7 Benefits of Strength Training

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In my last post, I stressed on how strength training and HIIT can help you burn fat faster. Apart from fat burning, strength training also has a ton of other benefits that I think should be known by everybody because,

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” 

Written by Socrates during 4th Century BC. And I strongly believe in it.

Socrates

Now that we I have established how important strength training was even during the 4th century BC, let me tell you why.

• You'll be stronger

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The only type of weight I like is muscle weight, which makes you stronger and faster, with more endurance than a regular person. Besides, we have been given muscles for a reason, that reason is not just "moving", there's more to it. You must have seen people doing insane things with their strength, you can do all that, you have what it takes (we all have muscles), you just have to train your muscles for stuff like that.

• Your body will have a Muscle Armor

Muscles protect you

How likely is a person to get a fractured arm if he falls down from a bike if

A. He has a good amount of muscle mass?

B. He is skinny?

Of course, the skinny guy will have higher chances of a fractured arm because he doesn't have an extra layer of security all over his body like the other guy who has muscle mass. Muscles play a huge role in protecting our bones, they are like an armor for you.

• Your bone density will increase

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My wrists used to hurt like hell when I first started lifting, but now, even if I lift heavier than what my strength allows me to, my wrists can easily withstand the weight and I no longer feel that pain. You will have stronger bone structure than most people with improved joint movement. This means it will be less likely to get a fracture.

•  You will stay energetic

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If you spend the whole day out with your friends, walking, and dancing and going crazy, then at the end of the day, you will be the least tired person, because while you were enjoying, you had your muscles to give you extra energy, whereas your friends just had regular bodies.

Your body uses muscles as its secondary source of fuel when it has burnt all the carbs, the more muscle mass you have, the better. Keep in mind though, this does not mean you can party all day, everyday and abuse your body. Grow your muscles by giving them proper nutrients, training and time, so that they can support you when you go out and have fun like it's the last day of your life.

Also, Every activity of your day becomes easier if you have enough strength and its really amazing to do stuff with no extra effort, like lifting a gas cylinder. 

• You will have a great body, of course

It feels really great to be in shape, you will know when you get there.

Losing fat and getting in shape are two very different things, you can burn fat with other exercises too, but you won't be able to get yourself in the right shape. By toning your muscles you can give your body the shape you've always admired.

• You can keep stress at bay

Life will be happier because your new lifestyle is better.

By working out vigorously, your stress hormone (cortisol) will drop down and elevate your mood. I urge you to try it once, upon getting free from work in the evening, instead of jumping to bed or doing what you normally do, try doing a good workout. You will definitely feel refreshed and happier afterward. Your feel-good hormone (serotonin) will rise. You will thank me later.

• Prevent and Fight Diseases

No amount money can buy Health

Workout also helps to fight diseases like arthritis, diabetes etc. It will bring down your insulin levels which are directly linked to diabetes. If you are diabetic, try measuring your diabetes right after your workout, you will definitely see a lower number, all thanks to lower insulin levels by working out.

A very Interesting and Important Fact

Fitness can get you the job you've always wanted.

Overall fitness and appearance are now considered a trait while looking for potential CXOs for the companies. An article published on 27th December 2016 in The Economic Times, talks about what companies look for in a potential CXO. It goes on to talk about how a physically fit person can easily handle long hours of the job (one of the benefits I mentioned, you will stay energetic), give an impression of an active lifestyle, how he/she can handle stress well and how fitness is now considered as an important skill one acquires over a long period of time by working hard on it.

A physically fit person can do every activity of a job better than an unfit person. A person is his late 50s beat two youngsters for a CEO post, simply because he was fitter than them, he does 80 Kgs bench press. The company perceived him to be more active and confident than the other two.  

Sonal Agarwal, MD Accord Group told ET, "Organisations are increasingly looking at how a person takes care of himself/herself as an indicator of how he/she will take care of the company," 

It's true like I've always said, treat your body like an American muscle car, or any other machinery which is your favorite, and treat it just the way you treat that machinery. It shows how good you're at maintaining things.


You can read the full article here.

Remember, weight training is just a type of strength training, you can do strength training by other means too such as body weight training (and making it more challenging), upgrading your HIIT with advanced exercises, etc. The ultimate goal is to become better by increasing muscle mass and strength.