Size Matters: The Benefits of Strength Training
If you want to build bigger biceps or get an elusive six pack, strength training is an essential component for making it happen. But even if maxing out your muscle size isn't your objective, strength training might still be the best way to hit your health goals.
A lot of people believe that if they don't want to look like a bodybuilder, they shouldn't perform resistance training, So the only form of exercise they do is aerobic – and then they wonder why they’re having trouble making significant improvements in their (overall) health. Plus, building muscle bulk requires specialized and intense training and nutrition, and it doesn't happen by accident.
Before your next workout, consider these 5 science-backed benefits of strength training:
Lower Abdominal Fat - Researchers followed 10,500 men and women over the course of 12 years and found that strength training is more effective at preventing increases in abdominal fat than cardiovascular exercise.
When people incorporate strength training into their exercise routine, they not only burn calories, but increase lean muscle mass, which stimulates the metabolism. Muscle mass is a major factor in determining basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories the body burns per day to sustain physiologic functions.
Better Cardiovascular Health - Abdominal Fat (also known as visceral fat) is located in and around the vital organs and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Visceral fat is linked to CVD because it’s associated with the release of certain proteins and hormones that cause inflammation. This inflammation has been shown to damage blood vessels, increase blood pressure and lead to other cardiac problems. So, preventing or reducing any excess abdominal fat through strength training can certainly improve heart health.
Controlled Blood Sugar Levels - Anyone with Type 2 diabetes should incorporate resistance training into their routine. That’s because in addition to building muscle, strength training also improves the muscle's ability to take in and use glucose, or blood sugar.
In your muscle cells, you have these transporters that pick up glucose from the blood and deliver it to the muscle cells. Strength training improves their functioning to pick up a lot more glucose from the blood and into muscle, thereby decreasing blood sugar levels.
Reduced Cancer Risk - Visceral fat not only increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but it's also been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Visceral fat cells produce high levels of a cancer-triggering protein called fibroblast growth factor-2, or FGF2.
Lowered Injury Risks - Having a good muscle base is important for all movement, balance, coordination and injury prevention. If a muscle is too weak, it puts more stress on its connecting tendon and (over time) can result in tendinitis.
Use It or Lose It
Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age.
Strength training may also help you:
Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Manage your weight. Strength training can help you manage or lose weight, and it can increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories.
Enhance your quality of life. Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.
Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes.
Sharpen your thinking skills. Some research suggests that regular strength training and aerobic exercise may help improve thinking and learning skills for older adults.
Consider the Options
Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. Common choices may include:
Body weight. You can do many exercises with little or no equipment. Try pushups, pullups, planks, lunges and squats.
Resistance tubing. Resistance tubing is inexpensive, lightweight tubing that provides resistance when stretched. You can choose from many types of resistance tubes in nearly any sporting goods store or online.
Free weights. Barbells and dumbbells are classic strength training tools. If you don't have weights at home, you can use soup cans. Other options can include using medicine balls or kettle bells.
Weight machines. Most fitness centers offer various resistance machines. You can invest in weight machines for use at home, too.
Cable suspension training. Cable suspension training is another option to try. In cable suspension training, you suspend part of your body — such as your legs — while doing body weight training such as pushups or planks.
Getting Started
If you have a chronic condition, or if you're older than age 40 and you haven't been active recently, check with your doctor before beginning a strength training or aerobic fitness program.
Before beginning strength training, consider warming up with brisk walking or another aerobic activity for five or 10 minutes. Cold muscles are more prone to injury than are warm muscles.
Choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions. When you can easily do more repetitions of a certain exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance.
Research shows that a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions with the proper weight can build muscle efficiently in most people and can be as effective as three sets of the same exercise. As long as you take the muscle you are working to fatigue — meaning you can't lift another repetition — you are doing the work necessary to make the muscle stronger. And fatiguing at a higher number of repetitions means you likely are using a lighter weight, which will make it easier for you to control and maintain correct form.
