The Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training is a great modality that should have place in everyone’s workout program. Hands down!
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But, what is strength training? Perhaps your first thought is olympic weight lifting

​Or maybe it is strongman activities

​Or bodybuilding

​Really, “strength training” is quite a broad term. Strength is the ability to exert or resist force. Training is the act or process. So, Strength Training is the process of exerting or resisting force.

We’ll just keep it within the physical dimension today, but you can apply those definitions to other characteristics such as ‘mental strength.’

So, if strength training is ‘the act of resisting or exerting force’ as long as the energy put into a movement is at or above the threshold to maintain position, you’re strength training!

I guess what I’m saying is that, strength training is not just big weights and bodybuilding.
Strength training can be ‘stereotypical exercise’

​or Physical Therapy

or ​Isometrics

or many other options.

Strength training is not dependent of a certain amount weight, what positions are had, the speed in which a movement takes place, or the equipment used.

In fact, we can strength train with weights, elastic bands, our bodyweight, nature, or machines.

However you choose to do your strength training, there can be some great benefits such as improvements in
-Bone density
-Substrate utilizations (such as glucose)
-Body composition
-Confidence
-Strength
-Range of motion
-Control
-Endurance
-Balance
-Pain management
-Quality of life

Whatever your goal is, strength training definitely has a role in helping you achieve it. Let's look at examples.

You go to physical therapy for a knee injury, odds are they will give you a variety of strength exercises to strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the knee.

Maybe your goal is to always play with your grandchildren. Strength training will help you have the mobility and strength to get up and down off the ground and even lift your 40 lbs grandchild!

You have visited your doctor and they’re concerned about your bone density, proper strength training can help to thicken and strengthen the bones according to Wolfe’s Law.

Perhaps you want to attend a wedding in your best shape possible. Strength training can help you lose a little weight and add a small amount of muscle in the right places to make you look  fit. This look can thereby instill confidence.

Heck, strength training is great for all of these things, but sometimes its just nice to know you can help you friend move their couch or shovel snow without the fear of throwing out your back.
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So, when you hear “strength training,” don’t discredit it as something that is “not for you.” It is for all of us. Sure, our movements, weight, speed, and repetitions may look different, but we’re all getting stronger.