The strength training benefits that aren’t talked about enough
Most people know that strength training is good for you. Probably the number one reason they think of first is that it helps you build muscle. But there are so many other nuances to what strength training can do for you. I’d like to shed light on the many layers of strength training.
Mood boost. The mental health benefits should be, in my opinion, the first thing you think of with regards to strength training. Muscle building takes weeks upon months to do, but you get an immediate boost in your mood with each workout you do.
Skill and coordination building. Strength training is a skill you can improve forever. Sure, biomechanics are important and learning how to move properly will allow you to train more safely and more efficiently; but one of the best parts of training is that there is a very high ceiling for mastery (if there is such a thing). There are just too many ways to move that you can focus on improving - which is so fun! Even within the main compound lifts, there are many variations to practice.
Practical anatomy lessons. It is the practical applied way to learn what muscles do what. Google the muscles you are using for whatever exercises you are doing. Look at the anatomy in application to movement. You don’t have to know how things work to exercise, but it makes exercising way cooler, plus helps you troubleshoot when necessary.
Confidence building. Ever lifted something heavy that you didn’t think you could? That feels really freakin’ good. Next time you need to help someone move a heavy piece of furniture, you will know you got it.
Enhances the mind-body connection. Over time you learn how to connect with and contract individual muscles and then together simultaneously. This is important for being able to stabilize joints while moving limbs independently for example.
Injury prevention. This is a tough one for people to remember. Because when you’re not injured, it’s hard to correlate that to that fact that you’ve kept a consistent strength training regimen. It’s like an invisible benefit and one we remind our clients of all the time.
So what if you started strength training, not just to build muscle, but to have a 30+ year practice that gave you all the above mentioned benefits. I think it would help people stick with the habit for the rest of their lives. Building muscle is cool and important, but it’s only one part of what you get from strength training, and once you have built muscle, there are so many other things to focus on to keep you coming back week after week.
