Strength Training is a type of resistance training which is fundamental for many people. Most people, however, do not understand why they should be doing it. At Pendulum Fitness I look to educate my clients about different types of training and why I prescribe them. This is to help them make the best possible choices when exercising independently to gain the results they are after.
Strength Training can be used to improve athletic performance, reshape your body, rehabilitate an injury or increase balance and reduce the risk of falling over. Strength Training does not mean you always need to be lifting the heaviest weight around, it just means you need to challenge yourself to be stronger than you were yesterday, last week, month, or even last year.
Performance
Strength Training can directly improve a variety of aspects of athletic performance. Lower body Strength Training exercises using hip hinge/hip extension mechanics, for example, deadlifts, RDL, and hip thrusts have been shown to increase sprint speed and horizontal jumping distance. Lower body Strength Training exercises using knee extension mechanics, for example, squat variations and lunge variations, have been shown to improve jump height. Furthermore, unilateral strength training has been shown to improve coordination, balance and change in direction speed. These aspects of performance are important for any athlete/sports performer to improve and are transferable into any sport or athletic event.
Body
Strength Training can help with reshaping the body by increasing muscle mass. This added muscle will help shape and add firmness to the body. An increase in muscle will also increase resting metabolic rate meaning you burn more calories and rest. It also means you burn more calories when doing NEAT exercise. This increased calorie output helps to reduce body fat by reducing the net calorie intake, helping to create a calorie deficit.
Rehab and Older Populations
Strength Training is one of the most important aspects of a good rehabilitation program and is most heavily utilised during the intermediate phase of the programme. Strength Training is also great for people who worry about falling over and hurting themselves. Strength Training adds integrity to the muscles and tendons of the body, the bones and ligaments, and even the cartilage structures between the bones. This helps to reduce the likelihood of them being damaged by a chronic overload(overuse) or acute trauma(sudden impact/accident). Again, this doesn’t mean you have to lift the heaviest weight, it just means you need to challenge your body to do more.