Weight training isn’t just for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone anymore. It’s really a system of exercise and health benefits that are available to everyone. If you go to a local gym and observe, you can find everyone from teenagers to great-grandmas exercising and strength training.

Weight training doesn’t mean just using barbells – it involves much more than that and is most often combined with aerobic activity during the “circuit.”

The natural benefits of weight training include:

- Slowing down bone loss
- Making your bones stronger
- Toning and firm up your body
- Increasing your muscle strength

Most people will tell you that strength training and using weights makes them more energized and happier, along with reducing stress. It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel when working out after a hard day at the office! The endorphins your body creates in response to exercise like this is very much “addictive,” and you’ll find that beyond being less-stressed, you’ll actually “crave” your workouts and look forward to them!

One of the benefits I have personally found in strength training is that it’s made my back stronger. Prior to beginning my workout, if I had to lift a lot of boxes or move heavy things, I really felt it the rest of the day, and sometimes the rest of the week. However after just a month of weight training, I found that I didn’t need to take an anti-inflammatory medication every time I moved some boxes around.

Of course, all professionals will tell you to consult a doctor before beginning your workout habit; you’ll want to make sure that there are no impediments to beginning this new part of your daily routine. Most doctors will tell you to use caution and listen to the trainers, but nearly none will eliminate exercise altogether for their patients-there are simply too many benefits from the exertion.

If you go to a chiropractor, ask him or her how strength training and weight lifting can help you and what specific exercises would benefit your back and joints. Again, s/he will probably have some specific suggestions for your body and spinal ‘issues,’ but generally, a chiropractor will tell you that strengthening back and abdominal muscles will benefit you greatly.

If you do find that you ‘overdo it’ initially, scale it back just a bit until you’re ready to move on. You can use cold and heat to minister to the aching muscle(s), and take an anti-inflammatory agent to help in the recovery. But if you do ache a bit, don’t take it as your body’s way of saying that you ‘shouldn’t workout.’ What your body is telling you is that you haven’t worked out enough and that it’s not used to the exertion!

If you plan your workout well, you will find that weight training machines can be a great part of your exercise plan and your health will improve greatly in very short order.

Benefits

Strength training can be beneficial for all age groups. It is a great form of exercise that can really improve quality of life and help fight off disease and injury.

A lot of the health benefits you get from exercise in general can be derived through strength training. It decreases risk of cardiovascular disease and increases insulin sensitivity to name a few.

Strength training can be really beneficial to mental health. It is a good stress reliever. Throwing some metal around is a great way to unwind after a hard day at the office.

It has great benefits on the musculoskeletal system and can help treat and prevent back pain, knee, ankle and shoulder problems. Strengthening the muscles around a joint can help take the strain off joints. The knee is a great example, by strengthening quadriceps and hamstring muscles you are taking some of the load off the joint.
Strength Training for the Elderly

Strength training is a great form of exercise for an elderly population. Falls are a big issue in elderly, and fractured pelvis can have a shocking effect on an elderly person’s life. Strength training is beneficial in helping to prevent falls. The stronger you are, the more easily you catch yourself if you are off balance. Strength training also increases bone density, which means if you have a fall you are less likely to break as bone.

Strength training can involve unilateral exercises. These are basically exercises done on 1 leg, such as lunges, single leg squats, standing hip extension and abduction. By standing on one leg you are challenging balance. Maintaining your balance as you age is a big part of preventing falls.
Strength Training for Athletes

Virtually all sports have some dependence on maximal strength. It underpins performance in almost every sport. Sports such as football and rugby have an obvious need for a high level of maximal strength, but all sports from tennis to baseball rely on it to help improve performance.

Athletes use a variety of methods in strength training. Machine weights, free weights, dumbells, barbells, kettleballs, resistance bands are all available and useful tools in helping developing strength.

Strength training can not only enhance athletic performance, it can also help prevent injury. Most sports involve large amounts of force being produced and also absorbed by the body. Strength training can prepare ligaments, muscles and tendons to cope this high level of force experienced during sport.

A good strength training program also ensures that proper balance is maintained between muscle groups. Correct balance between opposing muscle groups ensures good posture, which leads to efficient movement, as well as helping prevent injury.

The biggest mistakes are often made when it comes to strength training women. Even though the 1950′s are fifty plus years ago now, it seems like there are still a lot of hang ups when it comes to women and weight training. Women are able to do intense muscle building workouts just like men are – although, contrary to popular belief, working out is unlikely to cause a lot of muscle buildup unless you are taking a muscle building supplement. In fact, the sport of weight lifting will have the largest effect on your muscle tone, over any other workout activity.

