4 things everyone should know about strength training

Lifting weights is awesome, and I wish the whole world knew how great it is. I wish PE classes across the country taught kids how to squat and deadlift. I wish jobs gave employees time off to make sure they can exercise during the week. I wish health insurance offered discounts to people who lift. I wish every hotel had a barbell instead of a treadmill. But until the day we live in this strong and imagined utopia, there are still misconceptions about lifting weights that we have to get rid of. So the next time your family or co-workers are trying to decide if they should ‘do weights’, here are 4 things every human should know about strength training for you to sprinkle into conversations:

Everyone can do it

No way. Kids? The elderly? Yep and yep. Lifting weight just means moving against resistance. While this certainly can be a 700lb barbell, this resistance could be bands, Kettlebells, or even your body weight. It just means moving against gravity, and we happen to measure gravity in pounds. That means if you can lift more pounds you are more resilient against gravity. That means bulletproofing yourself against falls, collisions, and moving large furniture. Kids run and jump all day, and lifting weights is no different for their bodies than these activities. Lifting weights has never stunted anyone’s growth or slowed anyone’s running speed. It has improved athleticism, balance, coordination and enjoyment of life for the millions who participate. The goal is to find your starting point and progress from there. Where are you now? Shoot for one more rep, or one pound up. Do this every time you train and you are already ahead of 99% of exercisers. 

Lifting weights makes you flexible

Lifting weights improves flexibility when you perform exercises through a full range of motion, which is the only way to do it. Inflexibility stems  from weak muscles when the brain sends a protective signal to prevent a muscle from being in a stretched and therefore weakened position. Lengthened muscles tend to be weaker because the tiny connective structures of muscle fibers don’t line up as well. That can’t be good, says the brain, and it subsequently doesn’t allow you into that position. If a muscle is strong through its full range of motion, the brain is totally fine with letting muscles stretch themselves to full length because there is less risk of injury. Lifting weights will make you sore sometimes, but it increases flexibility over time. Stretching is great, but it doesn’t make muscles stronger. Lifting weights weights is a 2 for 1 making them stronger and more flexible.

Lifting weights improves cardiovascular capacity

“You still have to do cardio if you lift weights though, right? I don’t want to be out of breath all the time. I want to work my heart, not just my muscles.” 

An excellent idea! Heart health is paramount to a healthy life as heart disease consistently ranks among the top killers of Americans. But you are in luck, because the heart just so happens to be connected to all of your muscles! That means when muscles work and need oxygen, guess where they get it from? The blood supply that is fed ever so diligently by the...wait for it...the HEART! Hurray! What a fantastic system to have all of its components connected so efficiently. When you lift weights, muscles need blood to remove waste product, and to bring them more oxygen so they can recover and be ready for more contractions. The heart does this and beats plenty loudly to let you know it is working. People who say lifting weights doesn’t improve cardiovascular capacity have never done a hard set of 10 on deadlifts. Cardiovascular efficiency is rated scientifically as VO2 max. A value of 30 is about average, and 40 is ranked as ‘fit’. People who lift weights improve their VO2 max into the 50s. That means lifting weights makes you stronger, more flexible, and improves cardiovascular capacity. It’s a 3 for 1. 

It strengthens muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons too

It’s not just muscles that benefit from lifting heavy things. Muscles are attached to tendons, ligaments, bones, and all of these structures adapt and become stronger over time from lifting. All of these structures are connected, so they all benefit from lifting, as there is no way to isolate any of them outside of a laboratory. You will often hear people worried about their ‘joints’ or ‘ruining their knees’ as reasons for avoiding strength training. These are exactly the people who need lifting the most! Osteoporosis is a disease of a lack of bone density. Lifting weights increases bone density. Joints don’t get worn out from lifting, they grow stronger and better, just like you do!

So what should I do? If you’ve never lifted weights, give us a call. Teaching people how to do it properly is something we do everyday. Become familiar with squats, deadlifts, presses…and sometimes grunting and making ugly faces. Your bones, tendons, ligaments, health and  grandchildren will thank you ;)