Do you find yourself frequently checking fitness website or magazines? They’re full of chiseled and buff men and women staring back at you, looking tanned, happy and well-toned. Most of these images are made with Photoshop, but it’s still clear that they’ve put their time in at the gym. These are the results of weight training. Research shows that weight lifting improves the body’s composition and gives you a more toned appearance. It can make you happier, burn fat, fight depression, prevent back pain and reduce the risk of diabetes. Keep reading to learn more!
What is Weight Training?
For some, weight training the ultimate way of exercising. There is a number of strategies, intensities and machines, which means anyone can do it no matter their level. Weight training, also referred to as strength training, strengthens key muscle groups by moving or lifting weights. The force of gravity means muscles perform either eccentric or concentric contractions.
Whether you use dumbbells, weight stacks or weight bars, you are already engaging in weight training. When you consider the flexibility of this exercise in terms of opposing weights and muscle group targeting, it’s great for people all over the world.
Weight Loss Benefits of Weight Training
Several people use weight training to lose weight, because it helps you burn calories, get leaner muscles and increase your metabolism. Other benefits include:
Helps relieve depression. Weight training, as studies show, is beneficial in improving moods and stress hormone levels in our body. This may impact various things like chronic anxiety and depression, both of which are linked to obesity and poor habits. By boosting the mood, you’ll be able to maintain a much healthier diet and achieve a more fit body.
Helps in burning calories. Even though the main focus of weight training is muscle development, there is still a need to burn calories. The intensity of the exercise is much more important than the duration, as it can burn a more concentrated amount of calories.
Increases metabolism. One of the main benefits of weight training is that it helps increase the metabolism by increasing muscle mass. Your body needs more energy for muscles than it does for fat.
Health Benefits of Weight Training
Helps you maintain balance. This exercise is a good way to engage multiple muscle groups in the body, including the core, legs and back – the three muscle groups that are important for balance and flexibility.
Helps prevent diabetes. One of the most important ways to fight diabetes is exercise. By regularly adding weight training to your regimen, you may significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Boosts cardiovascular health. This is one of the best benefits of weight training. Research states that doing weight training regularly may help increase blood flow and reduce blood pressure by up to 20%.
Prevents osteoporosis. When you are lifting weights, it causes strain on the muscles. This stimulates the growth of more muscle tissues, but also puts stress on the bones, making the body increase its bone mineral density and thus lowering the risk of osteoporosis.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some of the common mistakes that you must avoid when you are weight training:
- Warm-up: Before doing any workout, it is important to do some warm-ups to prepare the body for exercise and prevent injury.
- Variation: Doing the same routine every day may will make you plateau in your training. Mix it up to keep them effective.
- Intensity: Do not push yourself too soon; it may cause some serious damage to your body.
- Recovery Time: after doing an intense workout, you must give your body time to rest and recover.