Use Larger Weights To Improve Your Muscle Tone.

First of all, when it comes to strength training for women, you should throw away those tiny dumbbells that are sold in stores. These dumbbells might be marketed toward women, but the small 1-2 pound dumbbells will have very little effect on your actual muscle tone. This does not mean that you need to lift huge weights – but you should be able to feel the resistance in your arms when you pick up the dumbbells that you’re going to work out with.

In order to tone your muscles, you’re also going to have to do a lot of regular exercise. Toned muscles are not all that difficult to get, as long as you are able to stick to a regular and consistent workout routine. A good routine to get into is to work on your arm muscles one day, legs the next, abdominal muscles on the third day, and then take a break on the fourth and then repeat. This will give you enough time to heal in between workouts, but it is regular enough that you should end up with well-toned muscles in no time.

Studies have shown that people who are just beginning a workout program gain strength the fastest when they train each muscle group three times per week. It is also important to fit some cardio workouts into your week too. We recommend fitting three 30 minute workouts into your week. Cardio will help you to burn extra calories and also helps you with muscle recovery as it helps muscles to get rid of lactic acid build up that occurs from weight training. Muscles cannot properly rebuild themselves unless all lactic acid has been removed.

Compared to the many other types of exercise routines out in the world today using strength training equipment is a fairly simple way to exercise. You pick up a weight and start repetitions. Though you may wish to sit down and do some stretches first in order to warm up your muscles. This will lessen your risk of injury when you start using the strength training equipment.

Strength training is most effective when people begin the exercise with about five pounds lighter than they believe they can lift. Do about one to three sets of eight to twelve repetitions with the light weight. Then do the same with the next five or ten pounds up and if you find that this is still too light you can begin working on the next five or ten pounds up during the later half of your workout session. This way you are gradually building up the weight that you lift. This reduces your risk of spraining or damaging a muscle and still allows you to challenge yourself by increasing the weight your muscle lifts. Most trainers recommend that you use strength training equipment for twenty minutes to half an hour a day to build muscle strength and tone gradually. If you simply wish to maintain your muscle you workout two or three days a weeks for the same amount of time and with the same protocol for weights.

At the end of your workout routine you should have a cool down period. This is a time when you stretch out your muscles. They may be tight and you will need to rid them of excess lactic acid that is naturally released during a workout. Be sure to consult with a trainer in order to find the best workout routine for you and the best times to workout.

Strength training has a lot of advantages for women, and particularly for women aged 35 to 40 and older. By the age of 40, women generally begin to lose bone density and muscle mass. One study at Tufts University, designed by the author of ‘Strong Women Stay Young’, Miriam Nelson PH.D, found that instead of losing bone density and muscle mass, the women were 15 to 20 years younger after one year of weight training. They gained bone density, and their strength tests matched women who were in their 30′s and 40′s.

These women didn’t diet, but they did end up looking slimmer. Some lost 1 or 2 dress sizes, and they all replaced fat with muscle. Because muscle weighs more than fat, this is the reason they looked slimmer, though the scales may not have changed much.

The women in this study were all post menopausal, and some of their ages were in the 50′s and 60′s. They made some remarkable changes in their lives as they got stronger. One woman described going rollerblading with her children. Another went canoeing with her husband. More than any pills or potions, strength training gave these women back a youthfulness some didn’t even have to that degree in the first place.

The women in this study used leg weights and free hand weights that were adjustible in their strength training program. They started at a level they were able to – even if this was the lightest weights available. They didn’t buy lots of expensive equipment or home gyms, and many of these can be bought second hand with a little research locally. As they developed their strength, they invested in heavier weights.

For the strap on ankle weights, they started with 1 to 3 kilograms in each cuff. The suggested ankle cuffs hold up to 10 kilograms each. The dumbells they used for their arms were adjustable, and they started with 1 or 2 kilograms. The only other equipment they needed was a chair, somewhere to store the weights, and a towel. Because you’re working out in your own home you don’t need to buy expensive or flashy gym clothes, or worry about feeling the odd one out.

The workout itself is in the book, Stong Women Stay Young. It covers a range of basic exercises that don’t take up too much time, which is suggested you do twice a week. Each session takes about 40 minutes including warming up and cooling down.

