7 Reasons Why You Should Start Strength Training
“Strong is the new skinny”
Debating whether or not to start strength training? Take this as a sign! There are countless benefits of lifting weights. Check out my top 7 reasons why you should add strength training into your routine!
Okay- the obvious: muscle looks way better in your skinny jeans and clothes, but there are many more reasons to start strength training than that. You get to eat more. You burn more calories at a resting state. You protect your bones, tendons and organs. And you get stronger. Hello, don’t-mess-with-me attitude and confidence! If these reasons alone don’t make you want to start lifting weights, then read on for more.
1. 60 percent of people who weight train get an average of seven hours or more of sleep per night.
Weight training requires time for your muscles to recover, meaning you need your rest. When you’re lifting weights a few times a week, you’ll notice that you sleep better as your body allocates resources to rebuild your muscle fibers. In other words- you’ll sleep like a baby!
2. Weight training lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and blood pressure.
Need I say more? Getting the stress out of your system by pumping iron helps reduce the stress hormone, cortisol. With less cortisol surging through your body, your blood pressure can even out while you lower your LDL levels.
3. Increased metabolism means you burn more calories when your body is resting.
Ever hear the saying, “Muscle burns more calories than fat”? Muscle takes more energy to maintain, meaning that your resting metabolic rate is higher than if you hadn’t lifted weights. Turning up your internal furnace, you can spend less time in the gym and more time living your fit life!
4. Adding just two weight training sessions a week can reduce body fat by seven percent.
When your muscles are growing and repairing, it increases your lean muscle mass. Combined with your increased resting metabolic rate, body fat decreases. Just adding two sessions can make a huge difference in your results! This also means that you don’t have to log hours on cardio machines (BORING); lifting boosts your metabolism throughout the day!
5. Weight lifting boosts dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, making it a natural antidepressant.
Breaking a sweat releases serotonin, the happiness hormone. When you’re weight lifting, you have to stay more present by counting reps, focusing on your form and keeping track of sets. This helps reduce stress by keeping you engaged in what you’re doing and helps release these hormones even more than you would during a cardio session where you can zone out and focus on something else.
6. By age 80, sedentary people will lose 50 percent of their muscle mass. Weight training can stop, prevent and reverse muscle loss.
As we age, we lose muscle mass - I know, annoying. But, when you implement strength training into your routine, you’re helping your muscles continue to grow. As you age, you can offset muscle loss by lifting weights a few times a week.
7. With better muscle coordination overall body mechanics are improved.
Strength training requires muscle coordination to execute different moves. By improving this capability, you take the pressure off of your joints and strengthen the muscles you need to increase stability. Improving your posture and taking pressure off of your fascia, lifting weights helps your body move with greater ease.
Get started by planning your workouts. I like to plan out 2-3 lifting sessions a week along with 1-2 HIIT sessions. After these, schedule any other workouts that you like to do! These are activities that you get excited for, and don’t feel like a burden. They can be anything from yoga to taking a walk to just doing mindful stretching in the morning. You should enjoy your workouts and what you’re doing, but laying out this schedule will get you the results you want!
Weight lifting keeps you engaged in the present moment while you strengthen your body, feeling powerful and capable. As if you needed any more reasons to start lifting! Check out my favorite strength training workout to get started. I would love to help you as you try it out! Let me know if you have any questions.
Now - go get your lift on!