To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group.
Also be careful to listen to your body. If a strength training exercise causes pain, stop the exercise. Consider trying a lower weight or trying it again in a few days.
It's important to use proper technique in strength training to avoid injuries. If you're new to strength training, work with a trainer or other fitness specialist to learn correct form and technique. Remember to breathe as you strength train.
When to Expect Results
You don't need to spend hours a day lifting weights to benefit from strength training. You can see significant improvement in your strength with just two or three 20- or 30-minute strength training sessions a week.
Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. Greater amounts of exercise will provide even greater health benefits. But even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up to provide health benefits.
Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
As you incorporate strength training exercises into your fitness routine, you may notice improvement in your strength over time. As your muscle mass increases, you'll likely be able to lift weight more easily and for longer periods of time. If you keep it up, you can continue to increase your strength, even if you're not in shape when you begin.
Eat to Gain Muscle: The Role Food Plays in Strength Training
When building muscle, your body needs more fuel than when it’s maintaining body composition. This can be a difficult concept for some clients to grasp. They may resist, especially those worried about weight gain or gaining fat.
Help them understand that the extra calories will go into muscle development, not fat, as long as they are working out in the right way.
Exactly how many calories an individual needs per day when working out and gaining muscle varies. You’ll need to look at each client separately to recommend calorie intake during a muscle-building period. Generally, adding 20 to 30 grams of added protein per day is a good rule for a muscle building meal plan.
Protein: The Dietary Building Block for Muscle Growth
To be fit and healthy during any kind of workout plan, your should be eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet. But, to focus on muscle gains, getting adequate protein is most important.
Muscle tissue is made up largely of proteins, which is why this macronutrient is essential. Protein is made up of amino acids. These are often referred to as the building blocks of proteins, and they are most importantly needed for growth and repair.
The body needs 20 different amino acids to function and grow properly. While all 20 are important, nine amino acids are considered essential. Essential means that they cannot be made by your body. Essential amino acids must be consumed via your diet. A complete protein is one that contains all nine essential amino acids.
How Much Protein Do You Need for Muscle Building?
Very few people in the U.S. have a hard time getting enough protein in their diet. This is because the typical western diet is rich in protein. Also, protein turnover in the body is pretty slow for sedentary individuals. For active people, especially those looking to add muscle mass, it is important to look closely at actual protein intake and make adjustments if necessary.
For sedentary individuals, about 0.81 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass is enough. That means a 150-pound person would eat about 55.5 grams of protein per day.
The American College of Sports Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics both recommend 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of mass for active individuals. This translates to 95 to 136 grams of protein daily for someone who weighs 150 pounds.
A recent study that analyzed 49 other studies determined that the ideal amount of protein per day for gaining muscle is 1.6 grams per kilogram of body mass. For the 150-pound client, this is 109 grams of protein per day
Food for Muscle Building: Don’t Forget Carbohydrates
While focusing on protein intake, it can be easy to overlook the other macronutrients. A balance is important, and carbohydrates are especially necessary for fueling the tough workouts that help build muscle.
The body will struggle to absorb more than 35 grams in one sitting, so every meal and snack should include protein along with carbs and a little bit of fat.
Is Fat an Important Muscle Building Food?
Fat is important but it’s not as necessary to track. If you are eating enough protein and carbs, you likely have adequate healthy fat in your diet. Plus, fat is easier to store in the body, so it’s hard to be deficient. In general, try to skip trans and saturated fat. Unsaturated fat is considered the more healthy fat.
15 of the Best Muscle Building Foods
Build muscle gains with the right muscle building foods. Eat, lean proteins, foods that are high in protein as well as micronutrients, and complex carbohydrates.
Choose high-quality protein-rich foods, those that also contain other nutrients. It’s also important to eat a variety of protein sources:
Eggs. One egg has about six grams of protein along with healthy fats and B vitamins.
Chicken. Choose chicken breast for a lean source of high quality protein, about 26 grams per three ounces.