Tips for women working out with weights at home

* Make sure the area you’re working in doesn’t have rugs, electrical cords, toys and other items that you can trip over
* Keep your pets and young children away from this area whilst you’re working out
* If you’re using a chair when you do exercises, make sure it’s on a carpet that won’t slide around. If you don’t have carpet, put the chair against the wall so it stays stable
* If you have problems with your back, you’ll need to be careful when you’re carrying your free weights around. Take a few trips to carry things if you have to move them in or out of a storage area. And make sure you lift them properly by bending your knees and moving slowly.
* It helps to keep the weights you’re not currently using in their container. That way they can’t be knocked off by curious children.
* If you’re using leg weights, don’t walk around with them on. It could affect your balance. And if you trip on something, you are more likely to injure yourself than normal
* Keep the telephone off the hook, and the cellphone off. That way if someone rings you won’t be interrupted
* Make sure you have some drinking water nearby in case you get thirsty.
* Don’t drink any alcohol, even a little bit, less than a couple of hours before you exercise
* Try and make sure you haven’t just eaten a meal before you work out. But by the same token, make sure you’re not starving! If you’re really hungry, you could become light headed or dizzy when you work out.
* Don’t forget to warm up!
* If you’re using weights, try doing them in front of a mirror so you can check your posture. You’ll get more out of the exercise, and work the right muscles. Sometimes our posture becomes so habitual we don’t realize it’s not quite right until we see it
* If you’re using weights, a good posture means you’re chin is down slightly, so that it’s aligned with your neck. Your neck is in line with your spine, shoulders are straight and not stiff, back is straight, and your knees are not locked or bent. Your pelvis should be tucked under a little
* When using weights, do the lifts slowly. This really works the muscles instead of letting the motion do the work for you.
* Make sure you pause for a count between lifting the weight up, and lowering it
* Don’t hold your breath whilst you’re lifting wights. Given that we’re contracting muscles, sometimes we unconsciously hold our breaths at the same time. Remember to breath, but don’t go the other extreme and hyperventilate!

References: Miriam Nelson and Sarah Wernick, Strong Women Stay Young (Lothian)

The benefits of a good strength training program are almost endless. Less disease, happiness and most importantly, showing off your muscles at the beach.

Strength training should be part of everyone’s routine. Even if you are low on time, strength training, according to the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), only needs to be done 2-3 times per week with each session lasting no more than one hour. For 2-3 hours per week, huge benefits can be realized.

Regular strength training will:

**help you in day to day activities around the house and in your yard. It will keep you independent which is especially important in the older population. Imagine not being able to lift a 5 pound bag of flour or take the garbage out by yourself.

**lower the risk of osteoporosis, hypertension and diabetes.

**help you avoid lower back pain.

**increase bone density which is important for post menopausal women.

**increase muscle mass which burns more calories throughout the day than an equal amount of fat.

Even with all these benefits, many people are reluctant to start training with weights. Concerns include injury, incorrect form and for women; not wanting to grow muscles and look like a man.

When beginning your strength training program, the risk of getting hurt can be greatly reduced by starting out with machines rather than free weights. As you become more comfortable with the machines, slowly learn to use free weights. If you want to stick with the machines, know that they will give you the same benifits as free weights. As for the concern that women will look like men, it won’t happen without the help of steroids, which you shouldn’t even consider using.

Sometimes when we think of being healthy, we think of eating and running. While these are important, strength training should never be left out. Strength training provides benefits to your health that cannot be found with any other mode of exercise and shouldn’t be forgotten.

What’s one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis? According to many experts in the field of bone health, it’s exercise. More specifically, strength training offers many benefits for men and women at risk of bone loss from osteoporosis.

Strength training, also called resistance training, uses resistance from free weights, resistance bands, and water exercise or weight machines to help build strength in muscles. It also can help work on the bones to prevent the loss of minerals that weaken them. In fact, according to sports doctors, strength training can increase your bone strength, reduce your risk of osteoporosis, improve the strength of your connective tissues, which increases joint stability and increase the functional strength of your muscles.

If you already have osteoporosis, say doctors, strength training can still benefit you in many ways, but you should work with your doctor or an experienced physical therapist to design a workout that will benefit your bones without increasing the risk of stress or compression fractures.

If your main intent is to prevent osteoporosis, you should work with heavier weights and more resistance. A study conducted at the University of Arizona and published in Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise gives some answers to that. In that study, scientists recruited 140 post menopausal women with a history of sedentary lifestyle for a year-long regimen of three time’s weekly workouts. The women performed eight exercises specifically chosen to work on particular muscle groups .Scientists took bone scans both before and after the study. The results showed that the chosen exercises had a measurable effect on the bones of the hips, site of the most common fractures in post menopausal women. They also found that the greater the amount of total weight lifted over the course of the year, the greater the benefits to the bones.

