5 Benefits Of Strength Training You Need To Know

While many think of strength training as something only bodybuilders do, it’s essential to any fitness routine. It helps build muscle, lose weight, and improve overall health for people of any age. Let’s look into how it works and discuss what you can do to get the most out of your routines.

What Are 5 Benefits Of Strength Training?

Strength training has a range of health benefits that go beyond muscle-building. 

Here are the top 5 strength training benefits:

• Increases Muscle Mass And Strength

Most people engage in strength training to build lean muscle. 

More lean muscle can help you tone up, feel better, and complete your daily tasks more efficiently.

• Improves Stability And Balance

Strength training also reduces the risk of injury by improving balance and movement efficiency (1).

• Boosts Metabolism And Fat Loss

Strength training can help boost your metabolism.

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body turns food and drink into energy. 

A faster metabolism burns more calories, even while resting, which can help you lose weight (2).

• Enhances Bone Density

Regular exercise can help strengthen bones by improving bone density, similar to chewing, which strengthens the jawbone. Stronger and denser bones mean a reduced risk of osteoporosis later in life (3).

• Improves Mental Health

Studies show that engaging in physical activity, like strength training, can have a positive effect on reducing anxiety and depression, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and in a better overall mood (4).

Read more: I Want to Be Skinny: 6 Science-Backed Strategies for Fat Loss

Is Strength Training Good For You?

Strength training benefits people of all ages and fitness levels. 

Adding a full-body strength training routine to your schedule can help:

• Improve your quality of life.
• Reduce the risk of injuries.
• Even extend your longevity.
• Put you on the path to weight loss (5).

How Does Strength Training Work?

Strength training involves resistance exercises that challenge your muscles against an external force. These workouts create tiny tears in the muscle that repair and grow stronger with rest, leading to a more significant, stronger muscle. 

To continue growing, you must add resistance or weight, which we call progressive overload, as you are capable (1).

What Are The Big Five Strength Training Exercises?

The big five strength training exercises target all the main muscle groups, making them a great way to improve overall strength. They are perfect for beginners and those who are low on time and want to get the most out of their workout (6).

• Squats

Squats strengthen the legs and core.

• Deadlifts

Deadlifts work the posterior chain, which includes the hamstrings and the back.

• Bench Press

The Bench press is a great exercise, especially once you can do a lot of push-ups and need to find a way to progress further. It is an effective way to build your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

• Overhead Press

The overhead press is perfect for developing your shoulders, arm strength, and triceps.

• Pull Ups 

Pull-ups target the back and multiple upper body muscles. This muscle engagement helps with functional daily movements involving pulling (e.g., pulling open a door) while improving posture.

What Are 5 Key Benefits Of Strength Training?

• Cardiovascular Health

Regular strength training can lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart-related issues. It will also help strengthen the heart, improve memory, and even protect against Alzheimer’s disease (7).

• Increases Fat Burning

Strength training is an excellent tool for losing weight or toning your body. 

It boosts metabolism, which can help you burn more calories. The increased heart rate during your workout will also help you burn more calories (8).

• Improves Endurance

Strength training can help enhance endurance, which can improve athletic performance. 

Enhanced endurance can make daily activities, like walking up and down steps, seem easier (1).

• Boosts Self Confidence

Strength training is great for building self-confidence. Not only will you look and feel better, but you will also be more sure of yourself. More strength means less fear about struggling to carry groceries, open doors, or walk a long distance.

• Supports Joint Health

Strength training helps strengthen the small muscles around your joints, improving flexibility and stability. This strengthening of joint muscles can reduce the risk of injury, especially from falls (1).

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What Should You Avoid In Strength Training?

• Overtraining

Rest and recovery are vital to muscle-building. Your muscles need time to heal and grow, so schedule rest days to avoid overtraining.

• Poor Form

Poor form when strength training could lead to injury. It will also reduce the gains you receive and create muscle imbalances by favoring one side over the other.

