and the beginner-friendly exercises you can do to improve your overall strength below!
The Benefits of Strength Training
Strength training is not just about bodybuilders lifting weights in a gym. Regular strength training is important for males and females of all ages and fitness levels to help prevent the natural loss of lean muscle mass that comes with aging (sarcopenia).
Besides making you stronger and preventing the loss of lean muscle mass, strength training can also give you many other significant health benefits.
1. Burns your Calories Efficiently
Did you know that performing muscle-building exercises such as strength training can increase your metabolic rate even days after your workout? Research shows that your metabolic rate is increased up to 72 hours after strength-training exercise!
This is why strength training is an efficient way to burn calories because it allows you to burn more calories at rest.
2. Low Abdominal Fat
Want to gain a leaner body shape while also maintaining your overall health? If so, you may try to include strength training in your fitness routine!
Strength exercises are proven to be an effective way to reduce the fat stored around your abdomen that is commonly associated with many chronic diseases, including heart diseases and diabetes.
3. Develop Strong Bone
Practicing regular strength training will help you to develop stronger bones by increasing your bone density. By having stronger bones, your risk of developing osteoporosis and fracture bone is also decreased.
4. Lower your Risk of Injury
One study shows that Including strength training in your routine exercise may reduce your risk of injury by 33%!
Strength training helps you to improve the strength and mobility of your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This can reinforce strength around major joints like your knees, hips, and ankles to provide extra protection against injury.
Basic Strength Training Movements
If you’re new to strength training, you’ll want to master basic movement patterns first. This will ensure you’re performing exercises safely and effectively. Here are the five basic movements you can do to improve your body strength.
1. Squat
Squats are the best strength exercise for beginners because they will strengthen your core as well as your lower body.
Instruction:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, feet facing forward.
- Look straight with your arms facing forward.
- Slowly lower your bottom down, as low as you can.
- Make sure your knees do not push forward past your toes.
2. Plank
Although mainly designed to build a stronger core, planks work just about every muscle in your body as well.
Instruction:
- Facedown with your forearms and toes on the floor.
- Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your belly toward your spine.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, working up to a few minutes overtime.
3. Push-Ups
Push-ups are basic strength training movements to strengthen your chest, shoulders, and arms.
Instruction:
- Start in a plank position with your arms extended.
- Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.
- Keep your body straight and push yourself back up to a plank position again.
4. Deadlifts
Deadlifting can increase your core strength, core stability and improve your posture. Deadlifting trains most of the muscles in the legs, lower back, and core that are responsible for your posture.
Instruction:
- Sit your hips back, slightly bend your knees, and lean your torso forward.
- Grab the bar by placing your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing toward your body.
- Push your feet into the floor and try to stand up.
5. Rows
Today almost everyone sits at a desk for their job, making our back muscles weaken as we hunch over our computers. Performing rows will give you better posture and prevent upper back and shoulder tightness in the long run.
Instruction:
- Grab the bar with your hands,palms-down, and let it hang with your arms straight.
- Brace your core and squeeze your shoulders together to row the weight up until it touches your breastbone.
- slowly lower it back down again.
If you haven’t tried strength training, now is the time to start!
Build your strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance in our Strength Training class. Our class features a series of strength-training exercises designed to effectively improve your muscular strength and endurance.
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