If you’re just starting a resistance and strength training program, doctors and physical therapists offer the following tips:

Consult your doctor and follow a program designed by a physical therapist which takes your strengths and needs into account.

Work out at a gym or health club under the supervision of professionals who can help monitor and adjust your workout program.

Start slow and build gradually. Strength and resistance training is a slow process.

Never increase weights in resistance training more than 10% at a time. Increasing more than that risks injury.

Lift and lower weights slowly. Avoid ‘jerking’ them up to avoid injury.

Perform your resistance workout every third day.

Avoid exercise that puts a lot of strain on your joints and bones, and stay away from the rowing machine. The bending required puts your spine at risk of compression fractures.

If any area is particularly tender or stiff immediately after a workout, apply ice to it for 10-15 minutes to reduce inflammation.

Proper exercise, weight control and a healthy diet all contribute to keeping your bones strong and preventing the loss of bone density due to osteoporosis. Do your bones a favor and give them a good workout a couple of times a week.

This series covers the 3 most important aspects of setting up a strength training regimen, starting with basic aspects of a strength training routine like goal setting and planning to workout routines and exercise. This article deals with the first stage of a successful strength training routine, goals and a plan for reaching them.

Step I: Setting Goals
All goals, from successful entrepreneur to earning a doctorate starts off as an idea in your head. Writing down your goals on paper is a good step towards making those dreams a reality. Setting the goal of getting stronger and shaping your body is no different. So, the first step you must take is getting a notebook that you can dedicate to your new workout routine.

Once you have your notebook dedicate the first page to all of your goals, this can be anything from getting in shape for a healthier lifestyle or getting strong enough beat up your brother. Next, break down your goals by the amount of time you expect it to take to reach them. It’s a really good idea to set short and long term goals. Reaching short term goals gives you that extra boost you’ll need to sustain a long term fitness routine and reach some of your bigger, longer term goals. Here is a sample list of goals:

Short Term Goals:
1: Bench press 150 lbs.
2: Keep my routine going for at least a month
3: Be able to do 50 pushups

Long Term Goals:
1: Bench press 200 lbs.
2: Keep my routine going for 3 months
3: Do 100 pushups
4: Look good for prom

Step II: The Plan
Flip to the next blank page in your fitness journal and write a schedule for working out. A 3 day a week commitment is great for beginners because excessive strength training can damage the body, particularly if you haven’t been active lately. If possible, leave a day between every workout session. This allows your body to recuperate from the stress and rigors of strength training. If you can’t spread out your workout sessions, focus on one muscle group during each session. This will increase the effectiveness of your workouts and also prevent damage being done to your body.

Next, plan your workout routine. A good routine will include stretches to warm up your body. Stretching before workout sessions is also a good way to prevent injuries and remain limber. Starting off with a few pushups and crunches is also a great way to gear your body up for a tough weight training routine.

Now, get out your journal and set dates and times for your fitness sessions, be very specific and make sure you have enough to time warm up and cool down. Decide what muscle groups you’ll be working each day and design a workout routine specifically for yourself. This will prevent you from competing against Joe Blow next to you who has been regularly working out for the past 5 years and keep you on track to reach your goals.

Step III: Your First Workout
Your first workout ever is not going to be your “normal routine”. Rather, your going to use your first session to gauge how in-shape you are. Start with stretches of course and then perform some of these exercises to determine your physical condition: See how many crunches, sit, pull and chin ups you can do in a minute. Next, check your max. (Max means the maximum weight you can lift during an exercise.) You can do this with bench press, leg press, curling, chest press, shoulder press, squats, and almost any other strength training exercise. Next, you’re going to want to the amount of weight you can rep with every strength training exercise you plan to do. (To “rep” means to perform an exercise frequently without stopping.) Write down all your results in your fitness journal and date it. You’ll use this to track your progress which will also keep you motivated to continue your strength training routine.

That ends part I in this series. Part II will detail specific strength training routines designed to achieve certain goals such as body definition and muscle building. I hope you understand the importance of keeping a log of your fitness routine because it can mean the difference between exercising for a week and exercising for life!

Over the years there has been a surge of different strength training techniques that have come onto the market and just faded away. Here we discuss the training strategies to gain the maximum amount of muscle in the shortest time possible that have stood up to the test of time.

Most of these strength-training strategies have been around for years but are not followed by many training systems these days. Lets look at a few below that actually work.

1. Training Frequency

The two main components of strength training are the intensity of the exercise and the recovery after the exercise. Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is what is needed to increase functional muscle size in the shortest period of time.

The latest research has repeatedly shown that muscles over-compensate (become stronger) up to a week after the previous workout, provided that the muscles are trained to failure.

