The idea that lifting weights is only for people who want to improve their appearance is extremely damaging to the fitness world. An essential lesson to internalize for athletes and enthusiasts is that looking nice is just a side effect of the process. An enjoyable side effect of weightlifting, sure, and for many, it’s the reason they pick up a barbell in the first place.
There are many other benefits to being strong beyond just the physical. There are several benefits that come with being physically fit that you may be aware of, such as improved confidence, lower body fat, and resistance to injury. There are more benefits to being famous than just the ones we see on magazine covers.
Here are the Benefits of Lifting Weights
A Stronger Brain
Lifting weights can help slow down the brain's shrinkage process, which is common with age.
Most of the classic literature on the subject of how exercise affects brain health discusses the benefits of aerobics. Modern science is concluding that lifting is good for the mind. Studies have shown that lifting weights regularly can help improve your critical thinking skills and memory, especially if you start at a younger age.
When young people engage in weightlifting, it helps to strengthen the brain and make it less susceptible to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of mental decline. This is possibly because lifting weights seems to increase levels of BDNF, a protein that helps to create new brain cells.
Practical Application
- Find a training split or program that suits your needs and stick to it. There’s no specific exercise that will make you smarter or quick-witted, but the overall benefits are too large to ignore.
Cleaner Blood
Worried about your cholesterol levels? Strength training can be a solid natural remedy. One study found that 14 weeks of heavy strength training resulted in significant decreases in blood cholesterol levels for women in their twenties, including a strong trend towards a more favorable ratio of “bad” to “good” cholesterol.
Lifting weights is a great way to reduce body fat. A slim waistline has been linked to reducing the risk of heart disease or other cardiac ailments. The list goes on and on.
Practical Application
- If you’ve only been pounding the pavement, work out how to incorporate lifting with cardiovascular exercise. The synergistic benefits alone are worth mixing it up when it comes to your preferred style of training.
Activated Genes
Your genes don't determine your future. Your “genetic blueprint” is not entirely fixed. Strength training activates and “reprograms” certain genes. It's like changing the software in your hardware. The genes don't change, but the way they act does.
Scientists believe that a change in gene expression might be the reason why resistance training is connected to a better immunity, stress response, and protein synthesis.
One thing that is becoming increasingly clear is that stronger muscles lead to healthier genes.
Practical Application
- Unfortunately, no workout routine will grant you superpowers (though the right program comes close) or change your hair color. Consistent resistance training affords a slew of “silent” health benefits like better genetic behaviors.
Reduced Depression
There is evidence that suggests that iron may be the best therapy, although medicine ball slams are also very effective. According to several studies, resistance training is the best form of physical exercise to reduce the symptoms of generalized anxiety, compared to aerobic training or no exercise at all.
The trial found that signs of worry and anxiety remission was 60 percent in the participants that did not do any aerobics, while it was only 40 percent for the participants that did aerobics.
Although these studies have promising results, they do not recommend this treatment for everyone and is not considered medical advice. Before assuming that you are experiencing symptoms of depression, speak with a medical professional.
Practical Application
- Hitting the gym to improve your mood will only work if you actually like what you’re doing. Make sure you’re on a routine that makes lifting weights fun and not a chore of its own.
Fewer Strokes
Strokes are caused by a lack of activity 80 percent of the time, according to the Interstroke study. The less active you are, the greater your risk for a stroke.
A study that looked at the data from 23 other studies found that adults who exercise regularly are 27% less likely to die from any cause. (9)
This literature does not make a distinction between aerobic and resistance training, but both aerobic and resistance training are important for stroke risk prevention. Grip strength, in particular, has been found to be closely related to stroke risk.
Practical Application
- Like many other preventative benefits of weight lifting, you can’t really target stroke risk reduction through training. For general well-being, find a balanced routine that includes some form of cardio as well, possibly at the end of your session.
Improved Posture
Most of us were told to “stand up straight” or “quit slouching” when we were young. While this may have just been our mothers nagging us at the time, it turns out that there is actual science to back up resistance training.
Weightlifting helps improve your posture by developing and strengthening the muscles in your core, spine, hips, and shoulders. Good posture has been linked with better health outcomes in regards to back pain.
Though it is not as well known, good posture also has an effect on cognition. According to some literature, people who stand instead of sitting or slouching can have better thought patterning and cognition skills, which would help them perform better in the workplace.
Practical Application
- If you want to give extra attention to your posture, incorporate posterior chain and upper back movements like Romanian deadlifts, back extensions, or your favorite row variation.
Better Relationships
Although working out at the gym may not help you find the love of your life, it could be a good first date idea. Some science suggests that doing physical activity with your coworkers can improve your quality of life and reduce stress at work.
Working out with a partner cannot guarantee that you will never be irritated by a colleague, but it can help ease tensions and make the workload seem less daunting.