• Ignoring Warm-Ups And Cool-Downs

Not taking the time to prepare your body for an exercise with light stretching can increase the risk of strains and injury. In addition, forgetting the cool-down stretches can increase muscle soreness (9).

• Not Adjusting Weight Appropriately

Using too much or too little weight can reduce your gains from your workout and even lead to injury. 

While the exact weight you choose will vary based on your goals, a good rule of thumb is as follows:

• For strength and power training: 

Focus on 1-5 reps per set. 

Try to set the weight at 80 – 90% of your max. For instance, if you can lift 100 lbs, set the weight to 80 lbs.

• For muscle growth (hypertrophy) training:

Aim for 8-12 reps per set. Set the weight to 65- 75% of your one-rep maximum.

• For muscular endurance: Aim for 12-20 reps per set and use lighter weights. 

A good starting point is 50 – 60% of your one-rep max.

• Beginners should use a weight that allows them to complete 10 – 12 reps.
• The set should feel challenging but allow you to keep good form throughout (10).

Read more: Gym Workout Plan for Female Beginners

What Is A Good Schedule For Effective Strength Training?

A full-body strength training routine will consider your goals and fitness level. If you are a beginner, limiting your strength workouts to 2-3 times per week is a good idea, while intermediate and advanced athletes can typically complete strength training workouts 4-6 days each week.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are 5 benefits of strength training to lose weight?

• Lowers overall body fat percentage when combined with a healthy calorie deficit diet
• Boosts metabolism for long-term health benefits by increasing muscle mass 
• Improving blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity
• Preserves muscle mass during fat loss
• Burns calories

• What are some strength training benefits female-wise?

Women can benefit from weight training as much as men, experiencing increased muscle tone, improved metabolism, stronger bones, and better posture. 

While many worry that strength training might make them bulky, that takes a lot of hard work. 

You can receive benefits like improved posture and a faster metabolism without adding a lot of muscle (11).

• What are some unexpected benefits of weight training?

Besides the physical improvements, strength training can help you sleep better. It’s also good for reducing stress and can even help improve brain function.

• What are some disadvantages of weight training?

Strength training has disadvantages, including muscle soreness after workouts, especially if you are a beginner or your workout is slightly more intense than usual. 

Some people feel tired after a workout, and there is a risk of injury if you don’t pay attention to your form or add too much weight (10).

• What are the benefits of strength training for weight loss?

Strength training is efficient for weight loss. It increases metabolism and builds lean muscle, which helps prevent weight regain. Strength training burns calories; you must burn more calories than you consume to lose fat. Combine this increased calorie burn with a calorie-deficient diet, and fat loss will occur. 

• What is functional strength training?

Functional strength training builds strength, balance, and coordination to make daily tasks easier. Exercises mimic everyday movements, including farmer’s carries (holding groceries and walking home), push-ups (pushing a door open), and squats (getting up from a seated position) (12).

• What is calisthenics strength training?

Calisthenics strength training routines focus on exercises without equipment or weights. This form of exercise uses your body weight as the resistance rather than an external load (dumbbell, barbell, etc). These can include pull-ups, push-ups, and squats, which are great for building functional strength and endurance (13).

• What is a full body strength training routine?

A full-body strength training routine targets all of the major muscle groups in the body.

It usually incorporates compound movements, like squats and pull-ups, that target multiple muscle groups to accomplish this. This routine helps ensure balanced muscle development and optimal fitness.

The Bottom Line

The benefits of weight training go beyond building muscle. It can improve overall health by increasing metabolism, improving cardiovascular health, and helping you burn more calories daily. 

Fat loss will occur when combined with a calorie deficit, and muscle mass can increase when combined with a calorie surplus.

It also strengthens bones and can support mental well-being. Avoid common mistakes like overtraining and poor form to reduce the risk of injury and stay on track to better health.