Resistance Training 101

Resistance training is defined as the method of exercise intended to increase muscular strength by working against any form of weight or resistance. There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether at home or in the gym. Free weights, weight machines, bands, loops, or even your own body weight can all be used as forms of resistance.

The resistance challenges the muscles, breaking down the muscle fibers and forcing them to rebuild stronger. It not only improves muscle tone and structure, but it also helps build bone density and increases your metabolism too!

And aside from the aesthetics, resistance training has countless health benefits that can help you sleep better, feel happier, and have a more balanced body and mind.

And what’s better than that?

Resistance Training Vs. Cardio

No disrespect to cardio, but if you want to burn fat and shape your body — both in and out of the gym — resistance training is what you need.

I’m often asked what’s a better workout, cardio or resistance training? The short answer is, they’re both great and can compliment each other well in the right proportions.

However, if given the choice between the two, resistance training yields the greatest results. Unlike cardio, it increases your lean muscle which elevates your metabolism for long after your workout. Whereas with cardio, you’re only burning calories during the workout.

Unbeknownst to many, cardio results in the loss of not just fat and water weight – but muscle too. And since muscle largely contributes to the body’s shape and form, losing this precious tissue can actually make your body appear flabby or deflated after weight-loss (aka skinny-fat.) And you can only build and shape lean muscle with some form of resistance training.

The Best Of Both Worlds...

If you’re wanting more cardio in your workout routine, you can be strategic about your resistance training with my personal favorite method, circuit training.

Circuit training is performing a series of exercises with minimal rest in between sets to help keep your heart rate up. So performing resistance exercises ‘circuit style’ will give you the added benefit of cardio conditioning work, all-in-one.

For truly effective body sculpting and weight-loss, there’s just no way around resistance training. It’s the only non-surgical, non-invasive method by which you can shape your body to look the way you want it to look – period.

Top 7 Reasons Why You Need Resistance Training In Your Life

1) Increased Metabolism

Resistance training increases lean muscle which in turn, elevates your metabolism – even at rest. And the more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be. That’s because having an elevated metabolism helps your body burn calories and body fat more efficiently. One moderate intensity training session can elevate your metabolism for up to 12 hours!

In other words, you’ll burn more calories, and ultimately lose more weight over time than you would with just doing cardio.

Therefore, resistance training is essential for creating and maintaining the muscle needed to fuel the fat-burning process. Since muscle is active tissue (unlike fat) it requires energy to maintain.

Resistance training can provide up to a 15% increase in metabolic rate for weight loss and long-term weight control. For every additional pound of muscle you gain, your body will burn about 50 more calories each day!

2) Improves Bone Density

Resistance training has been shown to strengthen bone density, which can reduce the risk of breaks, fractures and osteoporosis as you age. Since women are typically prone to osteoporosis, it is especially beneficial in prevention.

A study conducted by Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. of Tufts University proved that resistance training increases both muscle mass and bone density. Dr. Nelson’s research showed a 3% increase in spine and bone mineral density after an 18-month resistance training program among women ages 25 to 49.

3) Stress Reliever & Mood Enhancer

Resistance training is vital to your brain health, function and general sense of well-being. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that helps improve your mood, prevents pain, and fights depression. Increased endorphins will naturally reduce anxiety and stress, as well as improve alertness and energy levels too. It also increases the production of the brain-derived neurotransmitter related to improving cognitive function.

Resistance training also increases levels of serotonin – your brain’s own natural anti-depressants. A Harvard study showed that 10 weeks of resistance training reduces clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling alone. And after three months, 18 of the 20 participants felt significantly better and no longer met the criteria for depression.

4) Anti-Aging Effects

Resistance training has been shown to help keep you looking and feeling younger – longer! As we age, muscle mass naturally decreases if you’re not working out to preserve it – which can cause skin to sag in not-so-pretty ways.

With resistance training, you can counteract age-related muscle-tone loss while maintaining a more youthful physique. This is a result of resistance trainings ability to increase your levels of, HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Endocrinologists have recognized HGH as your body’s own fountain of youth!

HGH is produced in the pituitary gland and plays a vital role in bone and muscle development – particularly in women. HGH levels start to decline in your 30’s which can lead to premature aging and atrophy of muscle tissue. According to the American Physiological Society, women who undertake a long-term resistance training program produce more biologically active HGH.

5) Improves Your Sleep

A Johns Hopkins research study proved that regular resistance training can help alleviate insomnia and increase your sleep quality too. Participants who exercised 3x per week for 12 weeks found they no longer had trouble falling sleep, they slept longer, more deeply, and awakened less often.

A Boston University School of Medicine study showed that just 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise can help improve the quality of your sleep. I’ve seen many of my clients improve their sleep quality as a result of our regular workouts. And with the amount of exercise I get with my daily clients, I can attest that I have no troubles falling asleep at night…😉

6) Reduces Your Risk Of Heart Disease & Diabetes

Resistance training alone has been found to lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer – whether or not you do cardio. A study published in the March issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that individuals who did any amount of resistance training on a weekly basis had a 40 to 70 percent reduced risk of developing a heart attack, stroke, or death related to heart disease compared with individuals who did not.

Adult-onset (Type 2) diabetes is a growing problem, with over 14 million Americans suffering from the condition. Research shows that resistance training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in just four months. As muscles contract and relax during exercise, they use sugar for energy. To meet this energy need, your body uses sugar supplies in your blood, reducing your blood sugar levels.

7) Boosts Your Energy Level

Feeling winded by everyday activities? Building lean muscle enables you to have more energy for your everyday life. Carrying groceries and lifting kids becomes a lot easier.

Endorphins get released when we are doing something that requires high energy — it is what makes us move. Since exercise increases your endorphin release, this contributes to the feeling of euphoria commonly known as “runner’s high.” Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your lung and heart health improve, you feel more energy and vitality!