Strength training is a form of exercise involving a higher number of sets, fewer repetitions, heavy weights, and longer periods of rest in between sets. Strength training helps build muscle, improve posture, support weight loss, and reduce the risk of injury.
Some examples of strength training include Olympic weightlifting, deadlifts, the bench press, and the bent over row. These exercises can be done at home or in the gym, with dumbbells, resistance bands, barbells, or kettlebells, for example.
To avoid injury, it is important to work with a certified personal trainer to make sure you are performing these exercises correctly, with proper form and technique.
Main benefits
The main benefits of strength training include:
1. Improving physical resistance
Strength training forces the muscles to contract and exert force against an external resistance, such as dumbbells, resistance bands, a kettlebell, or even your own body weight, improving physical resistance and muscle strength over time.
2. Supporting weight loss
Strength training helps build muscle mass, which increases metabolism and calorie burning to support weight loss.
In order to lose weight, however, it is necessary to also maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet that prioritizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Read more about following a weight loss diet.
3. Building muscle mass
Strength training helps develop the muscles by forcing them to work against heavy resistance for a prolonged period of time, leading to increased muscle mass and improved physical fitness.
4. Reducing the risk of injury
Strength training helps reduce the risk of injuries and falls by strengthening the muscles and tendons as well as improving mobility and range of motion. This is also beneficial for performing activities of daily living.
5. Promoting well-being
Overcoming challenges during strength training helps boost self-confidence and promote well-being.
Strength training also improves mood, as these exercises stimulate the release of endorphins, which are hormones responsible for a sense of well-being. Endorphins can help relieve stress, anxiety, and even symptoms of depression.
6. Improving posture
Strength training strengthens the muscles and the bones that support the spinal column, thus improving posture and decreasing back pain.
See exercises to improve posture.
7. Lowering the risk for diabetes
Skeletal muscle helps improve insulin sensitivity in the body, which is the hormone responsible for balancing levels of glucose in the blood. By working to develop muscle mass, strength training can also help lower the risk for diabetes.
Workout tips
In order to perform strength training exercises correctly, it is important to pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Do 1 to 6 reps per set, and, if you can do more, increase the weight until reaching a maximum of 6 reps;
- Use the heaviest weight possible for your reps to reach 85 to 100% of your capacity;
- Choose 4 to 6 exercises each session that work different muscle groups;
- Perform 3 to 10 sets of each exercise;
- Work out for 30 to 60 minutes per day, 2 to 3 days per week.
Additionally, it is important to rest for 3 to 5 minutes between sets to allow for muscle recovery.
Exercise examples
Exercises to include as part of a strength training workout include:
1. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a leg exercise that can be included as part of strength training. Deadlifts target the muscles of the posterior thighs and glutes as well as engaging the muscles of the lower back and abs.
To perform a deadlift, place the bar on the floor in front of you, standing with feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees while maintaining a neutral spine, and grasp the bar with hands spaced shoulder-width apart. Next, lift the bar off the ground up to the level of your thighs, maintaining that neutral spine and keeping your abs tight. Return to the starting position, placing the weight back on the floor.
2. Bench press
The bench press is an exercise that can be done using dumbbells or a barbell to strengthen and improve definition of the chest muscles, including the superior and inferior pectoralis major and the deltoids, in addition to the biceps and triceps.
To do this exercise, start by lying down on a workout bench with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing forward. Pull the shoulders down and back and position the weights at chest level, just outside the shoulders. Press the weights up until your arms are fully extended. This is the starting position. Slowly lower the weights in the direction of your chest, then press the weights back up with control until your elbows are fully extended.
3. Bent over row
The bent over row is recommended to strengthen and/or build muscle in the upper back and biceps, in addition to the lower back. This exercise can be performed using a barbell, dumbbells, or a pulley/cable machine.
For this exercise, begin in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hinge slightly forward at the hips and secure the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows and pull the bar up in the direction of your abdomen, then lower the weight back toward the floor, extending your arms completely.
4. Olympic weightlifting
Olympic weightlifting, or simply weightlifting, is a competitive sport that involves using the maximum weight possible to test the strength and power of the upper limbs.
This exercise involves lifting a barbell with weights from the floor up to the shoulders, then extending the arms completely over head.