Weight training is not just about volume. If you’re deciding whether or not weight training is worth it, check out the health benefits it can offer before making your decision.
1. Speed up weight loss:
Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine can help jumpstart weight loss. The greater the number of muscles a person has, the more calories they will burn naturally: not only do you burn fat while building muscle, you maintain it.
2. Tones the body:
While cardiovascular exercises like running are great for burning calories, they don’t offer as much toning of the body as resistance training. Lifting weights builds muscle tone and shapes the flabbier areas of the body. Fear of increasing volume? The bulky powerlifters you see spend a lot of time building the great muscle tissue they have. If you want to focus more on leaner muscle mass, try doing more reps with a lower weight.
3. Improves physical performance:
For those involved in athletics, cross training with weights can improve performance. Think of your body like a car; In theory, you can’t just put on bigger tires and expect better performance. The car as a whole must be built stronger if the vehicle is to perform at a more competent level. By applying this concept to people, increasing the overall strength of the body will improve athletic performance by allowing the body to perform more efficiently.
4. Helps reverse aging:
Weight training can reverse the metabolic degeneration that occurs as people age. Lean muscle mass also deteriorates as the body ages, and weight training will strengthen those muscles and prevent them from being replaced by body fat. Weight training also helps lower cholesterol, slow heart rate, and prevent diabetes; health risks that increase as the body ages.
These benefits are only an overview, they do not include all the emotional benefits that come with exercise and a healthier body. With most weight training sessions averaging 30 minutes, weight training is an easy way to get a lot of benefits into your day.