One of the most effective facets of a well-rounded fitness plan is strength training. When you incorporate it with cardio and stretching, you are creating a balanced approach to fitness that can help to build bone and muscle while reducing fat and burning calories. Anyone who wants to lose weight and increase muscle would do well to perform any number of strength exercises as part of their workout routine.
Aerobics works to improve heart health and lung capacity while stretching works to increase your flexibility and mobility. Strength training is the way to build muscle mass and strength through weight and resistance. We have clients who use strength training to increase their skills on the field or the court, some use it to help rehabilitate a previous injury or fortify themselves against the risk of injury in the future. Whatever your reason may be, you can bet you will notice significant changes in your physical appearance over time. Maybe that’s an objective of yours and our team of personal trainers are ready to develop a training regimen that focuses on this and any other goals you may have in mind.
One of the biggest misconceptions about strength training is that you need to be extremely powerful or strong to do it. This may be due to the confusion that exists between strength-training and bodybuilding or powerlifting. In the form of the two latter disciplines, the first is designed to sculpt and define the body through muscle size and the second tests the limits of an individual’s ability to lift extremely heavy weights. The purpose of strength training is to help the body and mind excel at building bone mass and muscle tone.
Methods of Strength Training
You have a variety of choices when it comes to finding a strength training exercise that works for you. At Silicon Valley Athletics, we believe the most effective avenue for motivating a client and keeping him or her engaged is to find a way to tie it into something they already enjoy doing.
In the case of strength training, the type of weight and resistance best-suited for each individual client can be as wildly disparate as our clients and their unique fitness goals. In every instance, the level of tension under which the muscles are placed help to increase growth and strength through gradual adaptation.
These are some of the more popular types of strength exercises we recommend:
Free Weights
While we can have you lift free weights such as bar-bells, dumb-bells, even kettle-bells in our facility, you can lift just about any heavy object within your comfort zone at home or anywhere else. The portable nature of free weights allows us to find a way to incorporate this type of exercise into other activities.
Body Weight
Utilizing your own body weight during push-ups, squats, lunges, and pull-ups can have a dramatic effect on various areas of the body. You don’t need any other equipment to do these activities, just be sure you have enough space to move freely in.
Resistance Bands
Working with your own body weight and gravity provides plenty of resistance on their own. But employing resistance bands can offer various levels of resistance to challenge and drive you further towards significant progress in muscle mass and bone density.
Weightlifting Equipment
The types of machines we have in our Sunnyvale facility allow you to adjust the weight you’re lifting and offer a level of resistance that you don’t get from resistance bands or one’s own body weight.
Why Strength Training?
This form of exercise provide many benefits for clients of all ages and skill-levels:
Bone Density
Strength training helps to make the bones stronger and wards off the risks associated with osteoporosis. As we age our bones become weaker and more brittle, but strength exercises like those listed above stimulate bone growth and development by placing the bones under temporary periods of strain. This strain motivates the bone matter at a cellular level, increasing density over time. Stronger bones decreases the potential for damage from falls or other impacts sustained in one’s daily life.
Lean Body Mass
The more you perform strength exercises, the more you increase lean muscle mass. This means you’re adding additional muscle and less fat mass. Strength training can also help to prevent muscle loss.
Metabolic Rate
Along with increased muscle comes an increase in metabolic rate. As a result you burn extra calories due to the higher metabolic efficiency of your muscles. That higher metabolic rate continues to burn calories for up to three days after a workout.
Improved Strength and Stamina
When you become stronger you’ll find the daily routines of life are easier and more enjoyable to participate in because you have greater capabilities. You can lift heavier objects, you have more energy to spend time with friends and loved ones, you’ll even notice a higher level of athletic ability. Many of our clients come to us seeking an increase in their speed or additional stamina to power through their otherwise busy day. Strength training offers distinct results, leading to an increase in your quality of life and physical well-being.