Lean beef. Beef is a good protein choice as long as you stick with lean cuts. In addition to protein, it contains creatine, known to improve athletic performance and have other health benefits.
Cottage cheese. Depending on the type, cottage cheese can have as much as 25 grams of protein per serving, plus calcium.
Salmon. This fatty fish is rich in both protein and omega 3 fatty acids, which may contribute to muscle growth.
Beans. Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and other varieties are a great lean protein source with 15 grams per cup. They also contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Tofu. Made from soybeans, tofu is an important source of protein for vegetarians and vegans and is also rich in calcium.
Tempeh. This fermented soybean product is less processed than tofu and so retains more micronutrient while also providing vegan protein.
Greek yogurt. Yogurt is a great snack and smoothie ingredient, but choose Greek yogurt for more protein.
Tuna. This is an easy protein to reach for as part of a meal or snack. It offers a lot of vitamins and 20 grams of protein in three ounces.
Protein powders. While whole foods are always best, protein powders can be a good way to add in extra grams per day. Whey protein powder is a great choice, as is pea protein powder for vegans.
Quinoa. This ancient grain contains about eight grams of protein per cup as well as 40 grams of complex carbs.
Brown rice. Brown rice has not been refined like white rice, so it contains more nutrients and protein.
Peanuts. This nut-like legume has 17 grams of protein in a half-cup.
Nuts and seeds. Add a variety of nuts and seeds, including almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and others, for protein, carbs, and micronutrients.
Knowing What to Eat to Gain Muscle Also Means Avoiding Junk
When trying to build muscle and not increase body fat, getting the right balance of nutrients and calories is essential. Your clients will have little room for so-called empty calories. In other words, they need to avoid junk food.
In addition to the protein-rich foods and complex carbs, like brown rice and quinoa, have your clients fill out the rest of the day’s calories with mostly vegetables. Some fruit is good too, especially before a workout. The kinds of foods that won’t help with muscle gain and that should be avoided include:
Alcohol. These are truly empty calories with almost no nutritional value. Also, drinking can make it hard to work out the next day.
Added sugars. Natural sugars from fruits and vegetables help fuel workouts. Added sugars in processed foods only promote fat gains.
Fried and processed foods. These kinds of junk foods may have protein, but the fats and additives can increase inflammation and support putting on fat, not muscle.
The Importance of Rest and Recovery Days
When you're in the training zone and really loving your workouts, it's tempting to skip rest days. After all, you're seeing great progress, your energy levels are through the roof and every session leaves you buzzing. More workouts can only be a good thing, right?
Not necessarily. Exercise, like most things in life, is all about balance. While it's great that you want to work out harder and more often, time out is a vital part of any exercise plan and even professional athletes schedule rest time and easy sessions into their weekly training.
Rest days allow your body - and your mind - time to recover from workouts. They stop you burning out and losing your mojo, and ensure you're ready and able to give your next session your all. Rest also gives your body time to adapt to your training and grow stronger and fitter, so you'll be better placed to make the next workout count than if you skip the recovery period.
In short, if you want to enjoy sustained progress, you're going to need to put your feet up every now and again. But how many rest days should you take, what are the benefits and do you need to spend all day on the sofa with the remote?
Here's everything you need to know about rest and recovery.
5 reasons why you should take a rest day
They help you get stronger - While you may think fitness gains are only made when you're beasting yourself during a sweat session, rest is just as important if you want to hit your workout goals. Every time you work out you create microscopic tears in your muscle tissues. When you rest, your muscles start to heal and grow back stronger, meaning you'll be able to do the same workout with less effort in the future.
They help you avoid injury - If you skip rest days, it could lead to longer spells out through injury. Working out when your body and mind are tired means you're more likely to have bad form, trip or stumble. You're also at risk of overuse injuries as you constantly stress and strain the body and don't allow it the necessary time to repair itself.
