Is resistance training important? Lets find out

As we all know, strength training, also known as weightlifting or resistance training, is more than just lifting weights and getting bulky. It is an important form of exercise that can help to improve overall health and fitness.

One of the main benefits of strength training is that it can help to build and maintain muscle mass. As we age, muscle mass naturally decreases, which can lead to a decrease in metabolism and an increase in body fat. It also helps to improve bone density, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. It also helps to improve balance, coordination and stability.

In addition to the physical benefits, strength training can also have a positive impact on mental health. It can help to improve mood, reduce stress, and increase self-esteem.

Strength training should be done by people of all ages, and it can be adapted to suit individual needs and abilities. It's important to have proper form and technique when training to prevent injuries.

When in a calorie deficit, it's important to ensure that you're still performing resistance training and getting enough protein to help preserve muscle mass. It is important to focus on progressive overload, which means gradually increasing the weight and intensity of the exercises over time. This will help to build muscle and improve strength.

It's important to note that when in a calorie deficit, the body might not have enough energy to perform at its best, so it's essential to be mindful of the volume and intensity of your strength training. It's also important to listen to your body's signals and adjust your workout accordingly.

In summary, strength training, especially while on a calorie-controlled diet can be beneficial for weight loss and overall health. It can help to preserve muscle mass and improve strength, bone density, balance, coordination and stability. It's important to focus on progressive overload, have proper form and technique, and listen to your body's signals while adjusting your workout. It's suitable for people of all ages and can be adapted to suit individual needs and abilities.

Progressive overload.

Progressive overload is a principle in strength training that refers to gradually increasing the weight and/or intensity of exercises over time. The idea is that by gradually increasing the demands placed on the body, the muscles will adapt and become stronger.

Progressive overload can be achieved in a number of ways, such as increasing the weight of the dumbbells or barbells, increasing the number of reps and sets, or increasing the speed or force of the movement.

The key is to make small, gradual increases in weight or intensity, rather than trying to increase too much at once. This will help to prevent injury and ensure that the body has enough time to adapt to the new demands placed on it.

Progressive overload is important because it ensures that the muscles are being challenged and stimulated to grow. When the muscles are not challenged, they will not change or grow.

It's also important to note that progressive overload should be applied to all exercises, not only the main lifts, and it should be applied to different rep ranges. This will help to target all muscle fibers and achieve muscle hypertrophy.

Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in strength training and it's important to apply it in a consistent and proper way to achieve results and avoid plateaus. It's also important to have good form, technique and proper warm-up and cool-down.

Should you be worried about getting bulky?

NO! Just because you are lifting weights and you start to increase your weights, you will not become bulky.

The body is more complicated than that. That was a myth created by 80s’ magazines that have been long debunked. Let us explain it to you in simple terms so you can understand why this is just a myth.

In order for the body to gain muscle or get “bulky” you need to be intentional. Not only with your training, but with everything else you do. Apart from “lifting heavy”, you would have to go to a certain rep range, certain amount of sets, bring the muscle to failure, etc. If, just if you do all these, you would tear the muscle fiber and that’s how the GAINZ happens. Cool… however… you would also have to:

- Eat in a caloric surplus for an extended period of time. 

- Get proper sleep, 6-8 hours. 

- Focus on your recovery. 

- Make sure you are not over training.

- Be consistent over an extended period of time. 

See? 

Building muscle is not just about how much weight you lift, building muscle is hard and it takes time and commitment. Nobody has accidentally woken up looking like a professional bodybuilder. We have tried, unfortunately, it has not worked…. yet. They are all intentional about what they do. 

On the other hand, lifting light does not necessarily mean that you will automatically tone your muscles. This has been taken out of context. How so? Well, it has already been shown that when someone is in a “toning” or fat loss phase, the best way to keep as much lean muscle mass as possible, is to still lift heavy (to your own capacity) because you need to still challenge the muscle. If you do not use it, you lose it. Ok fine, but what does that have to do with lifting light? We are coming to that. 

When the term “light” is used, it should be used more as lightER and this varies between individuals. When using the term lightER weight, it is mostly to pick a weight that even though it is “heavy” and “challenging” you can still feel the muscle. Creating that muscle-mind-connection, this is the KEY to toning, FEELING THE MUSCLE. It is not a matter of doing 45 reps with a 15lb dumbbell that creates 0 challenge for you. It is based on what max resistance you can use that allows you to really feel that muscle-mind-connection, while still giving you a challenge. 

Lifting heavy and challenging yourself during resistance training provides way more benefits than just getting big muscles, such as: 

- Increase in bone density 

- Thicken ligaments 

- Thicken tendons 

- Thicken cartilage 

- Thicken intervertebral disks