Practical Application
- Group training sessions like those commonly found in CrossFit are great for hitting the iron with partners or partners. Alternatively, having a workout buddy with you in the gym to serve as a spotter or motivator might benefit your actual training more than you think.
Optimal sports performance
To be a top athlete, you need to optimize every area of your life. You can't improve your performance if you don't take care of yourself by eating well and training properly.
Weightlifting is a important part of the preparation and conditioning for many sports. No matter what sport you participate in, strength training is an important part of your routine. Whether you're playing football, figure skating, sprinting, or sumo wrestling, having strong muscles will help you compete at your best.
Studies have revealed that strength training can improve many aspects of athletic ability. The high-intensity interval training method is adaptable and versatile. You can use several different systems and protocols to improve your overall sports performance.
Transfer of strength training
Many athletes are lifting weights to improve their performance, including runners, young athletes, and those competing in skills-based sports such as pool and darts.
Velocity-dominant strength training can improve explosive speed and power.
Working out at a high volume or density can help improve your stamina and cardiorespiratory fitness. Heavy strength training develops maximal strength, which can be used as a foundation for power and robustness.
This means that the benefits you gain from strength training will depend on the type of exercises you do. It’s not just about lifting big all the time.
An example of this is the force-velocity relationship which demonstrates that it takes more time to lift heavier weights as all of the necessary muscle fibers need to be recruited.
This can help you produce a lot of force, do things on purpose, and your muscles and tendons will change so you can do it better with heavier weights.
Heavy v light weights
However, lifting heavy weights does not always lead to the best improvements in activities that involve rapidly moving your limbs, such as sprinting, jumping, and throwing.
Heavier weights take longer to lift, but prepare you better for speed and explosiveness. Foundational elements of athleticism, such as maximal force production, may not be enhanced by electronics.
Athletes typically need to be strong, fast AND powerfully. To achieve the best results, training should be structured to periodically change the load, the number of repetitions, and the speed at which the bar is moved.
Better mood
We all feel sad or unhappy sometimes. People who suffer from anxiety, low mood, and mild depression often have difficulty with everyday life. But hitting the weights can help.
Recent research suggests that weightlifting has positive effects on mental health. Training regularly not only helps with motivation, but also promotes engagement, interest and improving feelings of self-worth.
If you have symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, doing strength-training exercises may help relieve your symptoms. A study with 37 female participants found that symptoms improved after attending twice-weekly resistance training classes.
The study found that resistance training can lead to a reduction in symptoms of depression. According to 33 different studies, exercise can help reduce depression, no matter what a person's health status is.
Exercising, particularly lifting weights, can have significant health benefits for people who suffer from mild depression.
It is not possible to fix severe mental health issues by lifting weights. You should not see training as a replacement for taking medication or any other type of treatment you might be receiving. This text is recommend that you consult a local health professional for specific mental health advice.
More confidence
There's nothing more rewarding at the gym than seeing your Personal Best time or score. Being able to lift a heavy barbell and proving to others in the room that you are strong is one of the best things you can achieve athletically.
Many people don't think about the emotional or psychological benefits that come with strength training. Lifting weights can do more than just change your body; it can also have a positive impact on your self-esteem and confidence.
Both direct and indirect associations have been found between physical activity and self-esteem. Not only being physically active, but even having the perception of fitness levels can improve health.
Strengthening your body can also help to strengthen your social circle by bringing you into contact with like-minded individuals.
The feeling you get from completing a difficult workout, along with the positive chemicals released by endorphins, will quickly improve your mood and make you walk with confidence.
Youth development
At present, 28% of 5 to 7-year-olds and 12% of 13 to 15-year-olds satisfy physical activity guidelines. A scary thought.
The play radius of a child has decreased from 5 miles in the 1950s to just 100 meters. No matter how you look at it, our kids are increasingly inactive.
The idea that youth and adolescents shouldn't lift weights because it will stunt their growth and increase their chances of injury is surrounded by myths. Both false, of course.
The number of children taking up weightlifting as a sport has increased exponentially in recent years. As well as confident, strong adults.
A recent study found that resistance training is a safe and effective way of promoting strength in young adults and children. Making sure that the coaches emphasize technique rather than simply adding weight to the bar is important.
The wonderful aspect of instructing youthful individuals about secure power training is that their minds are very adaptable. Children can retain information much better than adults. Whether you're learning a new language, playing a musical instrument, or figuring out the correct bench-pressing technique,
Wrapping Up
The conditions mentioned before are often seen as a result of aging. Lifting weights can help to keep your body young by preventing and countering some of the effects of aging. If you have a serious medical condition, you should always talk to your doctor about treatment options.
It's easy to find a routine that will give you a big chest or shoulders, and think that weightlifting is just about being vain. Lifting has just as many benefits for your internal organs as it does for your muscles.