Increasing the amount of training you're doing or upping the intensity, without giving your body enough time to rest and recover, is a common cause of injuries like stress fractures and tendinopathies. A recent study found that overuse injuries were the most common types of injury in elite athletics, leading to at least three weeks out of training for affected athletes.
So if you want to avoid weeks or even months of being unable to train, make sure you give yourself sufficient time to rest.
They help you make fitness progress - Train too much without resting and you could see your fitness progress grind to a halt or even go into reverse. Exercise releases stress hormones and, just as working long hours with no days off can negatively impact your health, too much exercise without enough rest can lead to burnout.
Also known as overtraining syndrome, burning out can affect your central nervous system, throwing everything out of whack. Your central nervous system is made up of different parts including the sympathetic nervous system - which triggers fight or flight mode - and the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps calm your body down again. If you're not taking the time you need to rest and recover, then the constant stress of exercise can mess with your system's natural responses.
This can leave you feeling constantly tired and drained. Workouts can feel much harder than they used to and you may struggle to do exercises you found fairly straightforward before.
They mean you can train even harder - We all know that feeling. You've just finished 30 seconds of flat-out exercise in your HIIT session and swear you couldn't do another evil burpee again, ever. Then, just 20 seconds later, you're ready to go hard and attack it again.
That's what rest days are like. Taking time off gives your body and mind time to reset, recharge and recover. Your muscles will be less sore and fatigued and, instead of just going through the motions, you'll be able to give your next workout the effort it needs to get results.
Studies have shown a lack of sleep can result in low motivation to take part in leisure activities you usually enjoy, and failing to take mental breaks to recover from exercise can have a similar effect. Mini breaks keep your motivation running on overdrive, preventing exercise from becoming a chore. Absence makes the mojo grow stronger.
They help you build long-term habits - A survey of over 2,000 people found that 33 per cent who don't exercise say it's because they don't have the time. While we all know how easy it is to fit a HIIT session into your daily routine, that becomes much harder, logistically and psychologically, if you're trying to do it every day of the week.
Rest days help make your schedule more flexible, leaving you to build workouts around your life rather than vice versa. Having that flexibility can also make your workout regime more sustainable - if you are unable to workout one day, then you can swap it for your rest day and complete your workout later in the week without compromising your training. This helps you build healthy habits you can keep up for life, too.
How many rest days do you need each week?
The number of rest days each person needs varies. It can depend on a variety of factors including the duration of your workouts, your current fitness level, goals, age and genetics.
Things like the time of the month and the menstrual cycle can affect some women, too, during your period, progesterone and estrogen are at their lowest levels. This can make some people feel more tired than usual. While it's fine to exercise when your energy levels are low, sometimes a rest day may do you more good so you can recharge, ready to give your next workout everything you've got.
Taking up to three rest days a week if you're exercising for general health and wellbeing. If you are new to exercise, you may want to take more as you gradually increase the frequency of your workouts.
You can also build more rest into your training by scheduling easier workouts for the days following tougher sessions, so you're not at risk of overdoing it. If you are strength training, alternating between upper and lower body also gives your muscles extra time to recover.
What should you do on rest days?
Rest days don't have to be spent zoning out with a boxset. Active recovery - that's very gentle, low-impact exercise - can be beneficial, too.
Massage is absolutely the best way to heal and recover from strength training. Flushing out and restoring soft tissue is critical for optimal results when incorporating a workout regimen.
Unveiling the Power of Integrative Massage: Beyond the Rubdown
Rest days are also the perfect time to give your mind a break so you feel refreshed for your next workout. Enjoy the freedom of not having to think about exercising. Try meditating - apps like Headspace have some great guided meditations if you're not sure where to start - or take a long bath with some relaxing music and a good book.
It's important to ensure you're getting some quality sleep, too, as the hormones that help repair your muscles are released during sleep. Sleep is one of the most underrated factors in terms of our health and happiness. If you're not sure whether to rest or whether to train, listen to your body.