What are the Benefits of Strength Training?

If you're like most people, you probably think that cardio is the best way to stay in shape. After all, it's what most people do at the gym, right? Wrong!

I have been on my fitness journey for a handful of years and when I first jumped into the game, I wanted abs from day one! I tried very hard at all the different diets and quick fixes and none of them worked. I started with cardio and running as much as I could, and I just wasn’t getting the results I wanted. I was under the assumption that cardio would get me there. I had to pivot and hit the chalk board and come up with a whole new game plan. Through my planning I identified several key points I want to share. 

While cardio is great for your heart and lungs, strength training is actually more effective for overall fitness and weight loss. When it comes to working out, there are a lot of different options out there. You could go for a run, take a yoga class, or lift some weights. But if you're looking for an activity that will give you the most bang for your buck, strength training is the way to go. Here are the top five benefits of strength training that will have you pumping iron in no time.

Strength training builds muscle

Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn even when you're at rest. If you're looking to build muscle, strength training at the gym is a great way to do it. By lifting weights and working your muscles, you can create the ripped physique you've always wanted. Of course, simply going to the gym and lifting weights isn't enough. You need to be strategic about your workouts and make sure you're doing exercises that are actually going to help you build muscle. This means targeting all the major muscle groups and using proper form.

You need to be eating a healthy diet that provides your body with the nutrients it needs to build muscle. This means plenty of protein, which can be found in foods like chicken, fish, and tofu. With the right approach, strength training can help you achieve the strong, muscular body you've always wanted.

Strength training helps you lose fat

When you do cardio, you may lose water weight or even muscle mass if you're not careful. With strength training, you'll be losing mostly fat. A lot of people think that the only way to lose fat is to do hours upon hours of cardio. But that's not necessarily true. In fact, one of the best ways to lose fat is to incorporate strength training into your workout routine. When you do cardiovascular exercises like running or biking, you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. And while that's great for weight loss, it doesn't do much to build muscle. Strength training, on the other hand, helps you build muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn, even when you're at rest.

So, if you want to lose fat and get toned, strength training is the way to go. If you're looking to lose fat and get toned, then strength training is the way to go. It's more effective than cardio alone and has a host of other benefits too.

Strength training increases your metabolism

The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. This means you'll burn more calories even when you're not working out. When you think of ways to boost your metabolism, you might first think of activities like running or biking. And while those activities do indeed help to increase your metabolism, strength training provides its own unique benefits in this regard. For one thing, when you engage in strength training, you build muscle. And muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, meaning that it burns more calories even when you're at rest.

In addition, strength training helps to increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Your RMR is the number of calories that your body burns at rest, and it accounts for a large portion of the calories you burn in a day. So, the higher your RMR, the more calories you'll burn even when you're not exercising. And strength training has been shown to be an effective way to increase RMR. If you're looking for a way to give your metabolism a boost, look no further than strength training. Not only does strength training help you build muscle, but it also helps to increase your resting metabolic rate. And both of these factors can lead to increased calorie burning and improved overall health.

Strength training helps improve your bone density

As we age, our bones become weaker and more fragile. Strength training can help prevent this by increasing bone density. Bone density is important for everyone, but it's especially crucial for athletes. That's because the impact of our training can put a lot of stress on our bones. If we don't have strong bones, we're more likely to get injured. In fact, research has shown that athletes with low bone density are up to six times more likely to suffer a stress fracture than those with higher bone density.

So how does strength training help improve our bone density? When we lift weights, our bones adapt in response to the increased load by getting stronger and denser. This process, known as "bone remodeling," helps keep our bones healthy and strong throughout our lives. In addition to improving our bone density, strength training also helps us build muscle mass and improve our balance. Both of these benefits are important for athletes of all ages.

 As we get older, we tend to lose muscle mass and our balance isn't what it used to be. By incorporating strength training into our routines, we can help offset some of these age-related changes and stay at the top of our game for years to come. If you're an athlete—or even if you're just looking to stay fit and healthy—it's important to make sure you're doing everything you can to protect your bones. Strength training is a great way to improve your bone density and reduce your risk of injury.

Strength training can help relieve joint pain

If you have joint pain, cardio may not be the best exercise for you. Joint pain is a common issue for athletes, especially as they get older. While there are a number of ways to relieve joint pain, one of the most effective is strength training. By building the muscles around the joints, you can take pressure off of the joints themselves, which can help reduce pain and inflammation.

When you lift weights, you put stress on your muscles, which causes them to adapt and grow stronger. This process also works to build the tendons and ligaments around your joints, which can help stabilize the joint and protect it from further injury.

Strength training increases the production of synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is a thick, slippery fluid that lubricates your joints and helps them move smoothly. If you don't have enough synovial fluid, your joints will rub against each other, which can cause pain. Exercise helps increase the production of synovial fluid, which means less joint pain for you!

When you exercise, you move your joints through their full range of motion. This helps keep your joints flexible and prevents them from getting stiff. Range of motion is especially important for people with arthritis, as stiff joints can be very painful. By exercising regularly, you can help improve range of motion and reduce joint pain.

Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that are released by your body during exercise. Endorphins have been shown to relieve pain, improve mood, and reduce stress levels. So, if you're feeling Joint Pain, a little exercise might be just what the doctor ordered!

So, there you have it! Five reasons why strength training is better than cardio for overall fitness and weight loss. You might ask several different people and get several different answers on what is best. While on my journey this is what I found to be interesting and actually worked for me and several clients.

On the other hand, everyone’s body is different, and everybody has different goals. It is vital when training that you pay attention to your body and do your research. Study yourself! Trial and error. Give yourself more than 2 weeks to see results. Find a program and give it at least 60-90 days of intentional working out before you make a final assessment on if it worked or not.

So next time you hit the gym, make sure you're spending more time in the weight room than on the treadmill. Cardio definitely has its own positives, but if you want to maximize your gym sessions, strength training is the way to go. Trust me your body will thank you for it!

Rolando Ruiz F45 Coach