Remember it’s not the training volume but the intensity and recuperation that are important when it comes to gains in strength and muscle.

2. Exercises Per Session

Tests under strict gym conditions have revealed that you’ve only got a limited amount of (readily available) energy to use for a weight training session. Blood tests on individuals have also revealed that blood sugar levels (available energy) drop dramatically after 20 to 30 minutes of high intensity training.

As you only have a short period of time to train before our blood sugar level drops, “Exercise Selection” is crucial. You have to use Multi-Joint or Compound movements, as these offer the most training stimulus for the available amount of time. In other words, we can train many muscles simultaneously and thus use our energy more efficiently.

Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of. All the main structures of the body are worked hard during this time. Working on these big compound movements has a knock-on effect throughout the whole body; there is no need for specialization techniques or isolation movements.

The fact is, the whole body is worked hard, rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session we push out a few more reps than before with the same weight, then we have gotten stronger i.e. more muscle.

3. Number of Sets per Exercise

After performing one complete set a compound exercise to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise.

If you’re able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it’ll be pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. Thus you’ll have to raise the intensity level you put out for the first set.

If you give the first set 100% effort and work the exercise hard to total failure (eg. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be not more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise.

If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you’re wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Training one set will decrease the chances of over-training. It will also allow you to save more energy for other exercises required during the workout.

4. Number of Repetitions per Set

The development of muscle and strength is interrelated, it always has been. Strength training Sessions produce increases in strength that is equal to increases in functional muscle. (You’ll become stronger and grow muscle).

Cycling intensity through changes in repetitions and weight throughout a ten-week program is an effective way to maintain progression and avoid training plateaus (slumps in strength).

Repetitions can be cycled, the higher repetition range will stimulate the slow twitch muscle fibres and promote endurance. Moving further down the scale, the lower repetition range will activate the fast twitch muscle fibres and increase strength and muscle size.

What many sports medicine professionals realize that parents do not is that strength training can do so much more for your child than simply giving them muscle mass. Important in helping to ward off injuries as well as building overall strength a proper strength training program can benefit your child both in long term and short term goals.

From the very first athletic attempt your child has, to the very last having the strength necessary to execute the sport effectively is one of their single most important needs. Ensuring the proper strength levels can be beneficial in both normal life, as well as the athletic field and provides a great way to children to help avoid injury as well as create healthy strength habits for life. While the exact type of strength training varies from child to child, the far reaching benefits are attainable to everyone.

Regardless of whether your child is playing soccer, basketball, football, or even running track or swimming having the proper muscle strength necessary can often help avoid overuse injuries that are so prevalent amongst young children. Forcing the muscles to strengthen up allows the muscles to work harder before an injury occurs. Experts have all agreed the children as young as six can safely work on strength training when closely monitored by an adult.

The ability to start strength training at such a young age helps to ensure that while children are busy learning about sports, they are also able to embrace the benefits of proper safety precautions rather than merely learning how to treat injuries. While not all children become huge fans of strength training it is still a wise idea to teach it.

Overall, it is very important for the adults involved in strength training to closely monitor the child. The sports medicine doctor working together with a fitness coach can usually advise about the correct amount of time as well as repetitions for each exercise to ensure that the maximum benefits are achieved, without potentially causing the child injury.

It is vital to also ensure that your child understands exactly what is expected of them. While the idea of allowing a young child to life weights may not seem appealing to many, it is something that does appeal to others. However, setting limits to the amount lifted, as well as how long is very important to ensure that the child is not injured in any way.

Parents can also work with children and a fitness coach to work out the best strength routine for them based upon age, sports, and body type. It is important to only allow a child to engage in strength training with proper supervision both by a doctor and by a knowledgeable trainer. Your child’s doctor should be aware that strength training is going to be occurring before your child starts so that a through check up can be conducted to ensure that your child is well enough to handle the rigors of strength training.

Other considerations that are very important is the equipment that your child uses. Most sports medicine professionals can agree that while a child is encouraged to engage in strength training they should almost always avoid using the same equipment as adults. Instead, it is vital that children engage in exercises and training that is designed for their smaller bodies. Most children are not big enough to safely use the adult sized equipment. It is essential that you find a gym that can accommodate your child has needs, or consider purchasing small sets of weights for your home.

With proper precautions, and careful supervision strength training for children can reduce the number of injuries, increase strength, improve endurance and provide excellent health benefits overall. By focusing on age appropriate exercises and ensuring that your child is properly supervised you can be assured that you are helping your child develop into the strongest possible, while fighting off injuries and other problems.